Consultation responses

We responded to government consultation documents and consulted with the mentoring and befriending sector to feed in the views from projects working at the grassroots. We gather views on current issues and topics of concern through our reference groups and online surveys which are promoted through our monthly e-bulletin.

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MBF responses to consultation papers:

 

• Evidence, ideas and recommendations – a response to the Giving Green Paper

  Our submission is based on feedback from mentoring and befriending projects in direct response to the key questions set out in the Green Paper and on our experience of supporting mentoring and befriending

• Supporting a Stronger Civil Society consultation

  We submitted our response to this consultation with thanks to all who contributed by filling in our surveys and attending our policy workshop. See also our separate response to Question 9 of this consultation document.

• Supporting a Stronger Civil Society – Question 9

  We responded to Qu 9 of this consultation – see also our submission to the full consultation document.

• Independent Review on Early Intervention Delivery

  We submitted evidence to this independent review into early intervention chaired by Graham Allen MP.  We highlighted research evidence and views from mentoring and befriending projects to illustrate promising programmes, challenges and opportunities in this area. Thank you to the projects who shared their views with us.

• Shaping the Future of Care Together – The Big Care Debate consultation Department of Health

  We responded to the Green Paper proposals for reforming the current care and support system with a strong recommendation for the expansion of mentoring and befriending services as an integral part of the new National Care Service.

• New Horizons: Towards a shared vision for mental health consultation Department of Health

  Our response highlights research evidence and case studies to promote mentoring and befriending as integral elements within the package of support for improving the mental health of individuals.

• Building a society for all ages consultation – Department for Work and Pensions

  We recommend more government investment in, and piloting of, a range of mentoring and befriending interventions to form a key part of the solution towards ensuring that older people and their carers are fully supported into the future.

• Call for Evidence around ‘The Role of Third Sector Innovation: Personalisation of Health and Social Care and Services to Reduce Crime and Re-offending’ (by Rt. Hon. Anne McGuire MP, Cabinet Officer Advisor on Third Sector Innovation)

  Our submission to this call for evidence stresses how one-to-one mentoring and befriending interventions are unique examples of highly personalised forms of individual support and are well placed to support the main goals of the personalisation agenda. The response also raises a number of issues and concerns that mentoring and befriending projects have highlighted to us.

• Mental health and street homelessness – St Mungo’s Call 4 Evidence

  We responded to this national consultation with case studies of best practice to illustrate how mentoring schemes have been used as an added support mechanism for homeless people and people with mental health issues.

• Big Lottery Fund: Big Thinking consultation

  We responded to this public consultation on the future priorities for the Big Lottery (BIG) good causes funding to help shape its priorities for 2009-2015. We welcomed the suggested themes of ‘transition’ and ‘isolation’ as useful starting points for current funding along with ‘widening participation’.

• 21st Century Schools: a world-class education for every child

  In response to the Department for Education consultation, MBF would like to express its fullest support to the overall vision of a 21st century school system.

• Introduction of indicators of a school’s contribution to well-being

  MBF expresses its fullest support for the introduction of indicators to assess the issues that pupils face and to evaluate the school’s contribution towards promoting pupil well-being. We also highlighted peer mentoring as a vehicle to support schools in achieving and sustaining a healthy school.

• Call for evidence: Models of effective and innovative service delivery to older people in rural areas

  MBF suggests that volunteer befriending as a component of a low level support strategy would help to improve participation in social and community activities, increase independence and improve health and well-being for older people living in rural areas. Different models of befriending can be applied to older people in rural areas including home visits, telephone support and activities outside the home.

Policy and evidence

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