PEER MENTORS - ROLE OF A PEER MENTOR

What is a Peer Mentor?

A peer mentor is a volunteer young adult between the ages of 16 and 25.

The task of a peer mentor is to support young people with additional support needs to become more socially involved with other young people, and more familiar with social and leisure opportunities in their own communities.

Peer mentors support young people with additional support needs in breaking down barriers that limit their aspirations and hopes for the future. They encourage young people to recognise their rights and follow their dreams. They do not tell young people with additional support needs what to do or automatically do things for them, instead, they lead by example and help them to think and do for themselves. In doing this, they help to empower and enable young people and to raise the young person’s self confidence and self esteem.

Peer mentors undertake to spend time with young disabled people (in small groups, and later, in one-to-one situations), accessing a whole range of everyday social activities.