Mentoring

Ignite’s Therapeutic Mentoring programs offer structured, one-on-one, strength-based supports to children and young people to work towards a specific goal. These include practicing and developing social skills, interpersonal skills, problem solving strategies, help with homework and general daily living skills. 

Our Therapeutic Mentoring program is designed to provide children and young people with the opportunity for capacity-building so that they are positioned to live a life of competence and confidence.

We acknowledge that learning happens naturally when children feel safe to have fun, ask questions and feel connected. With this in mind, our staff, meet with the child in an environment that is familiar and safe which may include meeting at their home, school childcare centre, or even a local park.

To help children and young person develop a specified skill, their Therapeutic Mentor will use the principles of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) to include modelling the action of that skill, guiding and practicing the skill ‘together’ and then providing opportunities for the child and young person to practice that skill unaided. This is supported with the use of patience, caring gestures and celebrating achievements, both small and great.

Ignite embeds a relationship-based approach to the delivery of all Mentoring services. This prompts us to be in regular contact with the refer, carers and of course the child and young person to touch base, check whether the objectives of all parties are being met and make necessary adjustments when required.

Ignite utilise a matching process when allocating a child to our pool of qualified mentors. A “needs analysis” coupled with interests and hobbies is conducted at the time of referral to match the most compatible Ignite Mentor with the referred child or young person.