Peer mentoring initiative to provide support for learners across Novus establishments
Adult Provision

At Novus, we understand the importance of learners having positive role models to look up to and role models who can inspire them to want to change. One of the main ways we support this is through the Peer Mentor strategy, so that learners can be supported and inspired to change by their peers.
Within the majority of Novus establishments, peer mentors play a valuable role in supporting learners. The peer mentors support in a variety of ways including general classroom support, reading mentors as part of the Shannon Trust and wider prison roles/jobs, in-addition to valuable support for our teachers and trainers. At many of our establishments, learners are given the opportunity to complete a mentoring qualification to further support them in their role. They also have to go through an application and interview process, which mirrors what they would need to do in the community if applying for a similar role, this helps build their personal skills in readiness for their next steps and employment upon release.
What is a peer mentor?
In classrooms, workshops and out on the wings, peer mentors help to train and support peers to become more self-confident, skilled and independent in order for them to achieve success, as well as acting as their supervisor’s teaching or training assistant.
Through on-the-job experience, by engaging in additional training and by gaining qualifications relevant to their individual development, peer mentors are also learners on their own professional journey towards future opportunities, including finding employment upon release.
The benefits of peer mentoring
Peer mentoring can have a profound impact on both the mentors and mentees and provide real opportunities for change. The Peer mentor strategy helps to aid an individual’s personal growth through increased confidence, resilience, communication and decision-making skills as well as many other benefits.
Benefits to being a mentor
- Boosts interpersonal skills such as communication, active listening, empathy and patience.
- Strengthens knowledge through sharing of knowledge gained through work or personal experiences.
- Increased motivation to perform well and take ownership of the role.
- Recognition of skills and feelings of accomplishment, collaboration and reputation which may lead to enhanced opportunities, including job satisfaction.
- Improved leadership skills such as inspring others, providing guidance and answering questions and the development of constructive feedback.
Benefits to the mentee
- Peer mentoring can encourage reluctant mentees back into education and training, facilitating an inclusive and supportive culture.
- Development of active listening skills.
- Confronting personal limitations with support and coaching to aid transformation within the chosen area of development.
- Enhance confidence, self-esteem, and resilience.
- Use of targets/goals to embrace change and critically review progress.
Positive outcomes from the peer mentor strategy across prison sites
At Novus we have many different establishments that run the peer mentor initiative and have had some excellent outcomes!
Striving for mentoring excellence beyond the curriculum at HMP Stafford
Following a Lot wide initiative across prison education departments in the West Midlands, HMP Stafford have introduced the personal development plan to aid the peer mentor’s growth. Joey, the mentoring teacher at HMP Stafford explained why they introduced the personal development plan and commented that:
"I wanted to revamp our mentoring provision and experience to really embed personal development at its core. I wanted to empower the mentors and give them enhanced problem-solving skills as well as promote positive teamwork among the mentors via different themes and activities.”
Before becoming a peer mentor or OLIP (Offender Learning Improving Performance), individuals have to complete an application form to apply for the role leading to shortlisting and an interview. To build upon the positive work that is being done within the peer mentor initiative, Joey and the staff at Stafford focus on the personal development plans to track the progress and journey of each mentor as well as the OLIPs.
This structured approach ensures that individuals can recognise and keep track of their achievements and development. Each mentor receives a structured development plan that outlines specific short, medium and long-term targets and actionable steps for their development. These plans are reviewed regularly to assess progress, address challenges and celebrate successes with the introduction of ‘Mentor of the month’ awards too.
The work that peer mentors undertake is recognised through the implementation of teamwork and team building days. These activities have built a strong sense of community and collaboration. Monthly mentor meetings and various team-building activities are scheduled to enhance problem-solving abilities, decision-making skills and the overall opportunity for mentors to work with the wider team that they do not normally get to work with.
One of the key activities undertaken to date has included cooking activities. This was designed to promote problem-solving and decision-making skills which required participants to work together, plan and execute tasks where they foster a collaborative environment.
