Mentoring is calm, I don’t feel so nervous. I speak to more people now.
Research shows that children and young people who are experiencing vulnerabilities and disadvantages benefit most from a 1:1 relationship with a trusted adult. Our Power2 Rediscover programme improves the wellbeing of young people who are struggling with school engagement by offering them essential practical and emotional support.
Before Power2 Rediscover, Charlie, 13, was struggling to express his emotions which made it difficult for him to participate in school.
Charlie was often provoked by his peers resulting in physical altercations that led to exclusions from school. This left him feeling very frustrated and misunderstood putting a strain on his relationships with both teachers and peers.
Each week Charlie met with his Programme Lead, Leyla, who provided him with a safe space to talk about his feelings.
During the programme, Leyla and Charlie focused on managing emotions and coping strategies.
Firstly, they looked at identifying different types of emotions and spoke about the way each emotion makes you feel in your body.
It can be hard to think and talk about myself, but it helps.
Then, they went through practical strategies such as taking deep breaths and using the counting method to calm your emotions before communicating with others.
These tools gave Charlie the ability to practice expressing himself more positively at school when he felt overwhelmed. It helped him to manage his feelings better while being considerate of others. He said, “I speak to more people now. Mentoring is calm, I don’t feel so nervous.”
It was clear that Charlie was benefiting from personal and consistent engagement of a mentor he trusted and who was dedicated to his needs. Leyla said, “Charlie responded well to our sessions and was able to relax.”
As Charlie applied all that he had learnt with Leyla, his behaviour improved. “I didn’t get into a fight when perhaps I might have done before,” said Charlie.
His teachers also noticed a huge transformation in him. One of Charlie’s teachers said:
I have seen a huge improvement in him. Charlie is a very polite and well-mannered young man who asks me how my day is going every day.
Last term, Charlie avoided physical altercations with other pupils and didn’t receive any suspensions for fighting. He is managing daily challenges a lot better and is much calmer, happier and has matured.
Towards the end of the programme, Charlie began to play an active role in the wider school community. He set up an orienteering club and ran a community coffee morning which the Lord Mayor of Manchester was invited to. Charlie’s friends supported him by bringing in baked goods.
Charlie has also found a passion for sport and no longer wants to miss his PE lessons. He is particularly enjoying rugby.
The 1:1 support offered by Power2 Rediscover allowed Charlie to respond to situations in a more positive way which helped him to re-engage with school and learning.
I’m calm, I’m feeling good, I’m chilling. It’s been fun.
