Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Mentoring

24 January 2024 · 2 other contributors · 3,554 words

Opened by Lisa Cameron SNP East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow

Responding minister: David Johnston

EducationMental Health

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Lisa Cameron raised concerns about mentoring in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • The hon. Member for East Kilbride raised concerns about the impact of mentoring on young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, highlighting statistics on mental health and confidence levels.
  • The hon. Member called for a mentoring strategy involving key organisations to create opportunities for young people through business, community, and voluntary sector engagement.
  • The hon. Member urged the government to recognise the importance of early intervention for care leavers who may have experienced trauma.

Key requests to Government

The hon. Member for East Kilbride calls on Members of Parliament to work together to establish a mentoring strategy that would engage key organisations such as the British Chambers of Commerce to provide support and help create opportunities for young people through business, community, and voluntary sector engagement. She also urges the government to recognise the importance of early intervention for care leavers who may have experienced trauma.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Lisa Cameron SNP East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow

The hon. Member for East Kilbride is concerned about the profound impact of mentoring on young people and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly care leavers who face significant disparities in health, social circumstances, and education. She highlights statistics showing that one in five young people has reported probable mental health conditions and 42% of adolescents report low confidence levels. The hon. Member also mentions a campaign to end loneliness among young people, noting that feelings of loneliness are highest among 15-year-old girls at 31%. Additionally, she discusses the Grandmentors programme by Volunteering Matters, which supports care-experienced young people and shows success rates in employment, education, housing stability, and wellbeing.

Other contributors (2)
  • Daniel Poulter

    Congratulates Maria Miller on securing today's debate and discusses mentoring efforts in Suffolk. Asks about Government support for encouraging businesses to engage in mentoring, highlighting the role of chambers of commerce at a regional level.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Congratulates Maria Miller on securing the debate, underlining the importance of mentoring and highlighting successful schemes like The Prince's Trust and Diana Award. Emphasises the need for more people to get involved in mentoring. The hon. Member for Strangford highlights the importance of mentoring in helping young people engage more with their communities and feel less lonely, especially those from rural areas or disadvantaged backgrounds who face fewer opportunities.

Government Response

David Johnston

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dame Maria. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow on securing this debate on such an important subject. Education is a key determinant of young people's life chances and social mobility, and that is why the Government are committed to providing a world-class education system for all children and young people. The Department for Education has invested significantly in education and undertaken reforms to ensure positive outcomes for disadvantaged youth. To support this, the Government re-endowed the Education Endowment Foundation with £137 million in 2022. We have also committed to helping local authorities with family finding for children in care by funding 24 befriending and mentoring programmes for children in care and care leavers. Additionally, a pilot has been developed to test the value of targeted and specific mentoring support for apprentices who have learning difficulties or disabilities, offering expert support and training and measuring its impact on key performance measures. Mentoring is also supported across the education system to help children and learners reach their full potential and prepare for the world of work. We are running a pilot transition fund to help young people make successful transitions from school into further education or employment, providing careers guidance, counselling, mentoring, and employability support. The Government agree with the importance of mentoring in transforming lives and will continue to work with organisations and volunteers to ensure effective use of mentoring.

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