Mentor (Raising Awareness of Child Exploitation (RACE) North, South & West Cumbria)

Barnardo’s is committed to providing ‘Better Outcomes for More Children’. Our children’s services volunteers help the charity to deliver essential services in local communities, providing support to over 300,000 children, young people and their families. This role provides a great opportunity to join our fantastic children’s services and help make a real difference.

Raising Awareness of Child Exploitation (RACE) is a child exploitation prevention service based in Cumbria. This is a Countywide Service, where our trained practitioners support children and young people who have been involved in exploitation or vulnerable to exploitation. Our practitioners provide 1 to 1 sessions with young people, prevention education within schools and work with parents and carers to help keep their children safe. We aim at raising awareness of child exploitation through prevention socio-educative work to ensure young people know what exploitation is, how it takes place, how to spot the signs and where to go to for help.

We are looking for Mentors to support to children and young people after they have been supported by our practitioners. Your role will involve being a professional friend, offering a friendly face, a listening ear and supporting them to build their self-confidence, coping mechanisms and positive relationships.

There will be a seamless transition between the practitioner introducing the young person to a volunteer, which will include introductory sessions where the practitioner is present with the young person and volunteer until both feel comfortable to continue 1 to 1. Activities you could be doing are going for walks, hot chocolate, youth club or other activity provision of interest to the young people whilst providing low level wellbeing support.

We are looking for volunteers, with a passion for making a difference in people’s lives, with a friendly and approachable attitude and an ability to engage children and young people, empowering them to take steps towards improving their situation and achieving their goals.