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CALLING ON ADULTS AND RESPONSIBLE TEENAGERS TO BECOME MENTORS AND WORK WITH SOME OF LONDON’S MOST CHALLENGING YOUTH
Everyone has something to offer as a RAP Mentor/volunteer, we all have a valuable contribution to make to the local or wider community.
Key things to consider when thinking about becoming a RAP Mentor/volunteer are: • What you feel you would like to contribute in terms of skills and experience
•What you would like to gain
• What level of commitment you can offer, whether it's long or short term, weekly or one-off.
Below are some useful questions you may want to consider before becoming a RAP Mentor/volunteer;
we have created a list of questions to make your decision as easy as possible. The issue of incentives to volunteering, views are mixed. Some would say that getting training, awards and certificates, monetary contribution and working with friendly people encourages more volunteering, although that might be true, RAP Mentors do not promote this approach. These incentives are generally seen in our view as problematic with concern expressed that this could undermine the concept of volunteering and attract people for the wrong reasons. We want you to volunteer not so much for what you can receive but what you can give.
Because RAP Mentor volunteers do not have a contract of employment as such you do not have the same kind of employment rights, as an ordinary employee would be entitled to. Instead of an employment contract, you would be given a volunteer policy similar to a job description, called a ‘volunteer agreement’.
Health & Safety
As a volunteer you can expect the same level of commitment to your own health and safety, as would any staff employee.
Expenses, Pay & Training
As you are undertaking a ‘voluntary’ post, you are excluded from the National Minimum Wage regulations. Any expenses that are agreed are not considered a substitute for a ‘wage’ as such. They are simply to repay you for any costs such as travel, meals and, in some cases, accommodation that you have met yourself, i.e. expenses which you wouldn’t have incurred had you not been a RAP Mentor volunteer.
The important thing to remember here are that you are not automatically entitled to receive expenses and training and, although RAP Mentors will pay for expenses and offer training, you need to ensure that you have checked this out with the RAP Mentors admin first and that it forms part of your voluntary agreement or you could well end up being out of pocket for your efforts. It’s also important that you don’t unwittingly accept or claim more money in expenses than it costs to cover the actual expenditure you’ve made as a result of being on duty. This is especially relevant if you are receiving any state benefits as it can affect those. Please register before you download an application form: Thank you
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Will I be Police checked? Yes, all adults who have contact with young people via FBA, YOT and Social Services will be subject to Police clearance, you will also have a Police Child Protection check, Department of Health checks and you must provide two referees. You will have to complete a form giving your permission to disclosure of information. We have a duty to ensure the safety of the young person.
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If I have a past conviction will it effect my chances of becoming a mentor? Not necessarily it will depend on the conviction and the information on the police return. If you do have a past conviction you can discuss this with the nominated officer in the strictest confidence it may still be possible for you to participate in the mentoring programme
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Under 18 and want to volunteer? RAP Mentors/Volunteering can help with gaining skills and experience which can be very useful when applying for a job. At the same time it can be great fun and a way to make new friends
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Want to work with children or young people? Helping young people develop their skills and confidence can be very satisfying experience
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Are you looking for opportunities to meet new people and to make friends? RAP Mentors/Volunteering can be a great way to meet new people that you might not normally get to know. This can be both in terms of getting to know fellow RAP Mentors/volunteers
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At work most of the time and want something you can do at weekends or during the evenings? If you have work and or family/care commitments, there will be fixed times when you are available to volunteer at RAP Mentors. We recognise this and therefore provide volunteering opportunities during the evenings and weekends
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Interested in a one off short burst of volunteering? You may be interested in volunteering for a specified period. Although RAP Mentors do not currently provide this type of mentoring, we are currently working towards this and will advise you as and when this type of mentoring is available
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Would you like to work with someone on a one to one basis, helping them to help themselves? Working with someone, over a period of time, to provide support, guidance and/or friendship can be one of the most rewarding forms of volunteering if you would like to make a longer term commitment
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Want to get practical training and experience to help you get a job? RAP Mentors/Volunteering can be an excellent way of developing skills and experience particularly for recent school/college leavers, people who have be out of work for some time or those looking to work in a completely new field.
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Want to use your time to help run an organisation? It is often overlooked but volunteers are responsible for running a large number and range of organisations. This can be a great way to develop, or put into practice existing, management and organisational skills.
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