West Yorkshire Equality Mentoring Scheme

Background

The year-long West Yorkshire Equality Mentoring scheme was launched in February 2010. It was a career development project for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees of the four West Yorkshire local authorities: Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees and Wakefield councils.

Each council aimed to use the project to meet staff development and diversity objectives; and to improve their ranking within the Stonewall 100 index.

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Our Interventions

Infrastruct developed the mentoring scheme in consultation with a project board and:

Ran briefing sessions for potential participants in each council
Developed guidance materials
Conducted an external selection process
Trained all mentees and mentors
Monitored progress with individuals
Set up evaluation criteria and ran an interim evaluation workshop
Ran a final workshop and produced a report with the results of the project

Outcome

Seventeen mentoring pairs met monthly, influencing development opportunities for the mentees.

“The match with my mentor is excellent and has enabled me to look at my career in a different way.”

Mentors also gained from the scheme.

“An excellent experience for me as a mentor.”

All the councils improved their ranking in the 2011 Stonewall Equality Index.

Fact File:
Service:	Consultancy
Client:	West Yorkshire Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership
Location:	West Yorkshire
Length of Project:	1 year
End Date:	January 2011

For more information see the project page and gallery.

Alternatively please contact us for more information on developing a similar mentoring project for your organisation

For more pictures see our gallery

“Infrastruct are professional, efficient and effective in all that they do - delivery and maintaining high standards throughout the project. Infrastruct add value through innovative approaches and the use of their established network.”

Jane Lockwood – Corporate Learning and Development Manager, Kirklees Council