The Judicial Studies Board for Northern Ireland

1. The Judicial Studies Board for Northern Ireland Induction Seminar 22nd November 2007

2. Mentoring

3. Mentoring – what it is NOT • Not about babysitting, or looking after the ‘new kids on the block’ • Not about monitoring performance • Not about learning the legal ropes • Not a luxury there isn’t time for • Not about criticising decisions • Not a cosy chat

4. What is mentoring? Mentoring is the process whereby an experienced member of an organisation acts as a confidential adviser to one or more recently appointed members in order to help them understand the workings of the organisation and their role within it. A mentor provides support, advice and guidance, and gives the new appointee someone experienced and independent with whom to discuss difficult issues. Mentoring is an opportunity.

5. The Benefits of Mentoring

6. Benefits For the mentee – • Provides practical and professional support in becoming familiar with and managing the judicial role • Helps to develop an overview of his/her own role and gives confidence in a way that supplements training • Helps to develop an understanding of procedures and systems within the court system • Encourages reflection on practice • Identifies areas of development • Enhances self confidence and self-esteem • Provides a sense of being supported (and reduces any sense of isolation or stress) • Provides a role model and a sounding board • Offers personal support

7. Benefits For the mentor: • Improves role satisfaction • Helps develop specific skills • Encourages self reflection • Leads to developments in the mentor’s own practice • Helps to develop relationships • Enhances peer recognition • Assists career development

8. Benefits For the justice system: • Enhances the induction process and assists the integration of the mentee into the justice system • Enhances communication • Motivates individuals • Enables the new appointee to enhance the quality of the justice system • The service provided to the court user is improved

9. Mentoring – what is required from you?

10. Mentoring tasks • Negotiating and agreeing • Identifying learning needs • Observing • Recording • Giving feedback • Reviewing • Problem-solving • Giving information and advice • Target setting • Clarifying strategies and actions

11. The mentor’s skills • Showing respect • Showing empathy and understanding • Active listening • Questioning • Exploring and clarifying • Reflecting • Challenging stereotypes, discriminating or inappropriate remarks • Summarising • Observing • Giving and receiving feedback • Action planning • Decision making • Self reflection • Non judgmental

12. The mentee’s skills • Self-reflection • Self-assessment • Active listening • Questioning • Reviewing • Observing • Giving and receiving feedback • Being assertive • Decision making • Clarifying values and beliefs

13. The JSB Mentoring SystemAdvice and Guidance

14. Duration • Starts now! • Court observations before early December • Initial meeting within next 2-3 months • Mentor should make himself/herself available to respond to queries during mentee’s first year • May be of benefit to the mentee to maintain the relationship informally over succeeding years

15. Observations • Recommend at least 3 observations before sitting in court (early/mid December) • Preferably 2 to be with mentor • Judicial Services Group (JSG) will arrange • If helpful, mentor may observe mentee once sittings commence

16. Meetings • Mentor should contact mentee as soon as possible after this seminar to arrange initial meeting, to take place before or after the first sitting as a deputy • At the initial meeting, parties should clarify understanding of the purposes of mentoring and agree what they hope to achieve through the experience • Agree a basic framework – what way might the mentor support the mentee, frequency of meetings, opportunities for review • Suggest 2 review meetings during the year • Additional meetings at the request of the mentee • The mentor takes responsibility for monitoring the process and ensuring contact is appropriately managed • Ensure the mentee is familiar with or has access to various Bench Books and guidelines so that the mentee is well prepared to deal with a range of issues • Don’t forget the phone and email!

17. It’s probably a silly question…I’ll look stupid • No it’s not and no you won’t • Your mentor is the person of whom you can ask the ‘silly’ question • Volume of work, personalities in court, court staff, personal litigants, difficult decisions and situations, who to speak to about…, where to find…, how do I get a cup of tea, what to wear. • “It can be a lonely job – it’s good to talk”

18. Suggestions for good practice • Use active listening skills - good eye contact, summarising and paraphrasing • Ask open questions • Allow mentee to do most of the talking • Encourage confidence and responsibility • Use constructive and supportive language • If problems occur, mentor to ask mentee to explain what happened, reflect back and ask themselves what other course of action they would have taken • Encourage mentees to think for themselves • Be non judgmental at all times

19. Looking ahead • Mentors to stress that they are available as a sounding board and for informal advice but not to make arrangements for the mentee – the aim of mentoring is to empower the mentee to develop and think for themselves • Mentees should be encouraged to take sole responsibility for decision making but the mentor may give objective support and advice • Judicial independence

20. The good… Mentor support can be powerfully positive and enabling, developing a greater sense of confidence and enhancing the personal and professional skills of both mentor and mentee alike.

21. …the bad… A less effective mentoring relationship can be inhibiting, encouraging dependency and reducing self-confidence and a sense of autonomy on the part of the mentee.

22. …and the ugly.