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Element 7 Orientation and TrainingComprehensive orientation and training for mentors and young people to assist them in building an effective mentoring relationship.Benchmark Guidance ChecklistORIENTATION AND TRAINING OF MENTORSa Mentors receive appropriate preparation forparticipation in mentoring, including trainingand resources to enable them to perform theirrole. Topics must include:- definitions/understanding of mentoring- roles, responsibilities, expectations andboundaries of the relationship- communication skills, including conflictmanagement- confidentiality and risk management issuesrelevant to participants- developing and implementing culturallyappropriate practices.ORIENTATION OF YOUNG PEOPLEb Young people receive appropriate preparationfor participation in mentoring. Topics mustinclude:- definitions/understanding of mentoring- roles, responsibilities, expectations andboundaries of the relationship- confidentiality and other relevant issues- how the young person will communicatewith other parties involved in the programincluding program staff and mentors- how program staff will communicate withmentors, teachers, case managers andparents/guardians about the young personinvolved in the program.• Provide sufficient time for mentors to gainan adequate understanding of mentoring.Pre-match training should not be less than sixhours. 5• Ensure training is practical and goal-orientated,grounded in the learners’ experiences andsupportive, not competitive.• Ensure trained mentors demonstrate a clearunderstanding of mentoring and how to buildan effective mentoring relationship. This couldbe demonstrated via assessing volunteers whilethey discuss likely scenarios during training orvia pre and post training surveys or miniknowledge ‘tests’.• Ensure the format of orientation is appropriatefor the young people in the program. This mayoccur through a group orientation session orthrough an individual session with programstaff.• Ensure young people are made aware of theirrights in the mentoring relationship, includingwhere they can go to seek support if there isan issue.• Confirm and discuss the goals and interestsidentified in the young person’s referral and/orapplication form.Training agendasMentor pre and post training survey resultsMentoring training course contentMentor training handbooks/handoutsAttendance records at training sessionsTraining/orientation manualsHandouts for the young personAttendance records at training sessionsResolution of match issues policy and procedures20 Australian Youth Mentoring Benchmarks