Geethika Jayatilaka, Chief Executive of Chance UK, said in response to the announcement that:
“Chance UK welcomes this announcement and with it, the recognition of the importance of mentoring in improving outcomes for children.”
“The presence of a trusted, positive adult relationship in a child’s life can be transformative for young people at risk of exploitation, school exclusion or those who have been impacted by poverty or domestic abuse.”
“We particularly welcome the announcement that £2.4 million will be dedicated to a mentoring programme tackling school exclusions. In 2021, 1 in 7 of the children we worked with had experienced an exclusion. Unfortunately, we know that children who have been excluded at primary school have a greater risk of being excluded at secondary school and that exclusion is a risk factor for being both involved in, or a victim of violence in later life. And so, this important funding represents an opportunity to reduce risk, prevent exclusions and improve outcomes for vulnerable children.”
“Based on the national and international research around mentoring and our own robust evaluations, we know that the most effective mentoring programmes tend to be more structured, allow for regular contact over a longer period of time and match mentor and child well. So, while this funding announcement is extremely welcome, it’s essential that the services offered are based on the evidence of what we know works best for children to ensure high quality support that meets their needs and will deliver the best outcomes in the longer term.”
About Chance UK
Chance UK is a London-based charity that supports children aged 5-13 and families to develop social and emotional skills, building resilience to flourish in a changing world. The charity has been providing intensive one-to-one mentoring to vulnerable children across a number of London boroughs for over 25 years.
Our evidence shows that:
Over 85% of children’s behavioural difficulties reduce during their time with Chance UK
The economic benefits of our programme would outweigh its costs if just 1 in 42 of our children no longer had serious behavioural problems at the end of our programme
We were also highlighted as an example of good practice in mentoring by the Children’s Commissioner Does mentoring work? | Children’s Commissioner for England (childrenscommissioner.gov.uk)
Please contact Geethika Jayatilaka on 07872 665 267 for comments or further enquiries.
