North Somerset Council plans to recruit 10 to 15 volunteer mentors for young people leaving care, from January 2027. Full Council is asked to back the scheme on 10 November.

North Somerset Council wants to recruit 10 to 15 volunteer mentors for young people who have grown up in its care. Recruitment would run from January to June 2027, with the first mentoring pairs starting in July 2027.

Full Council is asked to back the programme at its meeting on Tuesday 10 November (Council report, 10 November 2026). The council’s Corporate Parenting Panel has already approved it.

Why the council wants mentors

Young people leaving care already get a Personal Adviser from the council’s Leaving Care Service. That adviser handles the statutory side: pathway plans, housing, money and support.

The report says that is not the same as having someone in your corner. Most young adults lean on parents and family well into their twenties for advice and encouragement. Care leavers often do not have that.

The report quotes care experienced young people describing the feeling that, when services step back, “you really are alone”.

A mentor would be a trained volunteer who offers time and a steady relationship. The report lists what mentors would give:

  • a consistent, reliable adult relationship
  • encouragement and emotional support
  • practical guidance on adult life
  • help to set goals and reach them
  • motivation to stay in education, training or work
  • a wider network of contacts

Mentors would not take over any of the Personal Adviser’s duties.

What the pilot found

The idea was tested in July and August 2026. The pilot was small: the Head of the Virtual School mentored one care experienced young person.

According to the report, the young person said it brought more confidence, encouragement and an adult who stayed interested in how they were doing. The council’s main lesson was that the value lay in the relationship itself, and that a mentor works alongside the Personal Adviser rather than duplicating them.

The timetable

The project plan sets out five phases (Mentoring project plan, 19 August 2026):

Phase When What happens
Engagement August to October 2026 Briefings, focus groups and surveys with care leavers
Design October to December 2026 Safeguarding rules, mentor role profile, matching process, training
Recruitment January to June 2027 Recruit 10 to 15 volunteer mentors, DBS checks and training, launch event
Pilot July 2027 to June 2028 Mentoring pairs matched, with supervision and quarterly reviews
Evaluation Summer 2028 Independent evaluation and a decision on support beyond 25

The council says it will run the scheme within existing staff budgets. Volunteers provide the mentoring. Any growth would go through the normal budget process.

Who can be a mentor

The plan says recruitment will be aimed at councillors, council staff, partner organisations, local businesses, voluntary groups and the wider community. Every mentor would be DBS checked, trained in safeguarding and supervised.

The report names low mentor recruitment as one of the two biggest risks, alongside long-term capacity. Taking part would be voluntary for young people, and mentors would be matched to them on interests and goals.

The council also wants to look at support for care leavers over 25, when statutory help ends. In time, it hopes care leavers over 25 could become mentors themselves.

What it means for you

  • If you want to volunteer, recruitment is planned from January 2027. The council has not yet published an application route. We will add it here when it does.
  • If you are a care leaver in North Somerset, the plan says young people will help shape the scheme. Your Personal Adviser is the first person to ask.
  • Councillors are being asked to champion the scheme and help find mentors.

Councillor Catherine Gibbons, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, presents the report. You can watch Full Council live from 6pm on the council’s YouTube stream.

Other items at the same meeting include the Tropicana arena, the Banwell bypass and the A38 upgrade.