Professional staff mentoring scheme
The professional staff mentoring scheme is currently closed to new applications, pending a review of the programme. All current mentoring relationships will remain in place during the review.
An announcement will be made via this webpage and other internal communication channels when the programme is due to open for new applications to join the programme. If you have any queries in the meantime, please contact mentoring@st-andrews.ac.uk
The professional staff mentoring scheme is administered centrally by Organisational and Staff Development Services (OSDS) who match applicants, provide training, provide on-going support and evaluate the success of the scheme. Since the beginning, the scheme has attracted many positive comments from participants (mentors & mentees), who have developed personally and professionally through the mentoring. Great experience has been gained from taking part, and achievements have increased.
A Professional staff mentoring handbook (PDF, 1,303 KB) was produced to accompany the mentoring, as were Professional staff mentoring slides (PDF, 91 KB) which provides a briefing.
If you have any problems or queries, please contact: mentoring@st-andrews.ac.uk
The following provides more information and application details for the scheme.
Contents
Being a mentee
Mentees can be any professional staff member seeking a neutral mentor to help them achieve specific personal objectives.
Commitment: mentees should be ready to dedicate approximately one hour per month to the program over a twelve-month period. Mentoring relationships are designed to be finite, naturally concluding once the mentee's goals are met. Participants will receive briefing sessions to guide them on meeting protocols and the roles of both mentor and mentee.
Benefits: the scheme focuses on the mentee, allowing them to identify areas where they need advice or assistance. This participation can enhance workplace skills and support career development, especially for future roles. Since mentoring is often conducted informally, it provides an excellent opportunity to discuss arising issues and receive advice and support from a neutral perspective.
Being a mentor
Mentors: anyone with skills to share can become a mentor, provided they have the time and commitment to participate.
Commitment: mentors should be ready to dedicate approximately one hour per month to the program. Mentoring relationships are designed to be finite, naturally concluding once the mentee's goals are met. Participants will receive briefing sessions to guide them on meeting protocols and the roles of both mentor and mentee. Support is available if needed.
Benefits: mentors often find great satisfaction in passing on knowledge and contributing to their colleagues' development, positively impacting their organization.
"Mentoring gives me a real buzz and makes me feel unbelievably good that somebody can learn and develop with my help. It has enabled my influence to spread in the organisation."
(An NHS manager and mentor - taken from The Mentoring Pocketbook by Alred, Garvey and Smith)
Application process
The professional staff mentoring scheme is currently not accepting new applications as we are undergoing a review of the program. All existing mentoring relationships will continue as usual during this period.
We will announce the reopening of the program for new applications on this webpage and through other internal communication channels.
What is mentoring?
A mentor is defined as "an experienced or trusted adviser," with the term mentoring originating from Greek mythology.
Mentoring has long been recognised as an effective method for learning, training, and development in the workplace. The role of the mentor is to assist and support the personal and professional growth of their mentee.
Traditionally, a mentor is a more experienced staff member who aims to pass on their skills, expertise, and workplace knowledge to a typically less experienced colleague, fostering their development.