What We Hope to Achieve Through Mentoring and Tutoring:
Our mentoring and tutoring programmes are designed to empower young people, helping them build the confidence, skills, and resilience necessary to thrive. While each young person’s journey is unique, we consistently see positive outcomes in the following areas:
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Personal Growth
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Life Skills Development
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Academic Success
Personal Growth
- Increased independence and self-reliance.
- Stronger, healthier relationships with family, friends, and the community.
- Improved resilience and the ability to navigate challenges.
- Enhanced confidence and self-esteem.
- A strong sense of being heard, valued, and empowered.
Life Skills Development
- Practical skills to manage daily life and future goals.
- Improved decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
Academic Success
- Enhanced knowledge and skills leading to improved academic performance.
- Successful preparation for and completion of exams and qualifications.
- Boosted confidence as a learner
How We Partner With Families
From the first contact, we work closely with parents and carers to create a supportive, personalised plan for your young person. Here’s how our process works:
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Understanding Your Child
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Collaborative Goal-setting
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Building Trust and Skills
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Progress Monitoring
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Holistic Support
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Positive Transitions
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Understanding Your Child
We take the time to learn about your child’s unique needs, interests, and preferences. This helps us find the perfect mentor or tutor match.
Collaborative Goal-setting
During the initial meeting, your child, their mentor/tutor, and you will work together to set clear goals for sessions.
Building Trust and Skills
Our mentors and tutors provide consistent, positive support each week, fostering a safe space for your child to feel heard and valued. Through this process, they will gain confidence, resilience, and essential life skills.
Progress Monitoring
We track progress and feedback closely, with a dedicated safeguarding team ensuring your child’s well-being.
Holistic Support
We believe in teamwork. By partnering with you, schools, and other professionals, we provide comprehensive support tailored to your young person’s needs.
Positive Transitions
As sessions near their end, mentors and tutors help your child prepare for a smooth transition, celebrating their growth and reinforcing their ability to build healthy relationships.
What a typical mentoring session looks like?
Because our mentoring is completely tailored to each young person, no two sessions are alike! Here’s how your young person might explore their interests and build skills:
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Connecting and Creating
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Exploring the World
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Play and Skill-Building
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Creative Expression
Connecting and Creating
- Sharing and conversation (over a hot drink or snack)
- Arts and crafts, painting, and drawing
- Building projects (LEGO, models, eco-homes)
- Cooking, baking, and trying new foods
Exploring the World
- Visiting local farms, zoos, or historical sites
- Going for walks, cycling, or exploring nature (pond dipping, gardening)
- Learning about the community and navigating public transport
Play and Skill-Building
- Sports (tennis, bowling, basketball, etc.)
- Games and puzzles (board games, mind-benders)
- Mindfulness, yoga, and relaxation techniques
Creative Expression
- Photography, media, and film projects
- Fashion and sewing projects
- Music, singing, or learning an instrument
and so much more! The possibilities are limited only by what your young person wants to explore.
Tutoring Tailored for Success
Our tutoring programs are meticulously designed to meet each young person’s unique needs. We offer flexible support, from short-term interventions of six weeks to longer-term guidance of a year or more.
Transformative Goals, Personalised Plans
Young people partner with a tutor to achieve their specific goals, whether excelling in exams, filling knowledge gaps, or maintaining learning consistency while seeking a school placement. We carefully match tutors with young people, ensuring an ideal fit for individual needs.
The initial meeting sets clear objectives, and ongoing progress checks keep everyone on track.
Learning Where You Thrive
We prioritise convenience and comfort. Tutoring takes place in homes, libraries, youth clubs, our JHF office spaces, or even the outdoor classroom – wherever best suits the student. Sessions range from two hours and can seamlessly integrate with mentoring sessions for a holistic experience.
Empowering Success through Tutoring- Sarah’s Story
Sarah, a 17-year-old student, was struggling with her Level 2 Functional Skills in English and Maths which affected her confidence and increased her anxiety about exams. Recognising the need for additional support, Sarah was referred to the JHF and assigned a tutor.
Sarah was paired with a dedicated tutor who specialises in both English and Maths. The tutor’s approach was holistic, focusing not only on academic skills but also on building Sarah’s confidence and managing her anxiety.
With the consistent support and encouragement from her tutor, Sarah passed both her English and Maths exams with flying colors. Her success not only boosted her academic record but also significantly improved her self-esteem.
Inspired by her own journey, Sarah decided to give back to the community by volunteering for our summer transition program. She helped other young people navigate their anxiety about school, gaining valuable experience and further building her confidence. Sarah is now looking forward to starting her work experience in September, equipped with the skills and self-assurance she gained through our tutoring program.
Sarah’s story is a testament to the power of personalised tutoring and the positive impact it can have on a young person’s academic and personal development. By addressing both academic needs and emotional wellbeing, our tutoring program helped Sarah take control of her learning and achieve her goals.
What Young People and Families Say About Us
Outdoor Learning
The Orchard is a sanctuary—a safe, calm, and quiet space ideal for one-on-one mentoring and an inspiring outdoor learning environment. It also hosts summer transition projects, easing the path for young people moving from primary to secondary school.
