ABSTRACT
This chapter follows the chronology of the mentee’s experience from selection through to the end of the mentoring programme. We begin by examining the issues associated with the selection and preparation of mentees. This is followed by a discussion of the basic parameters of mentoring, such as ground rules, duration and frequency of meetings. A further issue is the extent to which mentor meetings stand alone, complement or are complemented by other activities. The bulk of the chapter is devoted to entering the ‘secret garden’ of mentorship to investigate different stages and models. Gender issues are raised as part of the description and analysis of the matching of mentors to mentees. The links between mentors, the programme and parents are discussed, along with potential relationship problems. Next, we examine questions arising from the closure of mentoring relationships. We conclude with a summary of the main good practice points described in the chapter and speculation about possible future trends.
