Read All About It: New Beginnings Is Awarded the Approved Provider Standard

APPROVED!

New Beginnings Mentoring Project was awarded with the Approved Provider Standard, a national quality standard specifically designed for mentoring and befriending projects.

The APS is a relevant acknowledgement of our work and it is a confirmation of our project commitment and effectiveness. The Mentoring and Befriending Foundation (MBF) provides services which aim to increase the effectiveness and quality of mentoring and befriending as methods of enabling individuals to transform their lives and/or reach their full potential and, among other practises, it assesses and verifies the good practice of a project through the APS Quality Standard. 

APS consists of 12 elements which focus on the key management and operational areas that underpin the effectiveness of any mentoring or befriending project. Here are the main points and how the New Beginnings Mentoring Project has successfully met each criterion according to the assessment report. 

1.     PURPOSE. The mentoring project has a clear rationale: MRCF aims to provide a range of services which enhance the wellbeing of asylum seekers and migrants living in London. The project is seeing an increased rise in the number of mentees with mental health conditions and it has adapted its policies and procedures to reflect this.

2.     STRUCTURE. There is an effective organisational and management structure in place to support the project: MRCF is managed by a Board of Trustees with a mixture of skills. It is a well-governed organisation with external supervision and support for the mentoring coordinator.

3.     STAFF. The competence of staff involved is developed and maintained: there is evidence relating to staff support and supervision and there is a structured supervision and appraisal process. The team of staff are highly educated and tend to stay with the organisation for a significant period of time.

4.     REFERRALS. Clear process for the identification and referral of service users taking into account their needs and suitability: there are clearly defined criteria for referral onto the project scheme. There is a documented pathway for acceptance that provides a range of information for referrers. 

5.     SERVICE USERS. Service users are fully briefed and prepared for their involvement in the project: the Assessor was very impressed with the information that New Beginnings provides for both service users and referrers and thought that the Mentoring Handbook, especially, was conceived in an excellent way.

6.     VOLUNTEERS. There is a rigorous and robust recruitment and selection process in place for potential mentors: the organization has a clearly defined volunteering structure and potential mentors are recruited from a range of sources. All potential mentors are provided with an orientation pack and a mentoring handbook which provides invaluable information on boundaries, communication and dealing with emergencies.

7.     SAFEGUARDING. There are appropriate arrangements in place to safeguard the involvement of participants in the project: New Beginnings have an identified process for safeguarding both mentors and mentees. Both potential mentors and mentees will have a 1:1 meeting with staff from the scheme and are provided with a comprehensive range of information on the mentoring scheme.

8.     TRAINING. Mentors receive adequate preparation and training so they can effectively offer support to service users: all volunteers are expected to attend compulsory induction training in small groups and they can also access ongoing volunteer training including sessions on mental health and wellbeing.

9.     MATCHING. There is a clear and consistent process in place for the matching of service users to mentors: New Beginnings have a clearly defined matching process that takes into account interests, language and personality. There is a clear focus on supporting mentees to access mainstream services and supporting mentees to move on. 

10.  SUPPORT. There is on-going supervision and support provided for mentors to help them develop their roles. There is a strong ethos within MRCF to provide a comprehensive system of support for both mentors and mentees. Identified good practice is comprised of an excellent array of mentoring stories and experiences recorded and collated through a range of different mediums.

11.  MONITORING. The progress of relationships is regularly and routinely monitored to determine whether they are functioning successfully: the Mentoring Scheme has a very holistic approach to monitoring the relationships. Each relationship is mapped to determine the impact that the scheme has had in supporting mentees to develop their community links. 

12.  EVALUATION. The overall effectiveness of the mentoring project is evaluated to improve its service and outcome: New Beginnings is a professionally run scheme which provides a high quality mentoring service to extremely vulnerable individuals.

All in all, the MBF Assessor was impressed with the enthusiasm, calibre and commitment of the volunteers who were interviewed; the scheme is considered extremely well run and professionally managed, with no points for development.

The quality standard has been written and developed over a period of 10+ years and has evolved from the knowledge, experiences and expertise of mentoring and befriending projects. We are all very enthusiastic about this acknowledgement! 

Thanks to all of you for your support and... let’s keep our name high!