We grow organic fruit and vegetables year-round, incorporating them into our mentoring activities and offering them to young people to take home to their families.
Supported Work Experience
We are dedicated to providing young people with valuable, mentor-supported work experience placements that typically last 6-8 weeks. Our program arranges these sessions with mentors who accompany and guide participants, ensuring they gain practical insights and build confidence in a real-world setting.
In addition to hands-on experience, we offer comprehensive employability support, including CV writing, interview preparation, and career advice. Our goal is to equip young people with the skills and knowledge they need to make a strong start in their careers and explore the working world with confidence. By fostering a supportive environment, we help them develop not only professional skills but also a sense of self-assurance and ambition for their future.
Signposting
Bereavement and Crisis Support
Cruse Bereavement Care https://www.cruse.org.uk/
Helping people through one of the most painful times in life – with bereavement support, information and campaigning
At a Loss https://www.ataloss.org/
The UK’s bereavement signposting website.
Community Support
The North Somerset LGBT+ Forum https://www.nslgbtforum.com/
A locally based registered charity formed to support members of the LGBT+ community, to include their friends and families within North Somerset.
Racial Equality North Somerset (RENS) https://rens.org.uk/
A charity promoting the rights, interests, welfare and wellbeing of minoritised ethnic communities in North Somerset.
Drugs and Alcohol Support
Frank https://www.talktofrank.com/
National drug education and advice service
With you https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/local-hubs/north-somerset
https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/local-hubs/north-somerset
Education and Advocacy
Anti Bullying Alliance (ABA) https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/
Information and advice to help stop bullying and create safer environments for children and young people.
Communities Empowerment Network (CEN) http://cenlive.org/
School exclusion advice and free representation.
Independent Providers of Special Education Advice (IPSEA) https://www.ipsea.org.uk/
Help children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) get the education they are entitled to by law.
School Exclusions Project https://schoolexclusionproject.com/
Free advocacy for children permanently excluded from school.
Family and Parenting Support
Care for the Family https://www.careforthefamily.org.uk/courses/courses-for-parents/
Free community courses look to help you build a strong and secure relationship with your child.
Carers UK https://www.carersuk.org/
Information and advice for carers/young carers.
Contact https://contact.org.uk/
The charity for families with disabled children.
Family Rights Group https://frg.org.uk/get-help-and-advice/who/parents/
Advice for parents and families whose children are involved with social services
Home-Start North Somerset https://home-startnorthsomerset.org.uk/
Free, confidential support, friendship and practical help to parents in North Somerset
North Somerset Parent Carers Working Together https://www.nspcwt.org/
A collective voice for parents and carers in North Somerset
Mental Health Support
Kooth https://www.kooth.com/
An online mental wellbeing community. Kooth offers free, safe and anonymous support for anyone aged 13+.
Mind in Somerset https://www.mindinsomerset.org.uk/
They are here to make sure anyone with a mental health problem has somewhere to turn for advice and support.
Off The Record https://otrnorthsomerset.org.uk/
A mental health social movement by and for young people aged 11-25
Samaritans https://www.samaritans.org/
A registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide.
NHS talking therapies for anxiety and depression https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/
Talking therapies, or psychological therapies, are effective and confidential treatments delivered by fully trained and accredited NHS practitioners. They can help if you’re struggling with things like feelings of depression, excessive worry, social anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Wellspring Counselling https://www.wellspringcounselling.org.uk/
Wellspring provides affordable, professional counselling for adults in North Somerset, as well as donation-based counselling and low-intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for young people age 11-18.
West of England Music and Arts- Therapy and Wellbeing https //wema.org.uk/therapy-and-wellbeing/
They work with range of need covering complex mental health, physical difficulties, low level anxiety and stress, and with clients across the spectrum of ASD both verbal and non-verbal; as well as working with trauma, dementia and learning difficulties, social isolation and bereavement.
Young Minds https://www.youngminds.org.uk/
Advice and information on young people’s mental health and well-being
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) http://www.ace-ed.org.uk/
The Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) is a national charity that provides independent advice for parents and carers of children aged 5-16 in state-funded education
Bridging the Gap Together + https://www.bridgingthegaptogether.org.uk/index.php
A dynamic and independent Community Interest Company established in 2016 with a clear mission: to empower and support families and individuals with Autism and other neurological conditions.
British Dyslexia Association https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/
A membership organisation working to achieve a dyslexia-friendly society for all
National Autistic Society https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/branches/north-somerset
Supporting autistic people and their families.
SENDIAS https://www.sendandyou.org.uk/
A charity providing information, advice and support to parents, children and young people about any type of special educational need or disability from 0 to 25 years.
SOS SEN https://www.sossen.org.uk/
A national charity aiming to empower parents and carers of children and young people with SEN and disabilities
Get In Touch
Do you have a question or would you like any additional information about anything about the JHF? Please use the contact us form below and we will get back to you within 5 working days.