Information for Young People
Welcome to the Etio website for the Attendance Mentoring programme. If you have landed on this page, you probably want to know more about the work Etio are doing in your school. We hope that you find out everything you would like to know – and thank you for your interest in finding out more about us!
If you have any questions that you don’t see below, you can let your school or mentor know and they will be delighted to help tell you more.
Most of all, you probably want to know – just what is the Etio Attendance Mentoring Programme?
In short, this programme is made to help young people improve their school attendance. We understand that sometimes it is difficult to continue to attend school for a number of reasons: and our mentors are here to help pupils who need the support most to feel confident and supported enough to attend school regularly.
What would you like to know?
I've been asked to take part in the programme... what is it?
We (Etio) have been asked by the Department for Education to work with students who might be finding it hard to come to school regularly.
The idea is to better understand what’s going on and, most importantly, help you find ways to overcome challenges you’re facing.
For this programme, mentoring means spending time one-on-one with a mentor for about 12 weeks, usually at school.
Your mentor will:
- Get to know you.
- Listen to what’s going on in your life.
- Help you explore why it might be tough for you to attend school.
- Offer support that’s tailored to you.
We know that talking to someone you don’t know can feel awkward, uncomfortable, or even a bit scary so our mentors will do everything they can to make you feel at ease and able to take part in the sessions.
Although your mentor isn’t a teacher or school staff member, they really care about helping you and will do their best to support you and your future.
Do I have to take part?
No, we would never force someone to be involved in mentoring who didn’t want to be, but we’d really like the opportunity to work with you and see if we can provide some support you may not have had before.
If you’ve been asked to join, all we ask is that you give it a try as it could make a real difference.
Who is my mentor?
Our mentors come from all sorts of backgrounds and have been specially trained for this programme.
Some have been teachers, youth workers, sports coaches, or counsellors. The one thing they all have in common is that they’re passionate about helping young people like you through challenging times.
Why might the programme help?
Our mentoring programme isn’t about forcing changes or judging you – it’s about understanding what’s going on for you and giving you the tools and support you need.
Sometimes, it can feel like no one understands what you're dealing with, or you might not want to open up to teachers, friends, or family.
A mentor will listen and support you, recognising that small changes can make a big difference and helping you to take those first steps.
What happens to my data?
We understand that you may have questions about yours data, how it is used and who has access to it.
We have a comprehensive data sharing agreement in place with all relevant parties involved with the Attendance Mentoring Pilot Expansion to ensure we are collecting, storing, processing and sharing data appropriately. These parties include your school and the Department for Education and is specific to the data we collect on this programme.
When we request your consent for your guardian to participate in mentoring, we ask for some information including your contact details, this is so we can work with them in supporting your participation in the programme. When providing consent to the programme, this includes Etio securely storing, processing, and sharing necessary personal data for the successful running of the programme in line with our privacy policy, including your guardian's contact details and your information with authorised Etio employees and partners. A full list of these partners is available upon request.
If you have any questions about data or would like more information, you can contact us attendance.mentoring@etioglobal.org and we will be happy to help.