TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. ABOUT NORFOLK YOUTH MENTORING
Norfolk Youth Mentoring provides mentoring and youth support services to children and young people aged 8–18. Services may include 1:1 mentoring, initial assessments and consultations, youth group activities, support with confidence and self-esteem, emotional wellbeing, engagement in education, independence and life skills, positive relationships, goal setting and personal development, and support with motivation and positive decision-making.
Services may be arranged directly with parents/carers or through referrals from schools, children's homes, local authorities, health services, mental health services, youth organisations and other professionals.

2. NATURE OF THE MENTORING SERVICE
Norfolk Youth Mentoring provides mentoring and supportive intervention. Our service is not a replacement for NHS mental health services, clinical psychology, psychiatry, counselling, medical treatment, social care, specialist therapeutic intervention, or emergency/crisis services.
Mentoring focuses on building positive relationships, identifying strengths, developing practical strategies, working towards individual outcomes and supporting young people to make positive progress.
Where we believe a young person's needs are beyond the scope of our service, we may recommend or request involvement from an appropriate professional or service.

3. ELIGIBILITY
Our standard 1:1 mentoring service is available to young people aged 8–18 years. Suitability for mentoring will be considered on an individual basis.
Before mentoring begins, Norfolk Youth Mentoring may complete an initial assessment to establish the young person's needs, strengths and interests, desired outcomes, relevant risks, support already in place, whether mentoring is appropriate, and any reasonable adjustments required.
Norfolk Youth Mentoring reserves the right to decline or discontinue a referral where the service is not considered appropriate or safe.

4. INITIAL ASSESSMENT
An initial assessment will normally be completed before regular mentoring begins. The assessment allows Norfolk Youth Mentoring to understand the young person's circumstances and identify appropriate goals and outcomes.
Where appropriate, information may be gathered from the young person, parent/carer and referring professional. The young person will be encouraged to participate in identifying their own goals and outcomes.

5. MENTORING SESSIONS
Standard 1:1 mentoring sessions are 1 hour long.
Where appropriate, a free 45-minute taster session may be offered before a mentoring package is agreed. The purpose of the taster session is to allow the young person to meet the mentor, understand what mentoring involves and decide whether they feel comfortable continuing.
Following the taster session, Norfolk Youth Mentoring recommends a minimum of 5 mentoring sessions to allow sufficient time to build a positive relationship, establish trust and work towards meaningful outcomes.
Sessions will be personalised according to the young person's needs, interests and agreed outcomes.

6. LOCATION OF SESSIONS
Mentoring may take place in an agreed safe and appropriate location, including schools, community venues, youth settings, other agreed professional environments, outdoor/community environments where appropriate, or online where appropriate and agreed.
The location will be considered based on the needs, safety and circumstances of the young person. Norfolk Youth Mentoring reserves the right to change or cancel a session if the planned environment is considered unsuitable or unsafe.

7. PARENT/CARER INVOLVEMENT
For young people under 18, appropriate parental/carer involvement will be established before mentoring begins.
Parents/carers may be asked to provide relevant information regarding the young person's needs, health and wellbeing, education, support currently in place, relevant risks, emergency contacts and safeguarding information.
Where appropriate, young people will be encouraged to have an active voice in decisions about their mentoring. We aim to balance parental/carer involvement with the young person's right to privacy and appropriate confidentiality.

8. CONFIDENTIALITY
Mentoring sessions provide a respectful and supportive environment where young people can talk openly. However, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed in all circumstances.
If a young person shares information indicating that they, or another person, may be at risk of significant harm, Norfolk Youth Mentoring may need to share relevant information with appropriate professionals or agencies. Information may also be shared where Norfolk Youth Mentoring is legally required to do so.
Young people will be informed about these boundaries wherever reasonably possible.

9. SAFEGUARDING
The safety and welfare of children and young people is a priority.
Norfolk Youth Mentoring maintains safeguarding procedures and will respond appropriately to concerns relating to abuse, neglect, exploitation, self-harm, suicidal thoughts or risk, serious risk-taking behaviour, violence, criminal exploitation or other significant safeguarding concerns.
Where necessary, concerns may be shared with appropriate agencies, including Children's Services, the Police, health professionals, schools or other relevant safeguarding professionals. The appropriate response will depend on the circumstances and level of risk.

10. EMERGENCY AND CRISIS SITUATIONS
Norfolk Youth Mentoring is not an emergency or crisis response service.
If a young person is experiencing an immediate or serious risk to themselves or another person, appropriate emergency or specialist services should be contacted.
Parents/carers and referring professionals remain responsible for ensuring that appropriate emergency and clinical support is available where required.
Norfolk Youth Mentoring may recommend that a young person receives additional specialist support if their needs exceed the scope of mentoring.

11. FEEDBACK AND OUTCOMES
At the beginning of mentoring, appropriate outcomes will be identified with the young person and, where appropriate, their parent/carer or referring professional.
Outcomes may relate to confidence, self-esteem, emotional wellbeing, education, relationships, independence, communication, motivation, behaviour and personal development.
Progress may be reviewed throughout the mentoring period.
Where appropriate, progress information may be shared with parents/carers or referring professionals in accordance with agreed information-sharing arrangements and our Privacy Policy.

12. FEES AND PAYMENT
Our current fees will be communicated before a service is booked.
The standard private mentoring rate is £45 per 1-hour mentoring session.
Where packages or bulk-session arrangements are offered, the agreed price and terms will be confirmed before the package begins.
Prices may vary for schools, organisations, commissioned services and bespoke packages. Any agreed package price will be confirmed in writing.
Payment may be required before or after sessions depending on the agreed arrangement.

