Partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters HB

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hawke's Bay aims to ignite youth potential in Hawke's Bay through an active, sustainable and resilient mentorship programme embedded in local communities.

Trained and vetted Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors help form strong positive relationships with young people that express care, challenge growth, share power, and expand possibilities.  The programme has been running internationally since 1904 - and it works.

It is the largest and most replicated programme in the world. Since 2017, Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawke’s Bay has matched over 160 taiohi/young people with a mentor. As a result, they have experienced improved relationship skills, social awareness, increased self-confidence, hope and optimism about the future.

But some young people are missing out. 

People across all of our communities have been impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle and the ongoing disruption it has caused. We've also had an influx of referrals for young people in need of a mentor, and not enough mentors to match with them, especially for taiohi tāne / male mentees. Research from New Zealand and overseas shows that there is a long 'tail' to disaster events, particularly for young people. It is a time when having a positive, stable relationship is more important than ever.  

It is also more difficult for new mentors to volunteer. Travel, petrol costs, disruption of personal lives and lingering stress and uncertainty are all barriers.

By working in partnership with businesses and primary schools we can make it easier, and better serve youth in Hawke's Bay. We match up local primary schools with nearby businesses that are offering one or more of their employees the opportunity to volunteer as a mentor for a couple of hours once a week during the school year.

We're proud to be part of a community where so many people want to help - and hope this programme will give them a way to do so.

 

For Businesses to Complete:

Please complete the questions below and click 'Submit' to return the form to Big Brothers Big Sisters. 

Agreement between Big Brothers Big Sisters and Business

To help more young people/taiohi find a mentor, we match your business with nearby partner primary schools.

Your business promotes the opportunity for one or more of your staff to volunteer as a mentor for a couple of hours once a week during the school term, at the end of the school day (maximum 40 weeks/year). If any of your staff are interested, you empower at least one person to apply to mentor. 

After vetting and training (4 hours), volunteer mentors can be matched with young people/taiohi from the nearby local school/kura who would benefit from having a positive adult added to their life.  

Once a match has been made, the mentor will go to the school/kura once a week at the end of the school day and pick up the child. They will take them out for a 1-2 hours of community-based mentoring and then drop the young person at home.

The school will recognise and celebrate the support of your business in their school newsletter and communication channels at the start of the partnership and at least once a year thereafter.

Our commitment is to providing training, accountability, and support to the volunteers/tūao so that they can offer mentoring over the 40 weeks of the school year for a minimum 12-month period. Our internal BBBS Mentor Coordinators provide ongoing monitoring of the mentoring “match”. This includes monthly supervision catch-ups with the mentors/tuakana, school liaison and young person.

It is agreed the Business (named below) will join the Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawke's Bay Partnership Programme for the purpose of providing the opportunity for one or more of their employees to apply to volunteer as a mentor.

If a staff member is interested and, after being trained and vetted, is matched with a young person/taihohi from a nearby partner school, the business will support the staff member to leave work to meet their taiohi/young person at the end of the school day once/week during the school term for at least a 12 month period. Mentors will collect their mentee from school one day each week and spend 1-2 hours with them before dropping them off at the young person's home.

This will take place during term time only, unless prior arrangements are made by the volunteer mentor, approved by the business, and the young person's whānau and BBBS informed.

This agreement outlines the respective responsibilities of the Business and Big Brothers Big Sisters for this programme. Any changes will be indicated by written amendment that is signed by both partners and attached to the original agreement.

Responsibilities of the Business:

1. Sign on as a BBBS Partner Business and agree to be matched with nearby local primary schools
2. Promote the opportunity to volunteer for a minimum of 12 months to employees in internal communications (e.g. staff meetings, workplace newsletter, intranet, social media, posters in staffrooms) 
3. Support any interested staff to apply to mentor and attend training (4 hrs, can be done at a time that suits)

Once there are matches, the business will:

1. Enable the mentor to meet their young person at the end of the school day once a week during the school term for their mentored session
2. Celebrate the partnership and the employee's efforts at least twice a year in internal communications with staff
3. Allow BBBS to speak with the mentor for 10 minutes once per month

Shared Responsibilities:

1. BBBS will create and review the profiles of young people and mentors to facilitate appropriate matches. BBBS and the School Liaison will work together to make the best matches
2. Determine a system for contacting the mentor when the young person is sick or away and for informing mentors of school holidays/teacher-only days/sports days/school trips/stand downs etc
3. Where possible all match closures should be discussed by BBBS and the School Liaison before the match is closed. BBBS are responsible for leading the match closure process

 

Responsibilities of Big Brothers Big Sisters:

1. Provide promotional material to the Business in the way that best suits the business to promote the opportunity to staff, and to celebrate ongoing matches
2. Ensure that the school is recognising the Business' support at the start of the match and at least once/year after that in their communications to their school community (newsletters, social media etc)
3. BBBS will recruit, screen, and train all Tuakana/Volunteer Mentors in accordance with Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Zealand National Standards of Practice, Big Brothers Big Sisters Policies and the Children’s Act (2014)

i)      Completed and signed Mentor Application

ii)     Police check

iii)    A minimum of three Referee checks (Personal, Employer, and if needed, Medical Referee)

iv)    Personal Interview and Home Assessment

v)     Complete Pre-Match Training (including roles and expectations, relevant School information, child abuse reporting, developing a relationship, activity ideas)

2. BBBS will meet with the parents/whānau to fully inform them about the programme and get written consent
3. Provide all forms / information needed for the Business to implement the programme
4. Introduce the Mentor and Young Person at the School during a designated time upon their first visit together
5. If requested, provide an ID card to be worn by Mentors while in the School.
6. Monitor and support the match through regular contact with the Young People, Mentor and Parents/Whānau
7. Inform the designated School Liaison when a Mentor is unable to continue with their match
8. Any information collected on the match will be kept on file with BBBS; the purpose of this collection is to monitor the match and provide feedback where necessary. Information is confidential and is not shared with anyone without the Parent/Caregiver's permission.

All information on this form will be maintained as confidential and securely stored.