The Victorian Youth Mentoring Alliance (VYMA) Quality Assurance Project
The Quality Assurance Project (QA Project) was an initiative of the VYMA, and supported the delivery of high quality mentoring programs across the state. Participating organisations developed their programs in alignment with the 2012 Australian Youth Mentoring Benchmarks and, at the completion, achieved Quality Membership Status with the VYMA.
Participating organisations improved their mentoring programs in a range of different ways, from writing new policies and procedures to reviewing orientation activities for mentees.
The QA Project ran between 2012 – 14, and is currently not available due to funding restraints.
VYMA Quality Member logos
Once participants moved through the various phases of the project they were awarded Quality Membership, and were able to display a unique Quality Member logo in promotional material and in funding applications.
VYMA Quality Members – Successful Participants
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Melbourne Community Based Mentoring
City of Greater Geelong L2P Learner Driver Program
Federation of Australian Students and Youth – Igniting Dreams Together
Mallee Accommodation Support Program – Kodoka Youth Mentoring Program
Mallee Family Care E-mentoring Program
Maribyrnong Moonee Valley LLEN Youth Mentor Assisted Pathways
Tomorrow:Today Foundation Connect 9
Whitelion Leaving Care Program
YMCA Manningham – Youth Mentoring
Gippsland East Mentoring Program/ Workways Australia Limited
Kildonan Youth Mentoring Program/ Kildonan Uniting Care
Leaving Care Mentoring Program – Junction Support Service
Mentoring through Music/Stride Foundation
Wodonga Council Youth Leadership Program/ Wodonga City Council
Youth Mentoring Program/Melton City Council
YMCA School Based Mentoring/YMCA Bass Coast
The QA Project was been made possible by: Helen Macperhson Smith Trust, Ian Potter Foundation, Newsboys Foundation, RE Ross Trust, and the William Buckland Foundation.
Quotes from participants of the QA Program:
“The Quality Assurance pilot delivered by the VYMA was an incredibly valuable exercise … It enabled us to validate our current processes and feel confident we were delivering best practice while helping us to identify our limitations and to develop action plans for improving these into the future”.
“It’s comforting to have an umbrella organisation [VYMA] governing and supporting similar programs … that central reference point is important to help contextualise individual program operations and offer a bigger picture point of view”
“I run the mentoring program solo here… so VYMA have been an excellent resource and support for me over the past two years and I hope that this continues”
