A trusted relationship
One consistent adult. Same person, same commitment. Everything else is built on this.
One-to-one mentoring
Built around them. Not around us.
Every young person arrives from a different place. So mentoring is shaped around what they need — then adjusted as they change.
In practice
What mentoring actually looks like.
A Northkeeper meets the young person regularly, usually one-to-one and usually weekly. Sessions happen somewhere the young person is comfortable — at their school or provision, in the community, or somewhere they've chosen themselves.
Early sessions are about trust. Nothing works before that. From there the work becomes a mix of conversation, planning and doing — practical activities alongside the harder discussions.
- Frequency
- Typically weekly sessions, agreed with the referring professional and reviewed as things change.
- Length
- Usually one to two hours, depending on the young person and the activity.
- Where
- School, provision, placement, community settings — wherever the young person will genuinely engage.
- Duration
- Agreed at the outset and extended where there is a clear reason. Endings are always planned, never abrupt.
- Reporting
- Regular written updates for the referrer, plus immediate contact if a concern arises.
The work
Six things we build.
Confidence
We look for the things a young person is already good at, then create situations where they can prove it to themselves.
Goals that mean something
Not targets set for them. Goals they chose, broken down until the next step is small enough to actually take.
Personal development
Communication, decision-making, managing frustration, asking for help. The skills that transfer everywhere.
Positive experiences
Sport, activities, places, people and environments a young person may never have had access to before.
Progression
Education, training, employment, or simply re-engaging with the day. Real movement, honestly recorded.
The journey
How support unfolds.
A rough shape, not a rigid programme. Young people move through it at their own speed.
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Meeting on their terms
We introduce the Northkeeper, explain exactly what this is and what it isn't, and make clear the young person has a say in it.
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Building trust
The first weeks are about turning up and being reliable. We don't rush into goals before the relationship can carry them.
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Finding the bearing
What do they actually want? We help them articulate it, without shrinking it or inflating it.
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Doing the work
Practical steps, new experiences, honest conversations, and support through the setbacks that will happen.
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Reviewing openly
We report progress to the referring professional and reflect on it with the young person, so they can see their own movement.
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A planned ending
Endings are prepared for well in advance, with next steps and onward support in place. Nobody is dropped.