What does research on mentoring and befriending tell us

1
What does research on mentoring and befriending
tell us?

• Kate Philip
• The Rowan Group
• University of Aberdeen

2
The Plan

• Summarise a recent synthesis of research on
  mentoring and befriending
• Set this research in the wider context of young
  people and mentoring relationships
• Discuss implications for research, policy and
  practice

3
Why do a review?

• Recognition of the need for a coherent and
  systematic assessment of the potential of
  mentoring and befriending
• Response to lack of precision of definitions,
  meanings and assumptions underlying youth
  mentoring developments in the UK
• Improve links between research, policy and
  practice
• Essential to identify unique components of youth
  mentoring

4
The challenges for reviewers

• Huge diversity in what is meant by mentoring,
  settings, aims, methods and processes, proposed
  outcomes (Pawson)
• And of organisations, agencies, managing bodies
  and supporting institutions
• Absence of consistent body of research on value
  of the intervention over time

5
A heady mixture?

• How do we make sense of the huge array of
  mentoring relationships, organisations and
  structures?
• How do befriending and mentoring relate to
  each other?
• Clearly this makes for difficulties in evaluating
  a concept which holds different meanings for the
  different participants

6
What lies behind the appeal for policymakers

• Links with themes of social capital and community
• Appears to offer a straightforward approach to
  complex problems (youth crime, disaffection,
  exclusion)
• Intuitively appealing
• Can reach parts seemingly untouched by
  professional services
• Inexpensive on the face of it

7
What ideas underpin the appeal of mentoring?

• A protective factor or a steeling mechanism
  (resilience)
• A consistent and continuing presence (attachment)
• A guide, adviser, broker, supporter (social
  support)
• As social engineering? (Social Capital)
• As compensating for deficiencies in
  society/individuals (engagement)

8
Theoretical themes

• Ecology of youth (Bronfenbrenner, Hamilton)
• Social Capital, social cohesion (Colley)
• Role modelling (Coleman)
• Attachment Theory (Bowlby)
• Social support and building community networks
  (Morrow)

9
Findings from this review

• Some young people in some contexts reported
  increased feeling of support and more confidence
  than previously
• However this was limited to those where mentoring
  had taken place over time and where the
  relationships had been positive
• In many cases difficult to disentangle the
  effects of mentoring from other effects

10
Findings

• The complexity of the field
• A dissonance between aims and means of achieving
  aims (eg reduction in crime)
• Importance of theoretical thread
• Need for scepticism in interpreting success
  stories
• Temporary and sporadic nature of mentoring
  interventions (pilots)

11
Findings young people

• Some groups particularly valued the befriending
  elements
• Soft skills were frequently mentioned
• The opportunity to have a friendly relationship
  was valued
• Potential of mentoring to go beyond
  professional barriers but tensions arose in
  this
• Time and pace of relationship central

12
Findings thriving and failing relationships

• Some developed, overcame hurdles and were
  recognised as valuable
• Some remained unconnected or failed
• Some continued but could be coercive (either
  setting or relationship)
• Some withered after promising beginnings

13
The mentoring role

• Understandings of the role of mentor evident in
  different programmes
• Young peoples perspectives on mentoring may be
  at odds with that of programmes
• Clearer understandings of befriending
• Difficulties in recruitment and retention of
  mentors (and young people) undermined the
  potential in some cases

14
Outcomes

• Evidence of outcomes re criminal behaviour,
  school attendance, improved skills less positive
• No change or some participants more likely to be
  involved in criminal activity after mentoring
  intervention
• Little knowledge about impact on other
  relationships (eg family relationships)

15
Key questions

• Can we examine both befriending and mentoring
  within the same framework?
• Befriending more established but less visible and
  possibly less complex
• Mentoring movement as high profile has provoked
  strong reactions
• Can mentoring be described and analysed as one
  coherent framework?

16
Conclusions

• Definitive statements about the value of
  mentoring cannot be made
• A need exists for greater clarity over what is
  meant by mentoring
• Temptation to reinforce the catch all nature of
  the term must be avoided
• Linkages between mentoring and other forms of
  youth intervention could strengthen the value

17
Conclusions

• Understanding of the ebb and flow of mentoring
  relationships critical incidents and changes
• More linkage between practitioners and
  researchers in research and evaluation processes
• Warts and all if we are to understand more
  fully the complex processes

18
Recommendations

• Evaluation needs to be more theoretically based
  in order to compare approaches
• Better access to current debates and discourses
  about young people and their social settings and
  contexts
• Better understanding of befriending elements and
  how these shift and change

19
Recommendations 2

• Which groups of young people in which
  circumstances and over what period, are most
  likely to benefit?
• How do different styles and approaches mesh with
  each other?
• How does mentoring interact with other
  relationships, sources of support and
  interventions?

20
Recommendations 3

• Retention of mentors and befrienders
• Better understanding of resilience and support
  offered by families and young people in difficult
  circumstances over time
• Knowledge of negative relationships that
  continue over time