Mentoring for deaf young people
Get one-to-one support, inspiration and advice with our new mentoring service for deaf young people
Our new messaged-based service connects deaf young people, aged 14 to 18, with a mentor who is a positive deaf role model. Having a mentor can help a deaf young person to overcome challenges and inspire them to reach their potential. Our mentors will be able to draw on their own experiences to offer personalised support for their mentee.
How our mentoring service works
Each young person will be matched with their own deaf mentor. They’ll be able to chat with their mentor to get support and guidance on a wide range of topics, such as:
- emotional health and wellbeing
- deaf identity
- studying and revision
- further education
- careers.
They’ll be able to chat through text messages or by video messages if they prefer to use British Sign Language (BSL). All a young person needs is access to a phone, tablet, laptop or computer with an internet connection.
When they meet their mentor, they’ll be able to discuss when and how often they’d like to chat. Most mentees spend about an hour a week messaging their mentor. This can be on a set day every week or split up over three days. Our mentors will aim to reply within three days.
We have partnered with Brightside, an established charity, who are experts in online mentoring for young people. All conversations between mentors and their mentee take place on Brightside’s mentoring platform and are moderated by Brightside and National Deaf Children's Society service coordinators.
How having a mentor can help a deaf young person
There are many great benefits to having a mentor, these include:
- developing coping skills in dealing with setbacks and challenges
- building a sense of belonging and feeling understood
- understanding and accessing support networks
- preventing feelings of isolation and loneliness
- practising and developing communication skills.
How long the mentoring lasts
Each round of mentoring lasts 10 weeks.
The next round of mentoring will take place from 5 July to 10 September 2021.
Before being matched with a mentor, young people will be invited to a welcome session. This will be run by National Deaf Children's Society and Brightside service coordinators. Young people will get to learn more about mentoring and how they can access Brightside's online platform.
We'll confirm the date of the welcome session once places have been confirmed.
About our mentors
Our mentors are National Deaf Children’s Society volunteers who are deaf and aged 18 and over.
All of our mentors complete mentoring and safeguarding training and have an enhanced security check, either DBS or PVG.
Young people, aged 18 and over, who are mentees will also be offered the option to become a mentor at the end of the 10-week programme.
Although our mentors will support young people with advice and guidance, they are not experts or trained counsellors.
Applications are open!
Please complete both application forms.
Places for our mentoring service are limited. Completing an application form doesn’t guarantee you a place.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please email [email protected].
Work with a deaf young person?
We welcome referrals from professionals working with deaf young people.
If you work with a deaf young person that you feel would benefit from our mentoring service, please complete our referral form and a member of the team will get in touch. Alternatively, you can share this page directly with the young person(s) and their parent.
