Mentor a Care Experienced Young Adult

Time Commitment

2 years, 3 hours per week

Role Based Details

London-based service; volunteering takes place within the community close to the young adult's home.

Who does this role help?

Care Leavers, Teenagers, Young Adults, Individuals with mental health issues

Young people leaving the care system are often left to face the challenges of adulthood without family or previous carers to turn to for advice, information or support. Our volunteer mentors provide these young adults with a trusted, long term relationship at a time which can often be frightening, lonely or confusing. 

Mentoring is free for volunteers – all expenses incurred are reimbursed to a maximum amount per month, inclusive of activity expenses and travel costs.

Who you will be helping

A care experienced young adult is someone who has been in care for a period of 13 weeks or more spanning their 16th birthday. This service supports care experienced young adults aged 18 – 25. 

Young people living in care have experienced significant childhood trauma such as the effects of domestic violence, caring for family members, or managing their own mental health issues. They face considerable challenges when leaving the system and entering adulthood. Whilst childhood trauma can have a negative impact on all young people later in life, the likelihood of this is even higher for young people who have been in care. They are at higher risk of becoming involved in criminal activity or drug or alcohol addiction, less likely to achieve academically and more likely to experience poor mental health in adulthood.

The difference you will make

Friendship Works volunteers have a positive impact in the lives of the individuals they mentor. A recent independent external evaluation of the service found that:

  • 76% of care experienced young adults feel more positive about their future since having mentor.
  • 60% of care experienced young adults feel more in control of their lives since having the support of a mentor.

By matching young adults leaving the care system with a volunteer mentor to build a positive, long term friendship, they are given access to support and new experiences. This helps them develop life skills and a greater sense of self worth, building the resilience needed to manage the challenges of adult life. As a result young adults gain new perspectives and are in a better position to explore training, education or employment opportunities. 

We need male and female adult volunteers to build a stable and positive long term friendship with a care experienced young adults through weekly outings. These outings last for 2-3 hours, giving mentors and mentees a chance to explore mutual interests and participate in new activities together.

Who are we looking for?

There is no typical Friendship Works mentor. We want our volunteers to be as diverse as the young adults we support. 

We welcome applications by volunteers from all walks of life, with a variety of life experiences, including people from ethnically diverse communities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

This role will suit volunteers who:

  • Are over 23 years old;
  • Demonstrate good levels of empathy;
  • Can show high levels of commitment and resilience;
  • Are good listeners and non-judgemental;
  • Have the skills to build a positive, safe friendship with a care experienced young person;
  • Are active and fun, and have hobbies or interests to share with a young adult

What’s in it for you?

Our mentors tell us that the experience of providing long-term support to a care experienced young adult can be challenging, but it’s also very rewarding. Many of our volunteers also report that volunteering as a mentor has helped them:

  • Discover new levels of patience and empathy;
  • Gain insight into the challenges facing care experienced Londoners;
  • Try new activities or visit new places;
  • Gain a new perspective;
  • Develop greater confidence and self esteem;
  • Experience greater levels of happiness.

All Family Action volunteers receive full training and access to regular supervision and ongoing support for as long as they are in the role.

Find out more

This role requires a high level of commitment, so it is important for volunteers to understand what is involved. Anyone interested is invited to attend a Volunteer Information Evening, where we will explain more about what our mentors do and why this model of mentoring is so effective. There will also be a chance to hear from our staff team, young people and a current mentor.

Please click the "I'm Interested" button to book a place at one of these events. 

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Find us

This service is delivered across communities so please check the role based details and the service page for information about how the role is delivered. View Service