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Pack 22: Mentor Training

A half-day introduction to mentoring which will answer questions and deal with any concerns potential mentors may have. A session to give participants the enthusiasm and confidence to go on to become effective mentors
Author

Kay Curtis

Resources

Handouts, Activity Sheets & Case Studies

Experience Level Needed

Beginner

Access

Download and Online Access

Duration

5 Hours

Price

£
50

What's included?

  • Session Timetable
  • Timed Activities
  • Trainer notes
  • Training material in PPT files 
  • Pre Course questionnaire
  • Training Evaluation form
  • Session extension ideas
  • Activity sheets
  • Case Studies
  • Achievement cards and certificates

Overview

This training pack provides a comprehensive guide to mentoring within a voluntary organization. It covers the definition of a mentor, the distinction between mentoring and befriending, and the stages of a mentoring relationship.

Additionally, it explores the role of a mentor, client needs and desired outcomes, and the benefits of mentoring. The pack also offers guidance on starting and maintaining relationships, setting boundaries, goal-setting, action planning, reviewing progress, and addressing potential difficulties.

The overall objective is to equip mentors with the necessary knowledge and skills for effective mentoring

Objective

By the end of the session participants will:

- defined the meaning of ‘mentor’ and the difference between mentoring & befriending
- explored the role of mentor
- identified the client’s needs and the expected outcomes from mentoring
- shared ways of starting & maintaining the relationship and setting boundaries
- developed strategies for dealing with any difficulties
- practised goal setting techniques
 

WHY IT MATTERS

Why mentoring volunteer training matters for UK charities supporting positive change in 2026.

📅 Pack content last reviewed: April 2026
✍️ Authored by Kay Curtis · 30+ years' UK voluntary-sector specialism

Pack 22: Mentoring is a complete full-day trainer-led session for UK volunteer mentors — working in education, youth, employment, criminal justice, peer support, and community settings. The pack covers the mentoring relationship, what distinguishes mentoring from befriending and advice work, goal-setting, active listening, boundary-setting, and the relationship lifecycle from match to ending.

Mentoring is one of the most distinctive volunteer roles in the UK voluntary sector. It is not friendship, not advice, not therapy — and getting that boundary clear is the difference between mentoring that supports positive change and mentoring that creates dependence or burns the mentor out. Sector evidence consistently shows that volunteer mentors who receive structured training before they start are materially more likely to stay in the role and to produce positive outcomes for the people they mentor.

Mentoring in 2026 also carries clear safeguarding obligations. The Charity Commission's safeguarding guidance applies to all mentoring programmes, particularly those working with young people, people in or leaving the criminal justice system, or people experiencing other forms of vulnerability. DBS checks apply to mentoring roles involving regulated activity. The Equality Act 2010 shapes how mentoring is offered. And the Worker Protection Act 2023 requires active monitoring of mentoring settings.

This training pack equips your volunteer mentors with the skills to build effective, safe, time-bounded mentoring relationships — pairs with Workbook 9 (Being a Mentor) for self-study reinforcement and the Supporting Volunteers Toolkit for coordinator reference.
NOT FRIENDSHIP
Mentoring has distinct boundaries
Mentoring is structured, time-bounded, goal-oriented work — fundamentally different from befriending or counselling. Getting that boundary right is critical.
DBS
For regulated mentoring activity
Mentoring roles involving young people or vulnerable adults fall within DBS regulated-activity scope — enhanced checks apply.
Source: GOV.UK DBS
OUTCOMES
Trained mentors produce better results
Sector evidence consistently shows structured mentor training is the strongest predictor of positive mentoring outcomes and mentor retention.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Quick answers from buyers like you.

QHow is mentoring different from befriending?
Mentoring is structured, time-bounded, and goal-oriented — typically focused on a specific area of the mentee's life (education, employment, rehabilitation). Befriending is companionship-focused and primarily about reducing isolation. Both are valid roles but require different training. For befriending, see Pack 11.
QIs it suitable for youth mentoring specifically?
Yes — the pack works across multiple mentoring settings: youth mentoring, peer mentoring, employment mentoring, offender-rehabilitation mentoring. The core skills are common across all of these, with role-specific guidance for each setting. For youth-specific safeguarding considerations, pair with Pack 18 (Youth Volunteering) and Pack 16 (Adult Protection).
QDoes it cover safeguarding for mentoring?
Yes — at awareness level. Mentoring roles involving young people or vulnerable adults carry significant safeguarding responsibility. The pack covers the safeguarding awareness mentors need; for organisations running mentoring programmes with these groups, pair with Pack 16 (Adult Protection).
QHow long should a mentoring relationship last?
The pack covers the structure of time-bounded mentoring relationships — typically 6 to 12 months with planned review and exit points — and why open-ended mentoring usually serves neither the mentor nor the mentee well. Exit planning is built into the materials.
QIs it better to buy this pack or the full library?
Mentoring training works best alongside safeguarding, confidentiality, and recruitment training. If mentoring is your only training need, the single pack works. For a complete mentor-training programme, the £295 licence pays for itself after six packs.
RELATED TRAINING PACKS

Mentoring sits within the broader volunteer support framework.

Mentoring coordinators typically pair this pack with:

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