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

Prevention: the primary tool for school readiness

September is a month of transition for many young people. After the summer break, children and young people return to education, often to new teachers, new routines, new expectations and, for some, an entirely new school. We tend to think of this simply as going back to school, but transitions can be much more significant than we realise.

3 weeks ago

 by Nathan Singleton

Linda’s Story: From isolation to influence

When Linda first came to one of our sessions, she carried a lifetime of challenges with her. Having spent much of her childhood in care, she arrived in her early thirties with no family support network in the UK and very few people she could rely on. Years of abandonment and disappointment had left their mark—she often struggled to trust...

3 weeks ago

 by LifeLine Comms Team

Is youth voice enough?

Recently, we asked a group of young people we support a simple question: what do you wish adults understood about being young today? Their answers covered many of the subjects we might expect: social media, mental health, education, employment, lockdown, independence, the future. As I listened, I found myself reflecting on something that has become increasingly prominent across our sector—youth...

1 month ago

 by Nathan Singleton

LifeLine launches variety of new programmes for young people and families across London

New Wellbeing Peer Support programme launches thanks to support from NHS North East London Foundation Trust We’re pleased to continue working with the NHS North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT), whose new funding allows us to deliver a Wellbeing Peer Support programme in the London Boroughs of Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge. The programme supports people experiencing mental health challenges...

1 month ago

 by LifeLine Comms Team

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