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Mentoring

Overview of Mentoring

There are a range of smaller Third Sector organisations who feel that they could better engage in the components of commissioning with a little ‘insider knowledge’. This is where the Mentoring Scheme fits in by brokering connections between organisations who have experience within commissioning and those who are seeking support across any of these topics:

  • Training and Development
  • Delivering Quality Assured Services
  • Equality and Diversity
  • Partnership Working
  • Employment
  • Tendering, Pre-Qualification Questionnaires and Bid Writing

What can mentoring provide?

  • Information regarding the tendering process and winning contracts
  • Opportunities to share knowledge and experience
  • An increase in confidence of staff and volunteers
  • A platform to discuss and share ideas
  • An increase in performance
  • Improved understanding of business development issues and different ways of dealing with them
  • Improved partnership working
  • Sharing of best practice

Who are the mentors?

Mentors are experienced Third Sector professionals who have an understanding of the opportunities and challenges in delivering, and partnership working on, public sector contracts.

Who are the mentees?

Mentees are small/medium organisations within the Third Sector who would like to gain knowledge and support from other organisations across the county. They may also be looking to work on public sector contracts but are not confident in identifying the best route forward. They would value advice and guidance on specific areas of business which will help them access public funded contracts and which will enable them to move their organisation forward, either by working in partnership or eventually tendering for public sector contracts themselves.

What do I have to do as a mentor?

We anticipate that a mentor will support an organisation for an hour per objective (maximum 3 objectives per mentor) although this mentoring project is flexible and if an organisation feels they can offer more or less time that will be discussed at the time of enrolling.

Guidelines

  • A mentor will only be allocated a maximum of 3 objectives per mentee

  • A mentee will identify specific objectives prior to mentoring, a maximum of 3 objectives are allocated per mentor

  • A mentee will not contact a mentor for any additional mentoring over and above that which was initially identified and agreed by both parties

  • Both parties will have to sign and agree to the guidelines

  • The location and type of mentoring sessions will be by mutual agreement, which could incorporate face to face, telephone or email support

  • All information shall remain confidential between the agreed parties

  • A mentor and mentee can withdraw from the mentoring scheme by informing the Training and Partnership Development Officer

  • Any problems that arise as a result of the mentoring scheme should be raised immediately with the Training and Partnership Development Officer

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What do we mean by mentoring?

The mentoring scheme will offer informal confidential guidance to the small/medium voluntary and community organisations across Lincolnshire. Support available will vary from each mentor, it might include advice on quality monitoring, training and development, tendering processes, partnership working, equality and diversity, budget and finance management and bid writing.

Do we get any training?

Yes, a customized mentoring training course has been designed for this project. The training is for all organisations involved in mentoring, whether as a mentor or a mentee and will take place at various times throughout the year. There is also additional training available to organisations to help support them in their future objectives with regards to accessing public funds.

A training brochure will be distributed termly which will not only detail training via the ESF project but will also detail other training delivered through Urban Challenge (Voluntary Centre Services), Community Lincs, VAEL and South Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service.

Is our organisation suitable to become a mentor?

  • Do you have experience of delivering or partnership working on public sector contracts?
  • Do you have time to share your knowledge and experiences?
  • Are you interested in developing partnership bids?

If you currently work in partnership with smaller organisations or alternatively have close links with your community you are probably already mentoring without even realising. If you would like to get involved and feel that you can offer organisations general advice and guidance, please get in contact and discuss how you can share your expertise.

We have enrolled on the Lincs2gether project, now what?

The Training and Partnership Development Officer will match organisations, using the enrolment forms, specifically linking the area of expertise to the area of need. On doing this we will contact each organisation to confirm that this is a suitable partnership. Once an agreement has been made a referral email will be sent to both parties, to introduce and detail objectives to be met. Mentoring dates and times will be arranged between the mentor and mentee.

What happens via the mentoring?

This is dependent on the mentor and mentee, but objectives will have been set prior to the match. An action plan will be completed during each meeting, incorporating basic summary notes and detailing any actions to be taken as suggested by the mentor. Should a mentee have additional objectives once the mentoring has started, these are dealt with separately and will not be allocated to the current mentor (unless in agreement).

Will a mentee only get allocated one mentor?

No, throughout the life of the project objectives can be achieved by different mentors, a maximum of 3 objectives are allocated per mentoring session. Mentee objectives are not limited, but a maximum per session is set to ensure that a mentor’s time is respected and the arrangement is not overtly invasive of the mentor’s time.

What now?

How do I enroll as a mentor?

First thing to do is to contact the Training and Partnership Development Officer on:

Tel: (01529) 302466

Email: L2G@communitylincs.com

We will contact you to discuss what you would like to contribute and how you can mentor organisations. A mentoring enrolment form will be completed, detailing specific areas of mentoring you can provide.

How do I enroll as a mentee?

First point of contact is the Training and Partnership Development Officer on

Tel: (01529) 302466

Email: L2G@communitylincs.com

We will contact you to discuss what you would like to achieve from the mentoring scheme and how you feel a mentor could support your organisation’s development. A mentee enrolment form will be completed which will detail specific areas requested for mentoring.