Confidentiality
Confidentiality is vital to the mentoring relationship – both the mentor and mentee must respect the confidentiality of the information shared in the mentoring sessions. If at any point, the mentor and/or mentee believe that information would be best shared with others, specific consent should be gained in advance. Both mentor and mentee will be aware that while being open and honest as possible with each other is important in the context of the mentoring relationship, they should also respect the confidentiality of others.
As part of the mentoring program, mentors and mentees will have access to each other’s email addresses to facilitate communication. These contact details should be used solely for the purposes of mentoring and must not be shared with or used by third parties without explicit consent.
The confidential nature of the relationship continues indefinitely after the relationship has ended.
Expectations of the relationship
At the outset, the mentor and mentee should agree expectations for the relationship in terms of meeting frequency and timings. The mentee is responsible for the organisation of the meetings, and both mentor and mentee should respect each other’s time, workload and responsibilities in managing the relationship. In order to make the most of the time, it is helpful for both the mentee and mentor to prepare in advance.
Reviewing the relationship
Both the mentor and mentee are responsible for checking that the relationship is working for both of them. Starting out, both mentor and mentee should respect the varying approaches each may have to the mentoring relationship. It is important to recognise that as in any setting, sometimes professional relationships may not work for a variety of reasons e.g., different personalities, styles of communication or approaches to key issues. This does not mean the mentoring itself has failed, just that this particular mentoring partnership isn’t working. If this is the case either the mentor or mentee can dissolve the relationship.
Boundaries of the relationship
Mentors should be aware of the limits of their experience and expertise in supporting the mentee. If they feel a different kind of support may also be needed e.g., HR advice or counselling, they should discuss this with the mentee and offer to point to other sources of professional advice if the mentee would welcome it. Mentors are not responsible for supporting mentees outside of the professional mentoring relationship.
The mentor’s role is to relate to the mentee’s needs and respond, rather than directing the meetings or suggesting unrelated approaches or actions. As with any professional relationship, the mentor and mentee should respect personal boundaries, being aware of any ‘drift’ towards a more personal relationship.
If any ethical issues arise during the mentoring journey, the mentor and mentee should discuss these, then, if appropriate, seek guidance from the BCS Mentoring Scheme Manager for advice.
Ending the mentorship
The BCS Mentoring Scheme supports mentees for a specific time period. Mentors and mentees are responsible for ensuring the mentoring relationship ends supportively.
Data & Privacy
Please refer to BCS’s Privacy Policy for information regarding collection and processing of your data.