Is it Coaching or Mentoring & What's the Difference?

Overview 

Our scheme aims to do two main things:

 

1) To develop a pool of confident and effective workplace coaches and mentors; and

2) Create one-to-one coaching and mentoring support opportunities for staff. 

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Both things happen within the context of the partner organisations involved in our scheme, which means the opportunities we generate are only available to the staff of those organisations. 

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This page provides an insight into the service and activities we manage throughout the year. 

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Recruitment

We offer two recruitment campaigns each year. Intake 1 opens in October, with Intake 2 opening the following February. Both intakes are open for applications for about 5 weeks.

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The Organisational Coordinators are responsible for their own internal marketing and decide which applications will be supported and put forward to the scheme.

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Each organisation is offered 5 coachee/mentee and 5 coach/mentor places at each intake. That equates to 20 development opportunities per year, per organisation.

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The Matching Process

Provisional matches are made by the Project Leader and are agreed only with the approval of the Organisational Coordinators representing the applicant.

 

The stated development needs of the coachees/mentees will be the main consideration in the matching process. However, the geographical location of each party and their ability to travel also inform this process.  

 

We have an excellent success rate in matching, although there is always an opportunity for individuals to voice any concerns over a match before they commence on the scheme.

 

Although rare, it is accepted that some relationships will not work out. We will always attempt to rematch in this situation, although this cannot be guaranteed.

One-to-One Support

Those who apply as coachees/mentees are supported for a period of 6 months.  As a guideline, we expect meetings take place every 4 to 6 weeks for around 90 minutes to 2 hours at a time.

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Pairs work together to agree expectations and form an agreement for working. They are responsible for planning the learning agenda and meeting schedule.

Initial Training

We provide training for everyone who applies to our scheme.

This includes:

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  • Coachee/Mentee Briefing - A 2-hour introduction to equip participants with the knowledge and tools to get the most from their new relationship. This can be delivered face-to-face or online.

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  • Coaching and Mentoring Skills Training - A two-day introductory programme to equip those who have not coached or mentored before or would like a refresher. Also available as a 9-week online programme comprising modules to study in your own time, complemented by live online seminars and coaching practice sessions to supplement and consolidate your learning.

Timeline of Activities

Recruitment Timeline Infographic 2020.pn
 
 

Coach/Mentor Development

Over and above initial training, we run a series of half-day coach/mentor development sessions each year. These typically take place in March, June, September & December.

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Sessions are well attended and create a great opportunity for our coaches/mentors to network, share practice and learn about new tools and techniques which can be usefully applied to coaching and mentoring.

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Topics vary and are guided by the emerging needs and interests of the group. 

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One-to-one coaching and mentoring supervision is also made available as and when required throughout the programme.

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