Jasmine Geddes

You may remember in the summer, we set out to raise money so the children and young people mentored by intandem could do something a bit more special this summer.

Well, thanks to 80 generous donors, we raised an incredible £10.062!

More than 120 children and young people with care experience across Scotland were able to do new activities with their mentor. From ten pin bowling to seeing Legally Blonde at the theatre. From football stadiums to the nail salon, our mentees had a summer to remember!

Find out more about what we got up to on our summer holidays (and beyond) here.

This week is an important one for us here at intandem. Not only is it Care Experienced Week, which looks to celebrate the care experience community, but it is also National Mentoring Day today (Friday 27 October) and we have lots of mentors and mentees to celebrate!  

Scotland made a promise children and young people with care experience, that they will grow up loved, safe and respected so they can realise their full potential. Providing trusted relationships and building confidence are an essential part of keeping this promise. 

intandem is all about building trusted relationships – with children and young people, with their families, with volunteers and with other professionals. These trusted relationships give young people and their families somewhere to turn when they need support.   

As a programme delivering mentoring for children and young people who are in the care of their local authority, or at risk of becoming so, and living either at home or in kinship care, intandem involves much more than mentoring. It is part of the scaffolding of support needed for a young person and their family to overcome difficulties. 

I am constantly amazed and frequently inspired by the dedication and compassion of our intandem coordinators and volunteer mentors who continually strive to do the best for young people and their families. Whether it’s making time to listen and offer emotional support or helping families to access specific services, they make a big difference to the lives of young people and their families. 

“Having a mentor has made me a lot happier…I was really struggling, mentally, physically…but when I got my mentor, she brightens stuff up…it feels like she genuinely takes some of the stress off my shoulders.” Young person 

intandem keeps learning 

Established in 2016, intandem is managed by Inspiring Scotland and delivered by partner charities across 19 local authorities. The landscape has changed a lot over this time, and I have learnt just how important it is to listen to and learn from children and families. 

Since intandem began, mentoring the programme we’ve made several changes to help us keep the promise: 

• We widened the eligibility criteria for children and young people mentored to remove barriers to support. Young people in kinship care and those at risk of becoming looked after can now access intandem. 
• Recognising the trusted relationships between coordinators, young people and families, intandem now involves much more than mentoring, it’s part of the scaffolding of support around families enabling them to overcome difficulties.   
• Participation is a crucial part of keeping the promise and it has become essential at intandem with our dynamic youth forum becoming a key element of our programme.  

Weekly community-based mentoring has powerful results, changing the trajectory of children and young people’s lives. Here are some of my favourite quotes that really encapsulate the difference intandem makes: 

“It’s impacted my life choices a lot.” Young person 

“He told me he’d learnt to trust again, which was nice to hear.” Mentor 

“She’s made me realise that not every person is there to hurt me.” Young person 

All families need support from others at times, and I’m privileged to be part of intandem providing that much needed support. 

To find out more about intandem and our local partners, check out our map of your nearest intandem here. 

Susie White, 

Intandem fund manager 

Thanks to you, we successfully raised an incredible £10,062 through our Crowdfunder so that children with care experience could do something special with their mentor this summer and create lifelong memories!

The money will go even further thanks to match funding by Inspiring Scotland, and is already with our partner charities and we will be sure to update you with what our mentees and mentors got up to during the holidays.

intandem had a celebratory day at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo on Saturday 4 March 2023.  

Joined by more than 100 children and young people, mentors, charity partners, funders and the Minister for Children and Young People, Clare Haughey  The occasion was to celebrate the second anniversary of InVoice, intandems young person group who meet every other month to discuss issues that affect them and how to make intandem’s mentoring the best it can be for children and young people across Scotland. 

Our InVoice representatives took centre stage with one brave young person addressing all attending and introducing the Minister. 

The group enjoyed a day at the zoo alongside some delicious food, crafts and a short talk from the Minister which highlighted the importance of the partnership and the vital impact of mentoring and to keep The Promise, Scottish Government’s pledge that every young person in Scotland can grow up feeling safe, loved and respected. 

About intandem 

intandem is Scotland’s national mentoring programme, working with children and young people aged eight to 14 with care experience. 

Working with 12 partner charities, young people are matched with a volunteer mentor who gives them a scaffolding of support by meeting every week to help them set and achieve their goals.  

intandem is funded by Scottish Government and The Robertson Trust and managed by Inspiring Scotland.  

Find out more about intandem here. 

Sign up to be a volunteer mentor here.  

Today is Care Day (17 February 2023) which aims to champion children and young people with care experience and tackle misconceptions.  

All families need a helping hand to navigate tough times, such as chronic illness, mental health problems or a bereavement. It is during these tough times when parents can struggle without a solid support network and children and young people can become involved with the care system. 

This is why we need volunteer mentors, to work with our care experienced young people and ensure they have the scaffolding of support in place to go and achieve their goals.  

intandem is Scotland’s national mentoring programme. Funded by Scottish Government and The Robertson Trust, as part of the Promise and delivered by Inspiring Scotland, the programme connects young people and volunteer mentors to establish meaningful, supportive and long-lasting relationships. 

By giving some time each week, you could be a positive and stable role model and make a difference in a young person’s life.  

All we ask is that you: 

• Are a good listener and are open minded  
• Can spend a little time consistently each week doing fun activities in your local community with your mentee  

Nothing more, we offer full training and expenses so you can concentrate your full attention on your mentee.  

By committing to at least a year, your weekly meetings with your young person could: 

• Help a young person see their potential and reach their goals  
• Provide stability and respite for the whole family  
• Help raise a young person’s self-esteem and improve their friendships  
• Increase engagement with communities 
• Bolster your own skills including   

Sign up to be a volunteer here.