Spotlight on Beth Thomas-Hancock, Social Mobility and Mentoring Manager at the University of Brighton
This month we’re meeting Beth Thomas-Hancock, Social Mobility and Mentoring Manager at the University of Brighton, who delivers mentoring programmes for SLN.
Tell us about your role
I oversee mentoring programmes delivered by the university’s careers and employability service to support students. I create and share bespoke opportunities for groups of students who may experience additional barriers to gaining employment.
How do you work with the SLN?
I’m very proud to be involved with two programmes funded by SLN. We started working together in 2019 on The Uni:School mentoring programme, with my colleague John Lynch. This mentoring programme matches a cohort of UoB students of colour with students of colour in secondary schools and colleges in Sussex. The programme gives students of colour in local secondary schools and colleges role models. Uni:School mentoring is a 6 week positive and aspirational mentoring programme that supports mentees to set goals and work towards achieving these goals.
What sort of goals are the mentees working towards?
An example is achieving a grade 6 if they are currently working at grade 5, or starting an effective revision programme, finding extra support at school and developing themselves. The schools and colleges we work with report increased confidence and students report feeling happier, more knowledgeable about Higher Education and increased confidence.
The programme also helps the mentors by enhancing their employability through increasing their confidence, communication, coaching and mentoring skills. Both mentors and mentees volunteer to participate in this programme, and this is of particular importance to the mentees as they understand that their mentors are choosing to do this, they’re not being paid to do it but are there because they chose to be.
What is the need in Sussex for a programme like this?
Sussex is not richly ethnically diverse which means it’s difficult for students to see role models who look like themselves. We all need role models, and this programme provides that. We need to see people like ourselves in positions of responsibility and succeeding at school, college, university and in work.
This is why John goes into the school to meet with the students of colour first, he is a successful Black man and explains the value of the programme. We then train the mentors and the mentees separately so they know their roles and how they can make the most of this valuable opportunity. The programme provides a safe space for discussion, challenge and growth. Our mentors are a real life, local example of successful mentors. The power of positive role models should never be underestimated.
Tell me about the other programme you’re delivering for SLN
On the back of the successful mentoring programme for students of colour, we were approached by Ratton School asking if there was something we could put together to support some of the young men at their school. We created a programme based on the Uni:School mentoring programme but with a focus on positive male role models. The 6-week programme covers questions such as what it means to be a role model to other people, a good friend, an ally to your friends and classmates. The programme explores these topics while developing the relationships with the mentees and mentors.
We put time and resource into training our university students in their role as mentors. We brought in specialists in misogyny and toxic masculinity from Bexhill College to share with us as staff and with the mentors to demonstrate what young people are subject to through social media and in their environment.
The schools put forward boys to take part who are vulnerable for a number of different reasons, they may be at risk of exclusion or demonstrate challenging behaviour and in need of positive, relatable male role models. The success of the role models with our university students is that they are only a few years apart in age and have a clear understanding of some of the issues the Year 10 / 11 boys are going through. The relationships and the learning that took place in school and at the university was successful because of the respect that had been developed between the young men.
The programme has successful joint outcomes, for the boys at school but also for the university students, for example one mentor changed their plans for their future career and decided to go into teaching as a result of being a mentor. These joint outcomes are particularly successful as everyone taking part gets something positive from the programme.
What have you learnt from the young people you work with?
We learn so much from the young people we work with. They have an awful lot on their plate, a lot to contend with. Quiet time is very limited because of social media and there is a lot of expectation from different sources, not always positive for young people today. When young people are given the opportunity, they step into it. I’ve learnt that if you give people the space and the opportunity to shine, they will.
What have you learnt from the staff you’ve worked with at schools and colleges?
One of the key things we’ve been told is that staff really value our team coming in to the school/college to deliver impactful programmes that their students both enjoy, learn and grow through. Staff are incredibly busy, have a variety of different roles and want to know either how to enhance inclusion and belonging or to positively and successfully manage situations that may be difficult or outside of their comfort zone.
How can schools and college staff get in touch to find out more?
Read the project page to find out about our work with Black and Racially Minoritised students.
Read the article with Lindsay about the boys and men mentoring programme or email Debra at SLN for more information.