Advice Line: New CSP mentoring scheme

The CSP is launching a mentoring scheme designed to offer career and continued professional development support to CSP members via a digital portal. It is part of the society’s strategy which includes supporting members and building leadership capacity in the profession. 

 

Mentoring is defined as a ‘planned pairing of a more skilled or experienced person (usually in the same field of work) with a less experienced individual’. It involves helping mentees to develop their career, skills and expertise often drawing on the experiences of the mentor in the process.

 

The CSP mentoring scheme is an opportunity for members to connect with each other, and to learn new approaches and strategies. 

 

Our new mentoring scheme has ‘learning’ and ‘inclusivity’ as its two key themes.  As a two-way process it aims to provide benefits for mentees and mentors. 

 

Experiencing a mentoring relationship over a year or so can be priceless. In setting up this scheme, it has been great to hear about existing relationships which already build confidence and develop new ideas within the profession. 

 

The new scheme moves things on to a digitally-based service, so it doesn’t matter where you or your mentor live or work.  A Skype mentoring session can be just as effective as a face-to-face one, and the digital platform we will offer allows users to say how they prefer to communicate with each other.

 

The society needs mentors from across professional boundaries, and we encourage those in education, research, primary care and management to sign up, create a profile and find a match. 

 

Remember the saying: ‘In vain have you acquired knowledge, if you have not imparted it to others.’