Mentor

PLEASE NOTE: recruitment for the Mentor volunteering position has moved.

If you would like to apply for a Mentor role, then please click here.

The SSAFA Mentoring service provides long-term, one-to-one, face-to-face support during transition and for up to two years post discharge to all members of our armed forces. By supporting, guiding and signposting individuals we can ensure a successful transition is achieved. Our volunteer mentors are an integral part of the team supporting the service user into civilian life often helping them to understand and navigate their new environment.

Please note that the minimum age for this role is 21 years.

What is a Mentor

A SSAFA Mentor is an individual who commits the time to build a professional relationship with a service leaver or their family through a challenging period of time.  Providing support and guidance along the way.   Mentoring is natural skill that we all have, the ability to listen and empathise as well as question and challenge in an environment that sees rewards at different levels.   

Why do we need you?

Leaving the Armed Forces can a difficult and stressful time for serving personnel: to ensure the SSAFA mentoring team can continue to offer face to face mentors to those in transition it is important to encourage and recruit new mentors to the team.  

When would you be needed and what would you do?

Mentors provide weekly meetings within a 50 mile radius of their home address and will:

  • Assist the client to establish realistic goals and work towards achieving them.
  • Act as a sounding board when the client wants to discuss decisions and ideas.
  • Challenge opportunities, problems, personal strengths and weaknesses.
  • Signpost to other organisations and sources of knowledge.
  • Seek opportunities to help the client practice and develop key skills for the future.
  • Pass on know-how and essential thinking patterns and attitudes.
  • Generate workable solutions together in a mutually respectful way.
  • Motivate, advise and support whilst empowering the service leaver to make their own decisions and take responsibility for their own actions and development.
  • Maintain regular contact with your Regional Mentoring Coordinator and provide accurate meeting records after every meeting via a secure email system.

 

What can you gain from this volunteering role?

  • Support people in your community with a military background using your patience, time and life experience
  • Support and friendship from the Mentoring team and fellow mentors
  • Experience, training and skills that you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews
  • Better physical and mental health – studies show that volunteers live longer and experience lower levels of stress and depression!

What training and support is there?

  • Initial 3 day residential course providing you with the knowledge, skills and attitude to be a SSAFA Mentor.  Refresher course every year (mandatory every three years).
  • A dedicated Regional Mentoring Coordinator to support your mentoring relationship.
  • Access to external supervision is also available.

How we use your information?

The information you provide will be used to create a personal record on our database if your application to become a SSAFA volunteer is successful. It will not be used for any other purpose or shared with any other organisation; all data collected from unsuccessful applicants will be destroyed as soon as it is no longer needed. SSAFA complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018.  Please read our privacy policy for more information.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We welcome volunteers of all backgrounds, abilities, races, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, and of all faiths and none. SSAFA are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support disabled volunteers, so they have access to the same opportunities and experiences as non-disabled volunteers.

For further details see our equality and diversity policy.

What you'll do

Key role responsibilities

  • Meet with their client for an hour each week for a period of up to but not limited to12 months.
  • Support the client and SSAFA ensure they receive any necessary support from SSAFA or external organisations.
  • Complete (mandatory) accurate records of all contact made with the client, by using the SSAFA Email system
  • Maintain regular contact with their Regional Mentoring Coordinator
  • Agree to any supervision deemed necessary.
  • Attend mandatory Network/Refresher training every three years
  • Uphold the aims and values of SSAFA and comply with all current policies; confidentiality, impartiality and equal opportunities.
  • To be reliable and fulfil any time commitment made to a client
  • DBS Check will be required.
  • IT literacy.

Application form

Address

Please provide us with your address by using our address lookup or by entering your address manually.

Thank you for trusting us with your data. For extra peace of mind about how we keep your data secure and how we manage your personal data, you can read more information in our Privacy Notice.