This is a refugee mentoring program based in the UK that started in 2002. These are their best practices and key learnings from 2005-2007.

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Hello Neighbor
Policy Review | July 26, 2017
Time Together UK Mentoring Program Drs. Esterhuizen & Murphy

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Why is the Time Together Program
relevant to Hello Neighbor?
• It is an example of a successful UK refugee mentoring program.
• With over a decade of experience, there is a lot to learn from their
best practices.
• This program is in conjunction with government. While Hello
Neighbor operates separately from federal funding and support, it’s
interesting to look at programs that do have government support and
what that can mean for overall refugee self-sufficiency and
integration over time.
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What is the Time Together Program?
• Mentoring program based in the U.K.
– Mentors and Mentees commit to a one year relationship
– Mentoring is a “one-on-one” relationship conducted outside of the home
– Mentors and Mentees are expected to provide regular feedback to their
coordinator.
• Pairs a local citizen with a refugee or immigrant
• Everyone met together at a big "mix and mingle event" and were paired
up.
• People have different perceptions of what they want to get out of
mentor-mentee relationship: some wanted friendship, others wanted
more logistical experiences (e.g. helping with appointments)
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What were the expectations of mentors and
mentees?
• At the beginning of their involvement in Time Together, mentees’ expectations of
mentoring were largely practical. Mentees expected help with their English, with
finding a job, and someone to help familiarize them with their local area and with
UK culture.
• Professional mentees aspiring for jobs in medicine, engineering and
accountancy, hoped their mentor would provide networking opportunities. Some
mentees also sought friendship to enhance their social life and in some cases to
combat depression.
• Mentors were divided in terms of their mentoring expectations. Some clearly
envisioned support-orientated mentoring, a business-like relationship in which
goals would be outlined and pursued and the mentor would provide advice on
accessing opportunities, services and support, while also improving their
English, their knowledge of UK culture and their local environment.
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How does the Time Together Program Work?
Time Together, founded in 2002, is a nationwide scheme which matches
refugees in one-on-one mentoring relationships with local volunteer
mentors. Mentors support, encourage, and motivate their mentees as they
seek to achieve their goals in language, employment, education, and
socio-cultural integration. After training, mentors and mentees commit to
spending a minimum of five hours a month together for a period of one
year. The aim is to help mentees settle into a new life in the UK and to
enable mentors to gain a better understanding of the lives of refugees,
building bridges between communities.
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How was the evaluation conducted?
• Changing Lives is an independent qualitative evaluation of Time Together. Specifically,
it is a longitudinal study of the impact of mentoring on participants’ levels of integration.
The study examined the program and its impact from the perspective of refugee
mentees and volunteer mentors themselves.”(p. 3)
• The evaluation selected 30 mentoring pairs across six locations to maximize diversity
in terms of location, age, gender, profession, and region of origin. The pairs were
interviewed three times – at the start of their relationship, after approximately six
months and then again after 12 months. In addition two focus groups were held with
mentors and mentees from a range of Time Together projects not included in the main
study.
• Mentees interviews, conducted face-to-face with a semi-structured guide, lasted
between 60 and 150 minutes. Mentor interviews were conducted over the telephone
and lasted between 20 and 60 minutes. Mentees were offered £10 per interview as a
token of appreciation. The interviews were held In January / February 2005, June /
July 2006, and January / February 2007.
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Nine Components of Integration
• Confidence
• English Language
• Employment
• Requalification and further education
• Combatting isolation
• Understanding UK Culture.
• Knowing the Local Area
• Volunteering
• Access to Public Services
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Was the program a success?
• The evaluators conclude that Time Together is highly successful in facilitating
the integration of refugee mentees into the UK. In three-quarters of cases,
mentors successfully enhanced integration in terms of offering practical help and
advice relevant to everyday life, building confidence, and contributing to English
language improvement. Moreover, in nearly one quarter of relationships,
mentors had no less than a life- changing impact on their mentees by greatly
enhancing their integration, and often forming strong mutually beneficial
friendships.
• In the remaining quarter, the relationships ended before they could have an
impact on integration. This was generally due to a change in circumstance, such
as obtaining a new job, or a lack of chemistry between the two or because of
divergent expectations from mentoring.
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Program Outcomes
Impact on mentees:
• 660 refugees in London have been matched with a mentor since March 2005
• 78% of mentees felt more integrated into UK society
• 99% said they had made progress in increasing their understanding of ways of life in the UK
• 93% said they had a better understanding of UK culture
• There had been a 42% rise in employment since menses had had a Time Together mentor. At the beginning of the
mentoring relationship, 5% of menses were employed. At the end of the mentoring relationship this had risen to
47%.
• 98% had improved their English language
Impact on mentors:
• 100% of the mentors found the experience of mentoring beneficial in terms of their own skills development
• 100% of the mentors said they had gained awareness of other cultures
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Mentor & Mentee Feedback
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• Sometimes mentors and mentees did not have similar expectations and
wondered why they were paired. For example, a mentor wanting a professional
relationship and a mentee wanting friendship or vice versa.
• Sometimes there were logistical limitations, like a "meet and greet" event that
was held at a loud venue and people couldn't hear. Often, mentors did not
understand the "soft skill" benefits that the mentees cited as so important
("confidence" or "comfort level" not communicated)
• Testimonials
– "I've found that there is so much ignorance amongst other people about immigration
and refugees. I think mentors can...help tell people the experiences of refugees. ”
– "[My mentor] gave me personal confidence and how I can meet people and talk to
people, how to meet English families...best thing for me. Even if I don't meet [my
mentor] anymore...I['m] really happy for that."

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Evaluation Recommendations
• Ongoing Investment in Time Together mentoring
• Ongoing focus on developing, sharing, and ensuring best practice
• Additional resources for matching and supporting mentors and
mentees
• Reassurance to mentors about the value they bring to their mentees
• Further flexibility with the duration of the mentoring relationship
• Greater access to suitable voluntary placements
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Actionable Takeaways for Hello Neighbor
• Establish early expectations about what you want to gain from the
program
• Don’t forget how much your presence helps with soft skills and just
having someone to talk to.
• Use your training and be sure to share your experiences in the cohort
with those outside of the cohort.
• Remember that doing things around Pittsburgh with your mentor can
help them to become more independent and integrated into the
community!
• Be flexible with your expectations. Be open to asking for feedback and
giving feedback.
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Conclusion
Thanks to their mentors, the refugees in our sample had the opportunity to
improve their English language, gain greater insights into UK culture and
norms, and enjoy a more vibrant social life. The most significant impact of
mentoring must be the mentees’ boost in confidence given that confidence
is an invaluable asset in all areas of integration.
For more information:
• http://www.mandbf.org/resources/case-studies/community-
cohesion/time-together-mentoring-refugees-london
• https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/librarydoc/changing-lives-a-
longitudinal-study-into-the-impact-of-time-together-mentoring-on-
refugee-integration-1
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