13. CANCELLATIONS
If a session cannot be attended, reasonable notice should be provided wherever possible.
We ask for at least 24 hours' notice when cancelling or rearranging a session.
Where less than 24 hours' notice is provided, the session may be chargeable unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Norfolk Youth Mentoring will consider circumstances such as illness, emergency situations, safeguarding concerns, significant family circumstances, or other circumstances outside the family's reasonable control.
Any decision regarding cancellation charges will be made fairly and reasonably.

14. NON-ATTENDANCE
If a young person does not attend an agreed session without prior notice, the session may be treated as a missed appointment.
Repeated non-attendance may result in a review of whether mentoring remains appropriate. Norfolk Youth Mentoring will aim to understand the reasons for non-attendance before making a decision about continuing support.

15. ILLNESS
A young person should not attend an in-person mentoring session if they are unwell in a way that could reasonably place themselves, the mentor or others at risk.
Norfolk Youth Mentoring may rearrange a session where the young person or mentor is unwell, there is a significant risk of infection, or the environment is unsafe. Where possible, an alternative arrangement may be offered.

16. BEHAVIOUR
Norfolk Youth Mentoring recognises that young people may experience difficulties with emotions, behaviour and communication. Mentoring sessions will be delivered using a supportive, respectful and trauma-informed approach.
However, behaviour that creates a serious or immediate risk to the safety of the young person, mentor or others may result in a session being stopped.
Examples may include serious threats of violence, physical violence, serious intimidation, possession of dangerous items, serious damage to property, or behaviour that creates an immediate safeguarding risk.
Where a session has to be stopped, the circumstances will be reviewed and appropriate next steps considered.

17. RESPECT AND DIGNITY
Norfolk Youth Mentoring expects everyone involved in the service to treat others with dignity and respect. This includes young people, parents and carers, mentors, professionals, volunteers and partner organisations.
Discrimination, harassment, bullying, threatening behaviour or abuse will not be tolerated.

18. USE OF TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION
Communication may take place by telephone, email, text message, appropriate online platforms or other agreed communication methods.
Communication involving young people will be managed in accordance with safeguarding and professional boundaries.
Norfolk Youth Mentoring will not routinely use personal social media accounts to communicate privately with young people.

19. PHOTOGRAPHS, VIDEOS AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL
Norfolk Youth Mentoring may occasionally take photographs or videos for promotional or organisational purposes.
Photographs or identifiable information relating to young people will only be used where appropriate consent or another lawful basis has been established.
Parents/carers and young people may decline permission for promotional use.

20. DATA PROTECTION
Norfolk Youth Mentoring collects and processes personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Information may include personal, educational, health, wellbeing and safeguarding information where relevant to providing safe and appropriate support.
We will only collect and use information that is necessary and relevant. For further information, please see our Privacy Policy.

21. WORKING WITH REFERRING ORGANISATIONS
Where a young person is referred by a school, children's home, health service, mental health service, local authority or another professional organisation, additional arrangements may be agreed between Norfolk Youth Mentoring and the referring organisation.
These may include referral procedures, information-sharing arrangements, session frequency, reporting requirements, outcome monitoring, safeguarding arrangements, pricing, invoicing and cancellation arrangements.
Where a separate written agreement exists, that agreement may take precedence over these general Terms & Conditions where there is a conflict.

22. YOUTH GROUPS
Where Norfolk Youth Mentoring provides youth groups, separate arrangements may apply.
Young people attending groups will be expected to follow the group's agreed rules and expectations.
Youth groups will provide a supportive environment but are not intended to replace specialist mental health or clinical services.
Appropriate safeguarding procedures will apply to all youth group activities.

23. ENDING MENTORING SUPPORT
Mentoring may end when agreed outcomes have been achieved, the young person no longer requires mentoring, the young person chooses to stop, a parent/carer requests that support ends, the referring organisation requests that support ends, Norfolk Youth Mentoring determines that mentoring is no longer appropriate, the young person's needs require a different or more specialist service, or safety/safeguarding concerns mean that the service cannot continue.
Where possible, the ending of mentoring will be planned with the young person.

24. LIMITATION OF SERVICE
Norfolk Youth Mentoring will provide services with reasonable care and skill.
However, mentoring cannot guarantee a particular outcome.
The progress of each young person will depend on a range of factors, including their individual circumstances, engagement, existing support and willingness to participate.
We will work collaboratively with young people and relevant adults to maximise the potential for positive outcomes.

25. COMPLAINTS
Norfolk Youth Mentoring welcomes feedback and takes complaints seriously.
If you have a concern about our service, please contact:
Jack Starling
Founder & Lead Mentor
Norfolk Youth Mentoring
Email: Jack@norfolkyouthmentoring.com
Telephone: 07368345796
We will aim to acknowledge and respond to complaints fairly and within a reasonable timeframe.
Where appropriate, complaints will be investigated and used to improve our services.

26. CHANGES TO OUR TERMS & CONDITIONS
Norfolk Youth Mentoring may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time.
The most recent version will be available on our website.
Where a significant change affects an existing service arrangement, we will aim to communicate the change to relevant individuals or organisations.

27. ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS
By booking or accessing Norfolk Youth Mentoring services, parents/carers, young people and referring organisations acknowledge that they have had an opportunity to read and understand these Terms & Conditions.
Where specific written agreements or contracts are entered into with schools, organisations or commissioning bodies, those agreements may contain additional terms.

28. CONTACT DETAILS
Norfolk Youth Mentoring
Founder & Lead Mentor: Jack Starling
Email: Jack@norfolkyouthmentoring.com
Telephone: 07368345796
Website: www.norfolkyouthmentoring.co.uk