Learning Mentor at Future Roots Ltd

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About the role

Learning Mentor Vacancy

Based on a 30-acre care farm

Salary Range: £13.50 to £16 an hour

£25,974 to £30,784 (Full Time)

37 hours a week. Full Time or Term Time Only

Start date: May 2025 or earlier

Do you want to support young people and help to deliver positive outcomes?

Do you have a love and passion for animals?

We are a young person's service, delivering positive outcomes at times when young people are most in need. Based in rural West Dorset, Future Roots is a well established provider of complimentary education and re-engagement services for children and young people. Working with schools and with Dorset and Somerset Council's Children's Services, we use a farm environment and our animals to offer young people learning and therapeutic experiences to help them overcome trauma and challenges.

We are now looking for someone to join our team who can bring demonstrable skill and experience from a background of working with children and young people, and who has an affinity with the outdoor environment and a complete love of animals.

For further information about the role contact Julie Plumley, Director Future Roots, on 01963 210703 or via email: [email protected]

Visits to the farm can be arranged once an application has been received

Please visit our website www.futureroots.net to see the full range of what we do.

Closing date: 9am Monday 31 March

Further Information

Dear applicant,

Thank you for your interest in our vacancy for a Learning Mentor at Future Roots. If you love animals and want to work with young people, this will be a fantastic role for you.

Future Roots is a young person's service based at Ryland's Farm. Ryland's Farm is a small working farm that is approximately 30 acres in size - Take a look at our site here

We started in 2006 as Farming for Life and registered our enterprise in 2008 as Future Roots. We've now been supporting young people for over eighteen years and hope to continue for many years to come. You can find out more about us on our website.

We are looking for an individual, who really loves animals and understands young people and who can:

• engage with young people, usually in a small group setting and build effective, developmental relationships that will increase resilience and emotional wellbeing
• plan and implement Future Root's group work programmes on the farm using the outdoors and animals to build resilience, personal responsibility and qualities and employability skills
• planning will include delivering accredited qualification opportunities and/or therapeutic activities as well as appropriate programmes to meet individual need

We have a supportive induction programme and a training programme for all new staff.

Learn a little bit more about us here

We were also on the front cover of The Sherbourne Times in January and an article about us is on page 58 - Sherborne Times January 2025 by Sherborne Times - Flipsnack

Please make an appointment to come and visit as we would really like to meet you and show you round so you can get a sense of the farm.

Closing date for applications is Monday 31 March

Kind regards,

Julie Plumley,

Founder and Director of Future Roots

About Us

About us

We started in 2006 as Farming for Life and registered our enterprise in 2008 as Future Roots. We've now been supporting young people for over a decade and hope to continue for many years to come.

Future Roots was the vision of our founder, Julie Plumley. Julie's a Dorset farmer's daughter, but went on to have a long career in social work. Future Roots combines the best of both worlds.

Why we are called Future Roots (it is all in a name!)

The name 'Future Roots' originated as we want the people who need us to feel that their 'Future' prospects are better because of what we offer. This might be happiness and wellbeing or improved resilience giving the ability to cope with a personal situation. It might be about gaining qualifications and having better job prospects. Each of the above leads to hope that their 'Future' will be better than they had previously thought and a belief they can achieve.

'Roots' came from knowing that everyone needs 'Roots' to provide the key nutrients to strengthen and grow. 'Roots' are also a stretchable anchor, being a safe and secure place to return that will ground you when you feel lost. Our aim is to provide stability and direction through any tough times for young people and their families.

Future Roots, provides a safe space, support and mentoring, qualifications eg. functional skills in English and Maths, land-based qualifications, as well as therapeutic opportunities for young people up to 25 to develop confidence, resilience and skills to give hope which will improve their mental health and future prospects to live a healthy and positive life using a countryside and farm environment with access to experienced mentors.

We are well respected within the local community, with establish strong links with Dorset Council, Dorset's VCSE sector, Dorset's Youth Forum. We are commissioned and approved by Dorset Council, delivering the following services at Future Roots:

• Dorset Family Matters.
• Alternative Provision, 8 to 18years, offering NOCN qualifications and functional skills, John Muir awards, therapeutic animal assisted therapy
• Dorset Short Breaks Holiday provision, 8 to 18years

We have other funding streams through bids for:

• Rural Remedies Programme, 8 to 13 years
• Futures Plus Programme, 16 to 18 years
• Ambassadors Programme, young people who still connect to Future Roots
• Supported Internships, 16+ for young people with EHCP's
• Potter's Garden, 18+ years

How it works

Young people don't come to Future Roots because they are 'naughty' or 'bad'. They are referred because they need a safe and secure learning environment, where they feel they can achieve, in order to reach their potential. We believe there are always reasons for behaviours, not excuses, and that there is always a solution.

Future Roots can accept referrals from any registered school or local authority, provided the young person is on roll. We work in partnership to compliment the curriculum as part of a re-engagement or therapeutic programme to enhance young people's opportunities and achievements. Parents can contact us to discuss referrals.

We operate an inclusive environment where inclusion means offering opportunities and environments where a young person can learn and develop positively without feeling marginalised. We work in partnership with schools and with young people if they are experiencing challenges that prevent them from reaching their potential within traditional educational settings.