Overall Project Case Study

The purposes of the Scottish Mentoring Network case studies are to highlight the best practices, innovative procedures and processes projects have adopted. This allows projects to learn from other project’s experiences and solutions.

1.0 ABOUT THE PROJECT

1.1 Project Name: BBC Academy ‘Step Up’ Mentoring ProgrammeOrganisation Name: BBC ScotlandProject Facilitator: Heather Henderson E-mail: Heather.Henderson@bbc.co.ukRegion: Glasgow

Background BBC Scotland decided to bring the ‘Step Up’ mentoring project to Scotland as they felt that their employees had a lot to offer those who are keen to build a career path within media but have had limited opportunities to do so.

BBC Scotland staff welcome the mentoring project as they feel it gives them an opportunity to get involved within the community and gain additional skills such as listening, communication and motivating. Some of the BBC mentors had benefitted from mentoring themselves and wanted to give something back.

The BBC feels that the mentees bring an audience’s perspective to their offices and can offer inspiration to journalists and news editors. The Step Up Project is also an opportunity to bring fresh new talent into the building.

Please return this form, by email to kerry@scottishmentoringnetwork.co.uk /by fax to Kerry Stewart on 0141 248 8066 or by post to Scottish Mentoring Network, 3rd floor Centrum House, 38 Queen Street, Glasgow. G1 3DX

Recruitment of Mentees

Heather approached community groups, adult learning organisations and colleges within central Scotland and organised some open days at the BBC Scotland office for people to find out about what they could gain from being matched with a BBC mentor. Heather put into place an application process and after interviewing 25 applicants, 13 were recruited.

The Mentees

In it’s first year, the Step Up project has taken on 13 mentees. The chosen mentees come from all walks of life, including an ex chef, a nurse, two media communications students and a retired lady with a keen interest in the media. The link is that they are all passionate about the news and gaining a path into the media. None of the mentees have had any broadcast media experience. All mentees have an interest in news broadcasting and working in the media.

Recruitment of Mentors

The staff at the BBC are very busy and there was a concern that the programme could have been perceived by staff as ‘another thing to do’ or a hassle. Heather reassured the BBC staff and spent a week in the news room getting to know how it operated, speaking to members of staff about Step Up. She also has attended various BBC staff monthly meetings to raise awareness and spoke to staff about the mentoring project. Heather wanted the BBC Step Up mentors to come from a range of departments including Radio, Online and TV. This year, the BBC Step Up mentors included Sally McNair (Reporting Scotland Presenter), Roy Templeton (Head of Communications), Simon Parsons (Head of BBC Childrens), and Sharon Mair (Managing Editor of Radio Scotland).

The Mentor training included a day visit from the BBC Academy’s trainer, Jane Saunders to talk to them about the skills required. Appendix 1 shows the full Mentor Training Programme.

Heather says even her BBC colleagues who are not mentors have been supportive of the activities. Many of them will meet herself and the mentees in the corridor and ask how the project is going.

Please return this form, by email to kerry@scottishmentoringnetwork.co.uk /by fax to Kerry Stewart on 0141 248 8066 or by post to Scottish Mentoring Network, 3rd floor Centrum House, 38 Queen Street, Glasgow. G1 3DX

2.0 PROJECT SHOWCASE

Programme of activities

For nine weeks, every Thursday, the Step-Up mentees come into the BBC Scotland headquarters. Throughout the programme they are given learning opportunities and are set tasks. They work a brief presented to them by Atholl Duncan, (Head of News and Current Affairs). He meets with them and describes the sort of news stories he wants. The mentees pitch their story ideas to the BBC News Editors in a ‘Dragons Den’ style. Two winning stories are then chosen and the mentees split into two groups. They each focus on a story full time in the final week, and produce TV, Radio and Online packages for BBC Scotland.

Within the nine weeks the mentors and mentees meet on a regular basis to discuss how their placement is going, their goals and any other issues that have arisen. The mentors have been able to offer live programme experience to the mentees, out with workshop times.

