Welcome to GROVE's Individual Mentoring

Thank you for choosing GROVE to support your young person. Please read through this page before mentoring begins.  

GROVE Neurodivergent Mentoring & Education is committed to providing services at the highest standard, in a safe and happy environment. Everything we do is guided by our ‘Neuro-affirming Foundations’:  

GROVE’s Neuro-affirming Foundations:  

Our approaches are grounded in the principles of Neurodiversity Paradigm.  

• We recognise the pervasive role of ableism within society, including the influence of internalised ableism.
• We aim to challenge ableist narratives about neurodivergent people.   
• We are committed to being anti-racist.  
• We are committed to being LGBTQIA+ affirming.  
• We recognise and respect each individual’s intersectional identity and are committed to unpacking one’s own privilege.   
• We aspire to work in a way that is trauma informed.   
• We respect all forms of communication and presume competence. 

Our Foundations enable us to aspire, wherever possible, to create an accessible and emotionally, psychologically, sensorially, relationally safe space for GROVE’s young people, their families and those with whom we work.   

These foundations create the potential for authentic connection, community and growth in a way that is meaningful for each individual – for instance, developing meaningful relationships, a sense of belonging, possibly developing self-understanding, positive self-esteem and neurodivergent identity.   

Everyone at GROVE wants to provide your young person with the most meaningful experience we can.  

The information below is also available on a video here: COMING SOON

BEFORE THE FIRST SESSION:

• Before your young person meets with their Mentor online, please take the time to talk about the ‘Mentoring with GROVE’ section at the bottom of this page – especially the section ‘Things to keep you and your Mentor comfortable and safe’. Your Mentor can also summarise these things if you feel that is necessary – please let them know if you’d like them to.

• Consider any information provided in the booking form and whether any of this needs to be updated or added to. This is so that we can work together to limit barriers to access and enjoyment. This includes areas such as: 
  • Communication needs / preferences – this is particularly important if you want the Mentor to run a typed chat session or if your child/young person will be using AAC; 
  • Content or discussion topics – to avoid or encourage; 
  • Scaffolding needed to help your young person get ready and feel comfortable with their first session;
  • Triggers – trauma / topics / sensory. 

• Contact your Mentor ideally at least 48 hours before the first session with any additional information, questions or requests.   

• Check that you and your child/young person are comfortable with how to use Microsoft Teams (see below for further information). 

• Parents/carers are very welcome to accompany their child/young person during mentoring sessions for as long as is needed. Perhaps you’ll be there to ease your child/young person into every session, maybe just the first or perhaps they won’t need that at all. There is no time limit on parent/carer involvement; let’s follow your child/young person’s lead. 

EVERY SESSION:

• We do not send reminders of sessions, please ensure that you and your young person are ready for the session. It may be useful to set a calendar alert. 

• Contact your child’s Mentor via email at least 48 hours ahead if you want to alert them to anything that may be relevant to the session.  

• As mentoring is unsupervised between the Mentor and child/young person, remember an adult must always be in the house.  They or you should be available during sessions in case your young person requires support.  It is strongly advised that your young person is in a room that does not have a closed door. It is the parent/carer/legal guardian’s sole responsibility for enforcing this. 

• Provide a quiet environment that is free from distractions. Headphones may be helpful but are not necessary.

• Ensure that the link to the online session is not shared with anyone – it remains the same each week unless we tell you otherwise. 

MICROSOFT TEAMS, USE OF CAMERA & MICROPHONE:

• You will find your link on your welcome document sent with the link to this page and that will remain the same for every session unless you are informed otherwise. 

