Mentoring Programme

Becoming a mentor or mentee with Cumberland Council offers a unique opportunity to create lasting change—both for individuals and the wider community. As a mentor, you’ll play a pivotal role in someone’s personal and professional growth, providing guidance, encouragement, and wisdom drawn from your own experiences. It’s a chance to develop leadership, communication, and coaching skills, while giving back in a meaningful way. You can help mentees navigate challenges, set goals, and unlock their potential, making a tangible difference in their lives.

For mentees, this is an invaluable opportunity to learn from someone who has faced similar challenges or achieved success in areas you’re passionate about. With personalised support, you’ll gain new perspectives, build critical skills, and develop the confidence to pursue your goals more effectively. Mentorship accelerates personal development and provides access to networks and opportunities that can shape your future.

This program fosters a culture of collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and mutual growth, creating a ripple effect that strengthens the whole community. Whether you want to empower others as a mentor or accelerate your own growth as a mentee, this is your chance to connect, grow, and contribute to something bigger. 

Training is provided and you will be supported on your journey by our Organisational Development team.

Join today and be part of a transformative journey that benefits everyone involved!

Simply email us at MentoringProgramme@cumbria.gov.uk   

Why are we offering mentoring?

• The Mentoring Programme aims to support staff to develop their careers and inspire employees to feel empowered in their roles.
• Knowledge Exchange
• Encourage the sharing of insights, experiences, and practices.
• Relationship Building
• Establish connections and relationships among employees, breaking down silos and promoting cross-functional collaboration.
• Values and Behaviours
• Help new employees understand and embody the organisation's values and expected behaviours.
• Retention and Engagement
• Enhance employees' engagement and retention rates by providing them with a supportive network.

Who makes a good mentor?

The ideal mentor will vary depending on the programme you wish to sign up for. Overall, we would like mentors who have:

• A good understanding of the organisation
• A commitment to embedding our values and behaviours
• A genuine interest in developing other people and the ability to facilitate learning
• Commitment to motivating staff
• Lived experience of Black, Asian, Minority Group, Ethnic colleague within the council
• Sufficient time to develop the relationship
• Well-developed interpersonal skills
• An open mind and flexible attitude
• Able to empower people

Toolkits and Frameworks

There are many toolkits and frameworks available for mentors and mentees to use to help shape their conversations and each relationship will be different.

SMART Objectives

When setting goals we would recommend using SMART objectives as seen opposite.

This supports you ensure goals are: 

Specific - do you have agreed aims? 

Measurable - how will you know when you have achieved your goal? 

Attainable - is the goal realistic and will you be able to achieve this? 

Relevant - does this goal contribute to your overall career ambition? 

Time-bond - setting clear timelines to know when you achieve your goals to keep you both on track.