Matching, Training and Support

After the mentors were trained Heather decided who she was going to match with each mentee. This was based on various factors including locations and mutual interests. She then held a mentoring lunch on the first workshop day, and encouraged the mentees to work out for themselves who their mentor was.

Mentor Support

Following on from discussions at the Mentor Training day, Heather arranged a halfway catch up for the mentors. This was an important opportunity for mentors to chat to each other and share tips and experiences and also to highlight any issues and opportunities for the mentees.

Between mentor gatherings, there is a group email facility to give mentors further opportunity to communicate with each other.

Heather also emails the mentors each week to let them know what their mentees have learnt in their Thursday session and what tasks they have been asked to carry out. This allows the mentors to prepare any relevant information that they feel they can give to their mentee. A running document is kept which contains any issues that the mentees may have and what aspects of the project have worked well. This document will help evaluate and identify improvements on the project for the following year. Heather also sends feedback forms to the mentors to ask how they feel the relationship is developing, how it can be improved and what the mentors feel the benefits are so far.

Celebrating the projects success

BBC Scotland feels that the project has been a great success so far. Heather has seen huge progress within each mentee. They have gained a lot of knowledge and experience on their journeys from the initial open day to their ‘Dragons Dens’ pitching session. The project has not only been worthwhile for the mentees - the BBC mentors have also seen the difference that they can make to a mentee’s life. The news room has also picked up on some new ideas offered by the mentees and some BBC staff say they have had their ideas challenged by the group.

To raise further awareness of the project and to demonstrate the work of the mentees, Heather arranges a showcase party in the ‘street’ (large foyer area) of the BBC Scotland building at the end of the nine week programme.

Heathers useful tip for other mentoring co-ordinators…

“Plan everything in advance and make sure you have the right people from within your organisation involved and the ‘buy in’ from most staff”.

Please return this form, by email to kerry@scottishmentoringnetwork.co.uk /by fax to Kerry Stewart on 0141 248 8066 or by post to Scottish Mentoring Network, 3rd floor Centrum House, 38 Queen Street, Glasgow. G1 3DX

Quotes from stakeholders/articles/photos/quality standards held).

“Mentoring is really good for the soul; it gives you an inner glow of satisfaction. James ishungry for knowledge and the Step up scheme is like a Michelin star restaurant as it offers anarray of wonderful courses. Each week I have seen a positive change in James, his selfconfidence is growing and that is amazing. Sharing your knowledge is like leaving a healthy legacy for others and I know James will goon to share his new found knowledge with others.”

Jaqui McAlpine, Assistant Producer

"Step-Up Scotland is a great way of offering people an insight into the Broadcast industry and gives the Mentees some very valuable experience."

Terry Carlisle – Assistant Producer and mentor

"I was very impressed with the knowledge of the trainees who took part in the pitching session. There is a challenge for professional broadcasters to engage with the experience of people who work outside of the media village, and a scheme like this one which draws on people from diverse backgrounds who have an interest in -but not that much experience of - working in the media is invaluable not just for them, but for the BBC as an organisation too."

David Stenhouse – Content Producer and trainer for Pitching Workshop

“I think Step Up is a great project with a lot of learning from both sides - a great opportunity for the BBC to share their skills and knowledge and introduce the mentees to a completely different world.”

Sharon Mair Managing Editor Radio Scotland

“The Step Up project provides an opportunity for people with a diverse range of experience to sample the world of journalism and broadcasting at BBC Scotland. The trainees work under pressure to learn new skills, and in the process, many discover talents they did not know they had. Their enthusiasm is infectious and inspirational.”

Myra Reid – Senior Broadcast Journalist and Team Leader

Please return this form, by email to kerry@scottishmentoringnetwork.co.uk /by fax to Kerry Stewart on 0141 248 8066 or by post to Scottish Mentoring Network, 3rd floor Centrum House, 38 Queen Street, Glasgow. G1 3DX