• Microsoft has age-based restrictions that limit access to features like video and microphone for users identified as ‘underage’ according to their policies. This is part of Microsoft’s efforts to comply with child safety and data protection regulations and is nothing to do with GROVE. If you intend for your young person to join via their own login then you’ll need to adjust their settings using Microsoft’s Family Safety to ensure they can access video/sound: 
  • Microsoft Family Safety | Microsoft 365
  • Alternatively, ask them to sign out of their account and join as a guest.
  • Please check you Teams username is showing your young person’s name. This may prove problematic if you have your own Microsoft account that cannot be amended. There are a few options:  
    • Set up a free Microsoft account purely for GROVE sessions but maintain parental control of this; 
    • Let your Mentor know what the display name will be if you cannot change it in order that they know they are admitting the correct person each week; 
    • Sign out of your Microsoft account and join as a ‘guest’.
• Remember your young person does not have to use their video at any point once their identity has been verified by Jess or your Mentor. If you told us they would use their camera and they change their mind please contact Jess immediately to discuss how we do an initial identification check to safeguard our Mentors. We cannot admit someone into a first session without their camera on or their ID verified.

• Your young person can choose to speak with mouth words, use their AAC device or use the typed chat function. The Mentor can use live captions but the accuracy of these cannot be guaranteed. They can also use the typed chat function if your child/young person prefers. 

• Microsoft’s ‘HOW TO’ guide: Join a meeting without an account in Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Support and there are various video tutorials available on the internet. 

WORKING TOGETHER WITH GROVE TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD:

• Thank you for caring so deeply about your child’s Autistic identity, their growth in self-understanding and seeing the value in them connecting with an Autistic Mentor. And thank you for trusting us to be part of that.

• It’s natural to want mentoring to feel productive and meaningful, and we totally get that you want the very best for your child’s experience.  At its heart, neuro‑affirming mentoring is about creating a space where your young person feels safe, understood, and genuinely heard – not directed, coached toward someone else’s agenda, or pressured to perform for anyone’s expectations. When a mentoring relationship grows from the young person’s own interests, pace, and comfort, something powerful unfolds:

  • Trust blooms naturally. When a mentee feels in charge of what they share and explore, the connection becomes rooted in genuine mutual interest and respect – not compliance. This freedom builds relational safety, which is the foundation for any meaningful learning or growth.

  • Authentic self‑understanding emerges. We know from neuro‑affirming practice that young people are far more likely to reflect, experiment with ideas, and feel confident when a Mentor is there with them on their terms – not giving instructions to them. And we have found the same with parents/carers who attend sessions alongside their young person too.

  • The mentoring space becomes a place of choice, not demand. This is especially important for Autistic young people who have often lived in environments full of expectations and pressures. Mentoring that follows their lead creates a low‑demand, high‑trust environment where curiosity and exploration are safe and welcomed.

  • Goals arise from lived experience, not external pressure. When young people are supported to identify what matters to them, the outcomes – whether that’s exploring identity, navigating sensory experiences, building self‑advocacy skills, or simply having someone who gets them – are deeper and more durable.

• We value collaboration and we see you as vital partners in support. There are times when co‑regulation, strategy chats, and planning together are incredibly helpful – especially where emotional safety and communication preferences are concerned. But when mentoring is directed by the young person’s voice and choice, it opens the door for relationships that feel affirming, voluntary, and respectful of autonomy. That’s what allows trust to flourish – slowly, steadily, and authentically. We ask you to join with us on that approach.

• Thank you for trusting this process, and for trusting your young person’s capacity to guide their own growth with the steady presence of a Mentor who listens, validates, and walks alongside them.

SAFEGUARDING:

• Here is a link to our Safeguarding Summary: Policies | GROVE 

• CONTACTS IN CASE OF CONCERN IF YOU ARE IN THE UK:  
  • If someone is in immediate danger please phone 999.  
  • GROVE CEO/DSL:  Jess Garner safeguarding@gr0ve.org
  • We are also supported with safeguarding by Mark Wrangles at Close the Gaps: mark.wrangles@closethegaps.co.uk  
  • The NSPCC helpline is available to anyone who has a concern about a child. Email help@nspcc.org.uk or phone 0808 800 5000. 
  • Childline offers free, confidential advice and support whatever the child or young person’s worry, whenever they need help. Email childline.org.uk or telephone 0800 1111. 
  • You can also contact the child’s local Children’s Social Services/Child Protection Services and speak to the local authority designated officer (LADO). Find the details here: Find your local council – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) teams are the single point of contact for all professionals to report safeguarding concerns to, within their local authority. Contact details for your local authority’s multi-agency safeguarding hub, safeguarding lead or Prevent officer are often on their website under ‘child safeguarding’ or ‘child protection services’. 
  • You can contact the police for non-emergencies on 101. 

