Mentoring Guidelines 

This document provides general guidelines for the conduct of mentoring. Each mentoring scheme and every mentoring relationship is different. Therefore, organisers and supporters, mentors and mentees will need to review these guidelines and adapt to create an appropriate code of ethics.

What is mentoring?

A relationship built in a series of one-to-one meetings to develop in the mentee one or more of the following:

Mentoring also provides learning opportunities for the mentor.

Guidelines

1. Entering mentoring relationships is voluntary.

2. Either party has the right to withdraw from the mentoring contract if, after genuinely trying, the relationship is not satisfactory.

3. While often the mentor will have more experience of life or an aspect of work, the relationship is one of partners who jointly make decisions.

4. Meetings should be held in a quiet environment (or environments for telephone meetings) where both parties feel they can speak freely without being overheard.

5. Meetings should be long enough and paced so as to allow the two people to get to know and feel comfortable with each other.

6. Information shared in mentoring meetings is subject to standard rules of professional confidence. (see below)

7. Any notes made about mentoring meetings should be kept in confidence.

8. Commitments made should be honoured. If meetings are cancelled or delayed adequate warning of non-availability or delay should be given. Postponed meeting should be re-booked promptly.

9. Either party has the right to ask for a review of how the mentoring is progressing or for agreements or plans made at an earlier stage to be reviewed.

10. If either party feels that unclear about what the current status of the mentoring is, that party should seek to clarify the views and wishes of the other party.

11. If the mentor expects any payments these should be made available in writing to the prospective mentee before any contract is entered into.

12. Mentees should not expect mentors to deal with long standing issues or major emotional events that are more properly the province of professional counsellors and psychotherapists.

13. Mentors should recognise their limitations and avoid working with the mentee in ways that exceed those limitations.

14. Should a mentor sense there is a conflict of interest between the mentoring and any other role, the mentor should make this conflict  known to the mentee as soon as is practicable.

15. Mentors must not exploit mentees in financial, sexual or other ways. 

16. Notice to end the mentoring should allow for at least one meeting where a final review and proper closure can take place.

17. Both parties accept that mentoring is for a limited period and that it is entirely optional as to whether any other form of relationship takes place after the mentoring.

Confidentiality Exceptions 

There are special circumstances where, for example,  professional counsellors do break confidentiality. Mentors should be aware of these circumstances and rather than give blanket guarantees of confidentiality make clear the exceptions. In counselling the exceptions are:

Paul Burns