Safeguarding and wellbeing
At North Star Mentoring, the safety and wellbeing of the people we work with are fundamental to how we operate.
We work with young people, parents and organisations, and recognise the responsibility that comes with being trusted to support individuals and families. We are committed to providing a professional, respectful environment in which people feel safe, listened to and treated with care.
Our safeguarding commitments
We have a Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy that guides our work with young people and informs how we respond to concerns about safety or wellbeing.
Our approach includes:
Clear professional boundaries. We establish appropriate arrangements for communication, confidentiality and contact with young people and families.
Safer working practices. We consider safeguarding and practical risks when arranging face-to-face, online and outdoor sessions.
Appropriate checks and training. Our mentors undertake relevant safeguarding training and checks appropriate to their roles.
Confidentiality with clear limits. We respect personal information, but will share relevant information with appropriate services where necessary to protect someone from harm.
Responding to concerns. We take safeguarding concerns seriously, record them appropriately and seek advice or make referrals when required.
Working with young people
Our individual mentoring for young people is arranged with a parent or carer.
We explain how mentoring works, what young people can expect and the circumstances in which information may need to be shared.
We respect a young person's privacy. Parents and carers may receive appropriate updates about general progress, but we do not routinely disclose the content of individual mentoring conversations.
Where a safeguarding concern arises, protecting the young person takes priority over the usual expectations of confidentiality.
Working with organisations
Our workshops and programmes are designed to encourage reflection, understanding and constructive discussion.
We recognise that participants may choose to share personal experiences. We encourage everyone to respect one another's privacy and avoid sharing information that identifies colleagues, clients or family members unnecessarily.
We do not routinely report individual participants' personal disclosures to their employer. However, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed between participants in a group, and we may need to act if a serious safety or safeguarding concern arises.
Raising a safeguarding concern
If you have a concern about the safety or wellbeing of someone involved with North Star Mentoring, please contact:
Dr Liz Baynes Clarke
Designated Safeguarding Lead
admin@northstarmentoring.com
Please mark your email "Safeguarding concern – confidential" and avoid including unnecessary sensitive details in your initial message.
Concerns will be handled sensitively, with information shared only where appropriate and necessary.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 999. For urgent concerns about a child, you can also contact your local authority children's services directly.
Our responsibilities
North Star Mentoring provides mentoring and educational support. We do not provide clinical assessment, diagnosis or emergency mental-health services.