• If Mentoring has been commissioned by a school or Local Authority then GROVE must refer safeguarding concerns to them. 

• For safeguarding and respecting professional boundaries: 
  • Please do not make personal contact with the staff and instead use their work email / telephone for communication. This includes requesting to ‘follow’ or ‘friend’ them on personal social media accounts. If you are already following/friends with a staff member (in person or online) then please ensure that the Founder/Director is aware of this so we can come to a decision about safe and appropriate use of our services. 

FEEDBACK, CONTACT & CONFIDENTIALITY:

• We have an online document with ongoing feedback about your young person’s mentoring sessions – the link is in your welcome document.  Mentors will update this document at the end of each month.  Jess will review it between the 1-3rd of the month and then send an email to let you know it’s ready. The frequency of updates will depend on how often and how long their sessions are – this may be monthly or bi-monthly.  

• At GROVE, we value young people’s confidentiality. Wherever possible, feedback is co-created or checked with your young person giving them a chance to practice self-advocacy and have agency over their sessions.  We always respect their choice not to share, and in those cases, the Mentor will provide their own reflections instead.  

• If you would like to discuss anything ahead of the monthly feedback, please email your Mentor directly. Please note that they may not be able to give you specific information before seeking your child’s permission in their following session this is because trust is fundamental to the Mentor/Mentee relationship and beyond safeguarding concerns we feel your child should have agency over what is and is not shared beyond their session.  

USEFUL RESOURCES FOR ONLINE SAFETY:

• The following information and resources will help to support parents and carers to keep their children safe online: 
  • support for parents and carers to keep children safe from online harm which provides extensive resources to help keep children safe online and details of specific online risks, including sexual abuse, criminal exploitation and radicalisation 
  • CEOP Education provides advice from the NCA on staying safe online 
  • Childnet offers a toolkit to support parents and carers of children of any age to start discussions about their online life, to set boundaries around online behaviour and technology use, and to find out where to get more help and support 
  • Internet matters provides age-specific online safety checklists, guides on how to set parental controls on a range of devices, and a host of practical tips to help children get the most out of their digital world 
  • London Grid for Learning (LGfL) has support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online, including tips to keep primary aged children safe online 
  • https://www.internetmatters.org/blog/parental-controls/broadband-mobile/ for guidance on putting some restrictions in place to keep children safe online.   
  • Keeping children safe online has support for parents and carers from the NSPCC, including guides on social media, internet connected devices and toys and online games. 
  • Let’s Talk About It has advice for parents and carers to keep children safe from online radicalisation 
  • UK Safer Internet Centre has tips, advice, guides, and other resources to help keep children safe online, including parental controls offered by home internet providers and safety tools on social networks and other online services 

  Source: Safeguarding and remote education – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

LATENESS, CANCELLATIONS, ADDITIONAL SERVICES:

• Your Terms & Conditions can be found here and will give you the information about cancellation, lateness, and commissoning additional work such as meetings with your Mentor or Jess and/or reports or letters for professionals.

• We work hard to ensure that your child’s experience is positive. In the unlikely event that we get something wrong and you are in any way dissatisfied with our services, please refer to the procedure outlined in our Concerns & Complaints Policy so that we can make things right. This and all other policies referred to in this document are available here. 

