GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND EXPECTATIONS

BSPS aims to connect bone sarcoma patients for the provision of 1:1 peer support to promote emotional and mental wellbeing.

We refer to a ‘mentor’ as having gone through diagnosis and treatment and is able to offer a ‘mentee’ at an earlier stage of diagnosis or treatment the benefit of their personal experience.

We refer to a ‘mentee’ as a patient at any stage of diagnosis, treatment or post-treatment who may benefit from connecting with a ‘mentor’.

Patients at any stage of diagnosis, treatment or post-treatment may access mentoring.

BSPS is under no obligation to partner a mentor and mentee or facilitate an ideal match.

If a match is made, mentors and mentees become fully responsible for communication and their own wellbeing throughout the duration of their partnership.

A mentoring partnership is based on the consent and agreement by both parties.

A mentor should only agree to be a mentor if they are confident that they have the time and emotional resilience to commit to mentoring.

There is no time limit on a mentoring partnership however, a mentor and mentee can agree to end a partnership at any time.

Mentors will provide support based on their own lived experience. They are not medically trained and will not provide medical advice.

The support mentors may provide includes emotional and social support, practical advice, understanding and encouragement, knowledge sharing and signposting to other support.

Any support provided is not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health care.

Mentees will identify as best they can what support needs they have and how their mentor can best assist them.

Mentors and mentees will maintain a confidential, inclusive and safe space for feelings to be shared and support to be given, by:

Respecting and maintaining confidentiality at all times, save if a situation arises where confidentiality has to be breached to protect the safety of another person;
Agreeing frequency and means of contact, and observing the commitments and boundaries agreed;
Listening generously;
Responding to feelings with compassion, empathy, respect and a lack of judgment. Telling someone what they should or should not be thinking, feeling or doing is most often not helpful.
Clearly communicating and respecting physical, emotional, spiritual and cultural boundaries.
Safeguarding themselves against being taken advantage of (financially or otherwise) and report to BSPS any concerns.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND EXPECTATIONS

Mentors and mentees will maintain a confidential, inclusive and safe space for feelings to be shared and support to be given, by:

Respecting and maintaining confidentiality at all times, save if a situation arises where confidentiality has to be breached to protect the safety of another person;

Agreeing frequency and means of contact, and observing the commitments and boundaries agreed;

Listening generously;

Responding to feelings with compassion, empathy, respect and a lack of judgment. Telling someone what they should or should not be thinking, feeling or doing is most often not helpful.

Clearly communicating and respecting physical, emotional, spiritual and cultural boundaries.

Safeguarding themselves against being taken advantage of (financially or otherwise) and report to BSPS any concerns.