Support learners by mentoring in the workplace
Overview
Who is this unit for?
This unit is for those who mentor colleagues and trainees in the workplace and support personal development through learning in the workplace.
What is this unit about?
This unit is about mentoring individuals in the workplace. It involves agreeing the nature of mentoring in the workplace, creating an appropriate environment in which mentoring can take place, mentoring trainees as they put their training plan into practice, giving trainees information, advice and guidance on their work roles and expectations and giving them encouragement and support to stay motivated.
This unit contains three elements:
1. Plan the mentoring process
2. Set up and maintain the mentoring relationship
3. Give mentoring support
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Plan the mentoring process
P1 explain your role as a mentor in the workplace and the activities everyone will perform
P2 identify how mentoring can contribute to the training programme in the workplace
P3 identify the resources and facilities needed to perform your role as a mentor
P4 identify who else could be involved in mentoring in the workplace and what their role should be
P5 explain the relationship between the mentor, the people the mentor is helping and other people in the organisation
P6 identify sources of information and support to help you in your role as mentor
P7 agree how you will keep to the ethical code for mentoring in your organisation
P8 plan when, where and how often mentoring sessions should be arranged to ensure an appropriate environment for mentoring
P9 ensure you have prepared documents and activities which will help trainees in the early stages of mentoring
Set up and maintain the mentoring relationship
P10 behave in a way that shows you accept the trainee you are supporting P11 discuss, explain and agree the roles and expectations involved in the
mentoring relationship
P12 agree the aims of the mentoring process and the rules that you will both work within
P13 agree the mentoring support which will help trainees meet the needs of their workplace programme
P14 agree the boundaries of the mentoring relationship and how they will be recognised and maintained
P15 agree with trainees where and how often mentoring sessions take place P16 agree how progress and any problems will be reviewed during mentoring
sessions
Give mentoring support
P17 set aside enough time for each mentoring session
P18 help trainees to express and discuss ideas and any concerns affecting their experience in the workplace
P19 give trainees information and advice that will help them to be effective in
the workplace
P20 give trainees the opportunities which help them understand and adapt to the working environment
P21 identify ways of developing trainees' confidence in performing activities in the workplace
P22 help trainees take increasing responsibility for developing their skills in the workplace
P23 give trainees the opportunities to get experience in the workplace to increase their confidence and self-development
P24 help trainees look at issues from an unbiased point of view that helps them make informed choices
P25 give trainees honest and constructive feedback
P26 identify when the mentoring relationship needs to change to still be effective, and agree any changes with the trainee
P27 identify when the mentoring relationship has reached its natural end, and review the process with the trainee
P28 agree what extra support and help the trainee needs or can access P29 plan how to provide extra support and help
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
The nature and role of mentoring in the workplace
K1 how to give an overview of the training programme and see how the different areas of the workplace fit together
K2 how to identify appropriate mentoring activities in relation to the training programme in the workplace
K3 how to identify opportunities to develop skills and increase confidence in the workplace such as changes to work roles, job shadowing and setting specific tasks
K4 how to monitor how effective and how appropriate the mentoring relationship is
K5 how to explain and agree your role as mentor within the organisation K6 how to promote the interests of the trainee in the organisation
K7 how to show you use good practice in the workplace
K8 how to identify and involve other people in the workplace in the mentoring process
K9 how to identify and secure the resources and facilities needed for the mentoring process
K10 how to identify the information and advice trainees are likely to need, and the expectations of your own role, the mentoring scheme and the organisation you are working with
K11 how to identify and use sources of support
Principles and concepts
K12 how to identify and apply an appropriate code of practice for mentoring which deals with:
K12.1 commitment to best practice
K12.2 recognising the limits of your own experience and competence K12.3 setting and maintaining boundaries within the mentoring
relationship
K12.4 being open and truthful within the mentoring relationship
K12.5 monitoring and evaluating your own performance throughout the mentoring process
K12.6 using appropriate sources of support
K12.7 managing differences between your own values and beliefs and the agreed ethical code
K12.8 answering to the trainee and their organisation for your mentoring activities
K13 how to work out mutual roles and responsibilities in the mentoring relationship
K14 how to realistically assess the technical and personal skills needed in
acting as a mentor to a trainee
K15 how to listen, ask questions and negotiate
K16 how to gain and keep the enthusiasm and commitment of trainees K17 how to explore issues with trainees without judging them
K18 how to motivate trainees and develop their self-confidence
K19 how to agree you will keep information confidential during the mentoring process
K20 how to encourage trainees to express themselves
K21 how to identify and give trainees appropriate information
K22 how to use reviews and evaluations to encourage trainees to be independent
K23 how to identify sources of extra support that are available to the trainee K24 how to identify and use sources of and procedures for referral to other
agencies
K25 how to identify and use technology-based support for the mentoring process
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Skills
Glossary
Links To Other NOS
TDASTL67 Provide learning opportunities for colleagues TDASTL69 Support competence achieved in the workplace
Origin of this unit
This unit is taken from the National Occupational Standards for Learning and Development where it appears as unit L14.