Eavesdrop – Mentoring & Listening Service.

Eavesdrop aims to work with young people struggling with low self-esteem, lack of confidence, family problems, isolation and depression, and who have difficulty forming positive peer and family relationships. Eavesdrop currently works regularly in 8 schools across North Staffordshire, with a further 5 schools on a waiting-list.

Many of the teenagers met by Eavesdrop are on the verge of being excluded from school. But by standing alongside and supporting the young people big changes can take place in as little as 6 weeks. Through Eavesdrop pupils are listened to, offered advice and given targets. Eavesdrop is the future for school’s work, the already stretched teachers and staff in the local high schools readily accept the support of lifestyle mentors. Just a few of the many success stories… One girl who was classed as a truant and due to take her GCSEs was greatly helped by the YFC team. After 6 weeks this “drop-out” had changed enough to say “I’m really excited, I’m applying for college”. An orphaned 13 year old boy said after 6 months of mentoring “you know, it’s actually good to talk”. And a 16 year old girl who’d worked through some relationship issues said “everything looks so much clearer now”.

At present eavesdrop has 1 full-time worker and 5 part-time staff. Part-time staff are ‘on the ground’ lifestyle mentors who regularly meet up with young people in the high schools across North Staffordshire.

Eavesdrop has grown amazingly since it began in September 2003, it has found favour and seen success. As such, eavesdrop is now split into two project areas:

• “One-to-One” – individual lifestyle mentoring.

• “Face Up” – a series of Group Mentoring courses.

One to One…

Eavesdrop One-to-One offers young people the opportunity to receive independent, confidential, one-to-one support. This project provides the consistency so needed by young people to enable them to express how they are feeling, share their concerns and work through issues they are facing in a positive and constructive manner. This results in raised confidence, self-worth and self-esteem, and enables them to integrate more positively and relate to peers, family and those in authority.

One to One support is delivered in sessions that are timetabled in consultation with the school (either in lesson times or drop-in over lunchtime). Each individual is allocated a personal mentor who provides consistent, confidential, independent support. Each young person completes a personal logbook with their mentor. These log books form the basis for ongoing support, and contain frameworks for goal setting and evaluation of progress with the mentor.

Face up…

Please follow the link to find out more about “Face Up” group mentoring.

How is Eavesdrop delivered?

Management Structure

The project is co-ordinated from the central office of nsyfc and supervised by nsyfc's High School’s worker. The eavesdrop project co-ordinator supervises a team of trained volunteers and youth-workers.

Volunteers

All eavesdrop volunteers have undergone training delivered by nsyfc. Volunteers are instrumental in advising and planning the development of the service to ensure its continuing relevance and accessibility to the young people it seeks to serve.

Support

When in a school setting, eavesdrop works in conjunction with Learning Support Units or School Learning Mentors. eavesdrop can be tailor-made to each individual school, offering flexibility and relevance. Young people who would benefit from eavesdrop are referred by the school partner, community youth worker, or approach the service independently. The organisation enjoys close working relationships with school Management, Learning Support Teams and Community Youth Workers.

For more info on this service, contact us

Change a life... for the price
of a cup of coffee