GROVE PARENT/CARER SUPPORT PROGRAMME:

• As part of GROVE, you will receive invites to various supportive sessions:
  • Parent/Carer Connect – a space to meet other GROVE parents/carers, share stories, support one another and hopefully feel less alone. We facilitate but don’t lead these sessions from a place of ‘specialism’ – they are about you, not us. Recording will not be shared.
  • Parent/Carer Q&A – where you submit questions ahead of time and we answer. Recording shared.
  • Parent/Carer Learn – sessions where we facilitate a structured webinar for you on a particular topic. Recording shared.
  • Unless we have to pay for an external specialist, these sessions are run free of charge but with a gentle request for a donation where possible in order to cover our own Mentor’s pay.
  • When we email each month we’ll let you know how to book or how to access recordings (where applicable).

PARENT/CARER CONNECT

Monday 16th March – 1:30–2:30pm CHARLOTTE

Monday 27th April – 11:00-12:00pm LAURA

Wednesday 13th May – 5:00–6:00pm CHARLOTTE

Friday 12th June – 6:00-7:00pm LAURA

Sunday 12th July – 11:00am–12:00pm CHARLOTTE

PARENT/CARER Q&A

COMING SOON

PARENT/CARER LEARNING

COMING SOON

The information below is also available on a video here: COMING SOON

What is a Mentor?  

• As your Mentor my aim will be to listen to and support you. I do not have specific aims or objectives for your sessions, I’m not here to get you to ‘do’ something or ‘be’ something that you are not. I’d love to get to know you just as you are.  

Things we can do together:  

• We can be creative with what we do during your mentoring sessions – it doesn’t need to just be talking but of course that’s fine if that’s what you want! Maybe we could play a game or do some crafts? Or, perhaps you can tell or show me all about your interests?  

• I will support whatever form of communication you need (speech, typed chat, use of an AAC).  

• If you like, I can help you to understand things about being Autistic and also support you with day to day experiences as an Autistic person. But only if and when you want. 

Things I cannot do:  

• Give you mental health therapy or counselling – that’s not my job so it wouldn’t be fair to you for me to do that.  

• Give you advice about the ‘best’ thing for you – again, that’s not my place to judge that.  

• Keep a secret or do nothing when I am concerned about your wellbeing or safety. If I do need to share a concern with anyone, I will tell you so you know what is happening and why.  

Things to keep us both comfortable and safe:  

• You do not have to have your camera on as long as we have checked your ID before the first session, if we haven’t done that then you will need to put it on at the start of the first session but you can choose to turn it off from then on.  

• Each session I will have my camera on to start with. After I have shown you or your adult that it’s me online, I can also turn my camera off too if you want me to.   

• Please do what you need to be comfortable in your body – move around, drink, go to the toilet whenever you need, eat, stim. I will probably do a lot of this too!  

• Your parent/carer or another reponsible adult will need to be in the house during your session so you aren’t alone and ideally you should be in a room with an open door.  

• All your sessions are recorded by GROVE – these recordings are kept really safe.  

• Please do not take recordings or screen shots yourself – you would be breaking data protection laws if you did.  

• Please do not friend/follow/contact your Mentor on their private social media accounts.  

• Please don’t use any racist, transphobic or homophobic language, gestures or images.  

• I want you to feel happy and supported by me, please speak to me or your parent/carer if you feel I need to change anything to make your experience better. I can’t promise to get everything right, but I can promise to try and do the best for you that I can. 

Safeguarding: 

• Your safety and well-being is really important to all of us at GROVE.  

• If you are worried about yourself or someone else, we will listen. You can talk to your Mentor during your session. 

• If we have a worry about you that means we will need to speak to someone else, wherever possible we will tell you that we need to do that.  

• We cannot keep a secret if we are concerned about your safety or well-being but everything else you tell us will be confidential. 

• We have policies and procedures that we follow called ‘safeguarding’ and the person in charge of these is Jess Garner. She is our ‘Designated Safeguarding Lead’.  

• If you need help outside one of our sessions and you cannot speak to your parent/carer, if you are in the UK you can call Childline on 0800 1111 or use their chat function on their website: Childline | NSPCC but if you are in immediate danger or risk please call 999 if you are in the UK or your countries emergency number if you are not in the UK.