Please read through all of the information carefully and then do the quiz ‘How to mentor-part 1’. The pass mark is 70/80.

You can re-do the quiz as many times as you need to.

If you need any support/help please email us:

Peermentoring@le.ac.uk

Intro Training

All first years will now be assigned a mentor. This means that your mentoring group will likely be around 8-11 mentees.

The scheme has expanded to include all departments except medicine.

Major Changes- we’re bigger and better!

What would you want from a peer mentor? What sorts of things would you want advice about?

The role of a mentor:A friendly point of contact for new students

joining the University.

Give tips about Leicester and campus life.

Provide signposting to support services.

Promote the activities available to all students in the University and Union.

Give tips about revision and library resources.

How much of each responsibility you do will depend on your mentee group.

The main things asked about by our mentees last year were academic and revision and signposting to support services.

The role of a mentor

Mentors are not: There to provide detailed academic support e.g by

reading essays. Please feel free to refuse requests that would take up too much of your time. Your degree has to be your top priority.

Counsellors- please signpost mentees to the relevant support service if they need it.

Available 24/7

To complete all necessary training.

To ensure you effectively manage your time and commitments with the scheme and your studies.

Please note that you can’t use mentoring commitments as mitigating circumstances. If mentoring is taking up too much of your time then get in touch with us.

To follow the code of conduct (more on this later).

What is expected of a Mentor?

The main way you will communicate with your mentees is via email. You’ll send 6 short emails about different themes and cc in the peer mentoring team.

What is expected of a Mentor?

Aug/Sep: Welcome Email

Within one week of matching

Freshers Email- 'What I wish I knew

in the first term' By 14th Oct

Oct email-Top tips about Leicester and Campus By 31st Oct

Nov email- Tips on things to do and getting involved

By 30th Nov

Dec email- Top studying/revision

tipsBy end of term

January email: Reflection

By 31st Jan

You will also meet your mentee group at a ‘meet your mentor’ event during the second week of term.

These will be organised by us in conjunction with a lead mentor in each department.

What is expected of a Mentor?

Complete the training

Send 6 short emails about specified theme.

1 meet up with your group.

Follow the code of conduct.

Summary- our expectations of you

“Being a peer mentor really made me feel like I was

making a difference for my peer mentees, and they

knew that they could approach me with questions or

problems during the often challenging first term of

starting university. I also learnt some useful skills

relating to being a mentor, such as problem solving,

peer support, and interpersonal skills, which I feel are

transferable to any place of work or study.” Anna, Biology mentor

What are the Benefits?

Communication

Leadership

Organisation

Safeguarding awareness

Equality & Diversity awareness

Career skills

The HEAR is a nationally recognised transcript that demonstrates both your academic and extra-curricular achievements, providing future employers or further study institutions with a comprehensive record of the knowledge, skills and experience gained during your time at University. More info here.

By taking part as a Mentor, this will appear on your HEAR accreditation upon graduating, as long as you complete:

1. This training session2. Remaining online training by 2nd May.3. The emails to your mentees4. An evaluation form by 31st January

What is the HEAR?

During the face to face training, mentors took part in a monopoly activity about Leicester. All the information they learned will be available on Blackboard before you’re matched with your mentee group.

The scheme works on a semi-informal basis, outside of the stated contact periods it is up to you and your Mentees to talk and meet.

Try to keep your relationship informal and friendly but always keep in mind the code of conduct and those boundaries. This is to protect yourself as a Mentor as well as your Mentees.

The training will equip you to signpost to the correct place depending what issue your mentee is having (if any.) Please don’t take on more than you are expected to and don’t let your studies drop!

Mentor/ Mentee relationship

The Code of Conduct

1. Mentor and mentees are not to meet on a 1:1 basis in private, all meetings between mentors and mentees are to be held in University grounds or in public spaces.

2. Peer mentors to attend all relevant training sessions when required to do so.

3. Mentors and mentees are to commit to any organised meetings, ensuring that they are punctual.

4. Anything shared between mentor and mentee must be kept private, unless there is a safeguarding concern.

The Code of Conduct

5. Mentor and mentees are not to exchange landline numbers or addresses, the exchange of mobile telephone numbers is at the discretion of both mentor and mentee. NB: if agreed by you and the group you can use Facebook/Whatsapp/other social media.

6. Communication to be made during reasonable hours.

7. Peer mentors and mentees must actively challenge any prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour towards members of staff, students, visitors or members of the public. Should any behaviour require reporting please inform the peer mentoring team.

8. All mentors and mentees will adhere to the University and Union’s health and safety policy as well as the code of practices and policies which are available through their websites.

The Code of Conduct

Don’t worry!

It will not affect accreditation.

Your mentees still appreciate what you’re doing:

“It really helps you to settle in knowing you have the advice and

support of someone who went through the exact same only a year

ago.”

“I did not contact my mentor as I had no issues/need to however it was

extremely reassuring knowing that they were there as a resource,

especially in my first few weeks.”

As the scheme will now involve all first years you are likely to have a larger mentoring group, so there’s a higher chance of getting some mentees that reply and interact with you.

What if they don’t reply?

Remaining two sections:

How to be a Mentor-part 2-Pass mark is 120/150

Safeguarding. Please note that some people may

find this part of the training distressing, as it

covers abuse and neglect. Take your time if you need to, it doesn’t have to be completed all at once. Pass mark is 70/100.

These need to be completed by 2nd May.

You can take the quizzes as many times as you need to.

Online Training

Peer Mentoring Info Platforms

@SUPeerMentorDiscussion forums on

Blackboard

Updates and tips will be sent out each month.

peermentoring.su.le.ac.uk

facebook.com/ULSUPeerMentoring

Support available for mentors

I am available in the SU Hub office

10-4, Mon-Fri0116 223 1160

peermentoring@le.ac.uk

E-guide

Blackboard- resources for

mentors

There is a poster and timetable on Blackboard under ‘Resources for Mentors’ about the Leicstalk services.

These are University, Union and community services.

Please familiarise yourself with these services so you know where to refer your mentees to if they have any issues.

The website has the full details of these support services.

#Leicstalk

My main role as a mentor is to offer academic advice.

There are two more online training sessions to complete.

I am expected to send my mentees 5 emails.

I need to report any mentees who don’t reply to my emails.

Mentoring can be accredited on my HEAR and used as a Level 2 Leicester Award activity.

True or False?

My main role as a mentor is to offer academic advice.

There are two more online training sessions to complete.

I am expected to send my mentees 5 emails.

I need to report any mentees who don’t reply to my emails.

Mentoring can be accredited on my HEAR and used as a Level 2 Leicester Award activity.

True or False?

TRUE!

FALSE

FALSE

FALSE

TRUE!

What’s involved in being a peer mentor? What advice should I give my mentees? What support will be available?

If you have any further questions please email us at peermentoring@le.ac.uk

What’s next?

1. Complete the short quiz to show you have read everything in this presentation.

2. Complete the ‘part 2’ and safeguarding training.

Objectives