Furthermore, sessions include the reviewing of case studies where mentors get to come together to analyse cases and explore different scenarios. This encourages the sharing of best practice through these events and the exchange of knowledge helps to improve the mentoring experience.
Overall, planning and implementing fun days, competitions, quizzes and recognising and showing the potential of the mentors, shows them the positive impact they are having on peers and themselves, which will positively impact their rehabilitation. By integrating the personal development plan and organising regular team meetings and team building activities, Novus colleagues are able to create a supportive and dynamic environment at HMP Stafford and encourage learners to take part in the peer mentoring initiative.
Peer mentoring to support learners in IT at HMP Wymott
A learner who initially attended the IT course, became a peer mentor thanks to the support and guidance he was giving to other learners on the course.
The learner attended the IT class, originally to complete the ITQ course. When he started, he was basically a beginner and wasn’t familiar with any of the applications. However, his hard work and determination allowed him to succeed and pass the Level 1 course.
When the new course, Digital Functional Skills started, the learner enrolled on it starting with the Entry 3 course which he successfully completed and then moved onto the Level 1 course. During his time in class, the learner helped his peers and began to pass his knowledge on to others. From this, he was offered the position of IT Technician which involved helping his peers and assisting the tutors.
The learner held this position until the introduction of the new peer mentoring scheme, which focuses on the mentor, their CPD and progression, whilst supporting learners and tutors. Since becoming a peer mentor, the learner has developed his employability skills in IT by creating learning materials for learners coming into the class to enhance their skills in word processing and spreadsheets. He has also developed common areas of improvement for learners and produced prompt sheets and resources to assist their progression.
He has also been assisting new learners in their induction process by helping them become familiar with the computer systems, as well as creating learner files for new learners, keeping the filing cabinets and paperwork in order etc.
The learner is also doing AIMS training courses in other subjects including interpersonal skills and building self-esteem and confidence, as part of his CPD for mentoring. The learner has made excellent progress on the peer mentoring course developing personally as well as gaining new employability skills that can be utilised upon release.
Benefits of mentoring upon release
In 2024, learners across Novus establishments took part in the We Roar project. We Roar is a prison arts project devised by Faye Claridge, in partnership with Novus and the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) at the University of Michigan (USA). The project supported learners in 20 prisons across England and America to create artwork and poetry. Participants were sent three pieces of inspiration and were challenged to respond creatively, producing fantastic art pieces.
The artwork produced by learners was then collated into an exhibition and toured across UK prisons that were involved in the project, visiting multiple sites that Novus operate in.
After the tour, Novus hosted a We Roar Showcase event at City Campus Manchester, where guests at the event, had the unique opportunity to hear from a former Novus learner who took part in Faye Claridge’s initial project 'We Bear' during lockdown, which Novus was part of. The learner, who had never taken part in art before he went to prison, decided to take part in 'We Bear' showcasing his personal experiences of being in prison.
The former learner was then released shortly before the 'We Bear' exhibition opened at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum and had the unique opportunity to attend and speak about his artwork at a symposium.
George was then invited to be a mentor on the We Roar project. During the creative process he provided feedback on the preliminary ideas and artwork of the learners. During the We Roar tour, he also visited some of the prisons to speak to learners about the project and the positive impact it has had on him.
During the event, the former learner spoke candidly about his experience in prison and that taking part in the 'We Bear' project had a positive impact on his mental health and wellbeing. Taking an initial idea and creating something to completion, became extremely enjoyable and gave the learner a sense of positivity and stability. The former learner is now a mentor on the We Roar project, who visited some of the prisons on the We Roar tour to speak to learners about the project and the positive impact it has had on him.
By participating in education whilst in prison, George was able to take part in the ‘We Bear’ project, later inspiring him to become a mentor on the We Roar project upon his release from prison. Having someone similar to them visit prison sites during the We Roar tour and talk candidly about his experiences of being in prison, shows other learners that there can be a positive outcome from their time in prison, inspiring them to not only take part in education but to also change so that they can become positive members of society upon release.
To learn more about how we support learners in prison education, take a look at the news section on our website.