WORKSHOP LED BY MARY LYNCH, Dr BERNADINE BRADY & Prof. CAROLINE McGREGOR
Mary Lynch is the manager of Big Brother Big Sister (BBBS) Ireland. She has led on the design, development and delivery of BBBS mentoring in Ireland since 2001 and has been working with disadvantaged youth and their families for over 25 years. Mary was lead practitioner on the Randomised Control Trial Evaluation of BBBS from 2009-2011.

Dr Bernadine Brady is a Lecturer at the School of Political Science & Sociology and a Senior Researcher with the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at NUI, Galway.  Bernadine has particular expertise in relation to youth mentoring, participation and youth civic engagement. Her most recent book is Mentoring Young People in Care and Leaving Care: Theory, Research and Practice (Routledge, 2020, with Pat Dolan and Caroline McGregor).

Caroline McGregor is Professor of  Social Work at the School of Political Science and Sociology, National University of Ireland Galway. She is a Senior  Researcher at the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre and her main research interests are in the field of child welfare and protection.  Her most recent book is Mentoring Young People in Care and Leaving Care: Theory, Research, and Practice (Routledge, 2020, with Bernadine Brady and Pat Dolan.

ABSTRACT
What is your major starting question or hypothesis
This session will explore mentoring in Ireland that specifically targets youth involved in the juvenile justice system and youth in care of the state. We pose the question: How can youth organisations and research institutions work in partnership to ensure quality outcomes for youth presenting with higher levels of risk.
How do you plan the session? Which method will you use?
– Presentation of current practice and research evidence (30 minutes).
– Participants experiences of the Irish Foróige BBBS Programme (20 minutes)
– Recommendations from practice (20 minutes)
– Q&A and Discussion(20 mins)
Group discussion in response to the following questions:
– Are young people with higher levels of need suited to matching with a volunteer?
– What practice considerations need to be taken into account when matching young
people with higher levels of need?
– How can we maximise outcomes from mentoring for youth with higher levels of
need?
What is the goal of the session?
The goal of the session is create awareness that mentoring can be a viable supportive intervention for young people with higher levels of need. Good practice guidelines should be followed to maximise outcomes for this target group of young people.