SW!TCH Minds

Mentoring to support the mental health and wellbeing of young people

Since the pandemic, the need for mental health services has increased dramatically.

Today's young people can have a wide spectrum of needs that must be addressed before they can continue their journey to a better future.

Photo by Mayor of London's Office

SW!⁠TCH Minds is dedicated to meeting these needs and supporting at-risk young people as they find their future.

Our trained and qualified Youth Development Workers provide one-to-one mentoring in schools alongside a range of positive activities within the community, all supported by our award-winning VIP Mentoring framework.

We've also partnered with other organisations to offer a full range of specialised support for young people with more complex issues.

LifeLine Projects

This include counselling for issues such as depression, anxiety and loneliness, family therapy and counselling, and specialised support and counselling for young people with autism spectrum disorder or learning difficulties.

One-⁠to-⁠one mentoring

Weekly sessions in schools give a young person the opportunity to build a trusting relationship with their mentor while they gain confidence, self-determination, and agency over their future.

Engaging positive activities

Targeted group activities, both physical and creative, are held in local community settings to give young people a positive and safe space to improve their wellbeing, learn new skills, and make new friends.

Working in partnership

Our team works closely with our partner organisations, statutory bodies, and professionals to identify at-risk young people, respond to developing issues, and ensure a truly joined-up approach to mentoring.

Co-designed solutions

Each young person helps to develop their own learning plan, and their unique situations and needs are examined to help shape the course of their mentoring to ensure the best possible outcome.

VIP Mentoring helps young people to find their vision, their identity and their purpose.

Young people consistently tell us that they want more support, particularly when it comes to questions of mental health and the social and emotional pressures they face.

What’s often missing for young people are trusted adults—someone that can be relied upon when facing challenges in their lives. But trusted relationships that encourage positive self-esteem, resilience, and growth take time to flourish. This simple truth often gets overlooked when systems and professionals are facing increasing pressure to deliver results.

VIP Mentoring empowers young people to discover a sense of vision for their lives, to understand their identity and be comfortable in their own skin while providing positive activities within safe boundaries that help them to unpack their purpose.

VIP Mentoring was recognised by the CYP Now Awards in 2009 and the Philip Lawrence Awards in 2010.

Our SW!⁠TCH Minds team is currently supporting young people in

Havering

Want to refer a young person?

Know someone in need of help?

Whether you’re a parent, school, or other organisations, simply fill out our referral form to get a young person help.

Want to join in?

Looking for something fun to do?

Check out our full timetable of activities to see when our SW!⁠TCH team are out and about in your area!

Interested in bringing SW!⁠TCH Minds to your area?

Leave us your details and a member of our team will be in touch with more information about how SW!⁠TCH Minds can be delivered.

I see firsthand how we help young people with difficult obstacles to manage their emotions and behaviour. SW!⁠TCH Minds is a crucial support tool for any young person with challenging mental health needs. The mentoring and activities give them a chance to get wider support by connecting them with their community.

Jenna-Marie Singh
Head of Young People's Services, LifeLine Projects

Recent updates about SW!TCH Minds

The summer holidays are more than six weeks of needing to entertain children

It’s a time to invest in a young person's future. A time that can change their path. Do you remember having to go back to school in September? I know that, for me at least, I was filled with anxiety before I even got through the school gates. But that soon gave way to the excitement of seeing my friends...

4 weeks ago

 by Nathan Singleton

NEET—prevention is better than cure

I’ve spent most of my life working with young people in east London. I started as a youth leader—hours of mentoring each week, groups trips and activities, conversations with parents. It’s the kind of work that can feel small in the moment but adds up to something big over time.

4 months ago

 by Nathan Singleton

Tips from youth workers for parents: Protective factors for social media

One of the team told me about a time a mother rang him, quite upset. Her teenage son had discovered hurtful comments being made about him in a group chat. Those in the group chat had not realised that he would see them but he did and to him, it felt as if the whole school had turned against him...

5 months ago

 by Nathan Singleton

Introducing Jenna, Young People’s Services Manager

This month, we’re talking with Jenna, Young People’s Services Manager, who joined us last year. Jenna leads, manages and coordinates our work with young people through our various SW!TCH programmes.

5 months ago

 by LifeLine Comms Team

Share on