Mentor Coordinator (Maternity Cover)

Le Chéile Mentoring works to make positive changes in the lives of young people who have come into conflict with the law and their families, through the provision of Mentoring, Family Support and Restorative Justice Services. We provide tailored and flexible services for the young people and families with whom we work, keeping them at the heart of what we do. We work in partnership with the Probation Services and other agencies to reduce the level of crime in the community.

Our Vision

Our vision is that every child and young person, Le Chéile Mentoring works with, will be supported and empowered to realise their hopes and dreams

Our Mission

Le Chéile Mentoring is a national, volunteer mentoring, restorative justice and family support service, which supports children, young people and their families, where the child or young person is involved in or at risk of offending. We provide tailored supports, in partnership with other organisations, working along-side children, young people and their families, to enable them to reach their potential now and into the future. For more information on Le Chéile, visit www.lecheile.ie

The Role of the Mentor Coordinator

The Mentor Coordinator’s role is to coordinate a mentoring service in their region for young people and parents/carers, who have been referred by the Probation Service. The Mentor Coordinator recruits suitable volunteer mentors and matches them with young people and sometimes parents/carers. The coordinator provides ongoing support to the mentor/mentee relationship through training, resources, and supervision.

Reporting to: Southern Regional Manager.

Working relationships: The Mentor Coordinator will work closely with the Southern Regional Manager, Probation Service personnel in the region and other Le Chéile staff.

Principal duties and responsibilities

1. Recruitment & Training (potentially in collaboration with other Cork Coordinator should the need arise)

• Recruiting, selecting, training and maintaining a core team of volunteers at any one time
• Organising information evenings, advertisements and recruitment campaigns to select new volunteers on a needs-led basis
• Providing Induction training to all volunteers
• Providing ongoing training to volunteers following a training needs assessment
• Recruiting and Training adequate numbers of Parent Mentors in the region
• Responding promptly and professionally to enquiries about volunteering

1. Volunteer Support & Supervision

• Providing fortnightly telephone calls to volunteers
• Providing 2 individual supervision/appraisal sessions to each volunteer per annum
• Providing regular group supervisions to Mentors annually
• Providing appropriate challenge and support to volunteers through supervision
• Ensuring that volunteers are clear about Le Cheile policies and procedures and are following them
• Organising formal and informal volunteer recognition events throughout the year

1. Policy & Quality Standards

• Ensuring all Policy and procedure guidelines are being followed
• Maintaining and updating all case files and paperwork
• Keeping the Case management system database updated on a weekly basis with case notes
• Providing statistical reports to Management on a monthly basis
• Ensuring that all paperwork is received on a weekly/monthly basis from volunteers
• Ensuring that expenses forms are submitted to the Accounts Dept on a regular basis
• Having the ability to disengage volunteers if necessary
• Contributing to the ongoing review of Le Chéile policy and procedures

1. Networking & Securing Referrals

• Pro-actively ensuring that adequate numbers of referrals are received from YPP
• Matching, managing and overseeing all volunteer and young person relationships
• Organising and attending case review meetings in line with Le Chéile policy
• Liaising regularly with YPP officers and attending team and local management meetings
• Attending monthly Probation Team Meetings
• Ensuring all referrals received by Probation have been responded to within 3 days
• Ensuring all referrals are suitably matched
• Developing a positive working relationship with the Senior Probation Officer and probation officers
• Positively promoting Le Cheile and all its service to the Probation Service, Irish Youth Justice Service agencies, judges, and any other interested and relevant parties
• Working closely with Le Chéile staff locally and nationally and attending all Le Chéile training, supervision, and other organised events

1. Case and KPIs Management and Programme Delivery

• Ensuring that KPI’s are met in relation to your region
• Updating records of all cases on a monthly based, for internal and external statistical purposes
• Promoting, supporting and delivering Parent and Family support programmes in the region including Strengthening Families, Parents Plus and Non Violence Resistance Programmes
• Ensuring that Le Cheile’s Child protection policy is adhered to at all times in your region
• Reporting Child protection concerns as a mandated person under Children First
• Promoting, supporting and assisting with Restorative Justice programmes in the region
• Liaising with management and evaluators to ensure successful completion of evaluations
• Facilitating and delivering programmes as necessary on a needs led basis in the region
• Pro-actively investigating regional needs and assisting in developing KPI’s
• Any other duties as requested by the project to ensure full service uptake and delivery

1. Budgeting

• Accurate records to be kept in relation to budget spend and are within budget limits
• Petty cash accounts to be accurately maintained and submitted to account department
• Other duties may be determined by Le Cheile management from time to time

1. Requirements of all Le Chéile staff

• Commitment to the vision, mission, values and policies of Le Chéile
• Participate in regular supervision with your manager and report any matter of concern in a timely manner
• Identify your training needs with your line manager and participate in relevant training opportunities
• To be flexible in regard to working hours to meet the needs of the work, including some evenings and weekends. Working during unsocial hours is required. Flexibility will be required.

Other Duties appropriate to the role as may be required from time to time

Note: This Job Description will be reviewed and updated in line with the needs of the work and Le Chéile.

Person SpecificationQualifications & Experience:Essential Requirements

• Recognised qualification in one of the following Youth and Community Work, Social Work, Psychology, Social Science or other related area.
• 3 years full time paid experience of working with young people/ families
• Case Management Experience
• Project Management Experience
• Record keeping and report writing experience
• Clean Driving License and own car
• Candidates will be subject to Garda vetting and must be of good character

Desirable Requirements

• Understanding of and experience in delivering and facilitating training/programmes related to Mentoring, Parenting and Family Support
• Experience in and understanding of the youth justice system, the Probation Service and or youth work
• Experience of recruiting and training volunteers
• Experience of supporting and supervising volunteers or staff
• Budget Management Experience
• Good level of computer literacy

Skills:

• Communication and interpersonal skills (written, verbal and listening)
• Facilitation and Programme delivery skills
• Group management and Supervision Skills
• Organisational, planning and administrative skills
• Analytical, decision making and problem solving skills
• Effective presentation skills
• Effective negotiation and mediation skills
• Computer skills including the ability to use word-processing programs
• Ability to work as part of a team within Le Cheile as well as working with other agencies and to develop professional relationships and networks

Attributes

• Strong interest in young people and diversion from crime
• Positive, pro-active, solution focused, flexible, energetic, Innovative, Respectful
• Adhere to the goals and ethos of Le Chéile and Young Person’s Probation
• Possess cultural awareness and sensitivity
• Must maintain strict confidentiality in performance of duties

Terms of EmploymentSalary Range: €43,000 to a maximum of €55,000 per annum (Commensurate with experience)

(The upper figure represents the maximum salary attainable in the role through progression over time)Annual Leave:                       25 days per annum (pro rata)Location:                              The Office is located in Cork City

Term of Contract:                Maternity Leave period starting in Late April/Early May 2026

Probation:                               A probation period of 6 months

Hours:                                    30-37 hours a week. Our preference is for 37 hours per week, but we are willing to accept applications from candidates who can work up to 30 hours per week.

 Co-ordinators may occasionally be required to work some evenings and weekends. Flexibility will be required. Le Cheile has a blended working policy in place and specifics can be agreed with your line manager.

 Responsible to:                     Southern Regional Manager

 Le Cheile Application Form ML Cover Mentor Coordinator Cork 2026