CONFERENCE 2008
Thank you to everybody who attended this years mentoring conference which was held at the REP Theatre in Birmingham. The mentoring programme 2007/2008 has been a great sucess due to the committment and hard work of all the mentors and mentees involved.

TO BOOK ONTO THE 2008/2009 PROGRAMME: Conact Kam Sunner on 0870 143 27323 or email Kam

The History of COFEM and the HDN Mentoring Programme
COFEM (Career Opportunities for Ethnic Minorities) is a concept that has developed over a number of years. It stemmed initially from a piece of research by Salford University, on behalf of the National Housing Federation and the Housing Corporation, which identified a lack of career opportunities for black and minority ethnic (BME) people within the housing sector.

The Housing Diversity Network took over the management and delivery of COFEM services in October 2005. COFEM has now evolved to become the HDN Mentoring Programme which includes the EDGE Forward and COFEM initiatives. The HDN mentoring programme has been revised and widened to include all under represented staff working in the housing sector. Women, disabled staff, ethnic minority and other under represented groups working in the housing sector can now access our revised mentoring programme.

Edge Forward Mentoring Programme 2008/2009
How does it work?

EDGE forward is made up of a series of Mentoring Classes and one-to-one mentoring sessions. The 2008/09 programme will include 4 Mentoring Classes in groups of 12-15 people, backed up by 5 sessions of one to one mentoring, spread over the period September 2008-May 2009. Mentors are drawn from within the sector and provide support and leadership for the leaders of tomorrow. The Mentoring Class sessions will provide skills training and a lively forum for networking and information sharing. Separate mentoring sessions will be tailored towards the needs of individual mentees.

In addition four Mentoring Classes facilitated by housing professionals will cover key topics including:

Mentoring Workshop 1
“About you”
Personality Profiling/ Belbin Group Types/ Self awareness & Emotional Intelligence
Mentoring Workshop 2
“Understanding your environment”
Leadership styles/ Organisational cultures/ Housing sector work opportunities
Mentoring Workshop 3
“Overcoming hurdles”
Work life balance/ Dealing with conflict/ Stress management
Mentoring Workshop 4
“Moving on up”
Career progression/ Competency frameworks/ Interview skills/ CV preparation

Please note themes for workshops will remain unchanged but content will be subject to change depending on needs.

The objective of mentoring is to enhance performance, both in terms of the acquisition of knowledge and skills, and the speed at which they are acquired. The role is to supplement rather than to replace the role of the line manager and to advise and facilitate on how to handle problems and situations, particularly formal obstacles and those relating to a person's gender, culture, age or disability.

How EDGE Forward is managed
EDGE Forward is managed by the Housing Diversity Network (HDN) via dedicated regional mentoring co-ordinators.


Benefits to Organisations and mentees
Involvement in EDGE forward can allow housing organisations to develop staff potential and overcome barriers to career progression. It can also help to demonstrate adherence to regulatory and statutory requirements to improve diversity within the organisation and in improving services to a diverse customer base.

DEADLINES for Application Forms are as follows:
Mentors 30th May 08
Mentees 11th July 08

Regional Mentoring
HDN employs two regional mentoring co-ordinators based at our offices in West Yorkshire. Kamaljit Sunner, coordinator for London and the South East, works full time, whilst Eugene Pinnock working part-time, coordinates the Northern regions. Samantha Miller currently coordinates the Central region.

To contact the co-ordinator for your region please click link: my region

One to One Mentoring
Mentoring within Organisations and the EDGE Forward programme

Formal mentoring programmes are commonly used within organisations to assist staff members to develop and maximise their potential within the organisation, and many of the mentors involved with the EDGE Forward mentoring programme will have participated in such schemes within their organisations, either as mentors or as mentees.

Whilst the EDGE Forward programme has much in common with organisational mentor programmes, one fundamental difference that EDGE Forward mentors are asked to bear in mind is that within an organisation’s mentoring programme the mentor has the benefit of knowledge of the organisation, the individuals employed within it, and is usually in a position of some influence. EDGE Forward mentors will not usually have such a relationship with the mentee’s organisation, and should therefore be aware that there may be blocks to the mentee’s development that they are unaware of and cannot influence.

Mentoring Class Sessions
About the EDGE Forward Mentoring Class Programme

The Mentoring Classes provide an opportunity to develop self-awareness and key skills and build contact networks with other people working in housing. The content of the Mentoring Classes has been developed in response to suggestions from mentees, mentors and employers. They are delivered by leading professionals, including some of the EDGE Forward mentors, and complemented by experienced external trainers. There will be around 6-12 people in each Mentoring Class, and there will be opportunities to break into smaller groups for some activities.

The Mentoring Classes run separately from the mentoring sessions, but can be combined where relevant, with mentors reviewing the learning from the Mentoring Classes.

The programme for 2008-09 is as follows:
Mentoring Class 1 – “About You”
This session is aimed at getting to know yourself and your colleagues, recognising how your personality affects your interaction with others. It will help to build confidence and assertiveness, and introduce some personality profiling.

Mentoring Class 2 – “Understanding Your Environment”
This session looks at the work and organisational environments which affect you. It will cover theories around organisational culture, and styles of leadership and management. There may be space to consider your own leadership style and how you can understand and thrive in different environments.

Mentoring Class 3 – “Overcoming Hurdles”
In this session we will consider the factors and issues which can prevent people from fulfilling their potential. The session will include practical advice and skills to manage competing priorities, expectations and ensure healthy work/life balance.

Mentoring Class 4 – “Moving On Up”
In our last Mentoring Class, we will help build the knowledge and skills to progress in your career. We will look at recruitment practices and competency frameworks, and help you to prepare yourself for new opportunities.

Download Mentoring Programme 2008/09 Documents
Mentoring Program 2008/09 Documents