L&G Learning's Guide to Mentoring
/Mentoring: Supporting Young People in Childcare
Scotland’s childcare sector is central to supporting children, families, and communities. With growing demand for skilled staff, many employers are welcoming young people into their teams. For these young recruits, a first role in childcare can be both exciting and daunting, that’s where mentoring and clear employment practices make all the difference.
Why Mentoring Matters in Childcare
Safeguarding and confidence: Young staff need clear guidance on professional boundaries and safe practice. A mentor provides reassurance and helps them navigate responsibilities with confidence.
Role modelling: Experienced practitioners demonstrate the values, behaviours, and communication styles that underpin high-quality childcare.
Retention and progression: When young people feel supported, they are more likely to stay in the sector, complete qualifications, and progress into senior roles.
Positive environment: Mentoring encourages a nurturing, team-based environment, the same qualities we want children to experience in our care.
Best Practice for Employers
Structured induction: Pair young recruits with a mentor from day one, ensuring they have a trusted point of contact.
Regular check-ins: Short, consistent conversations help young staff reflect on their practice and build resilience.
Learning plans: Link mentoring to SVQ or Modern Apprenticeship pathways, so support is tied to professional development.
Peer learning: Encourage young staff to share their own ideas, especially around play, creativity, and digital skills, so that mentoring becomes a two-way process.
Employer Spotlight: Little Hands Nursery
Lorna McKeown, Manager at Little Hands Nursery, has seen first-hand the impact of mentoring apprentices:
“Mentoring in the workplace offers benefits to not only our modern apprentice candidates but also their mentors and the wider team. It helps to foster a nurturing and caring ethos and allows for continuous learning and development for all team members.
‘What Matters to Me’ is an important part of our vision and values and by having a mentor system in place for our apprentices this offers the opportunity for mentors and their candidates to build close, trusting relationships and these are the foundation of all that we do. Positive relationships are key to a successful team and our mentoring programme supports candidates from their first day.
Mentors and their candidates have protected time together off the floor each week to ensure the candidate has all the support they need. Candidates and mentors work together to learn and develop throughout their training. Mentors offer support, guidance and knowledge from experience while candidates share new thinking and offer alternative ideas where appropriate. Our mentoring programme is tailored to meet the changing needs of our candidates and their mentors and it is one which is ever evolving.”
This example highlights the importance of protected time, ensuring mentors and apprentices can step away from daily tasks to focus on learning and building relationships. It’s a simple but powerful practice that strengthens retention and builds confidence.
Read our blog on Carly Robertson who successfully achieved the SVQ 3 through the Modern Apprenticeship programme with L&G Learning: www.landglearning.co.uk/landgsuccess/carly-robertson-little-hands-nursery
Contracts and Job Descriptions: Foundations for Recruitment and Retention
Mentoring builds confidence, but young people also need the professional framework that comes with a contract of employment and a clear job description. These are simple but powerful tools that strengthen recruitment and retention.
Why They Matter
Clarity and confidence: A written contract reassures young staff that they are valued employees.
Professional identity: A job description helps young recruits understand their role, where they fit in the team, and how their work contributes to children’s wellbeing.
Retention through fairness: Clear terms reduce misunderstandings and ensure young staff feel treated equally alongside older colleagues.
Pathway to progression: Job descriptions can highlight opportunities for training and advancement, encouraging young people to see childcare as a career, not just a first job.
Best Practice for Employers
Tailor job descriptions: Use accessible language and highlight both responsibilities and opportunities for growth.
Include mentoring in contracts: Where possible, reference support structures such as buddy systems or mentoring arrangements.
Be transparent about hours and pay: Young staff value honesty about shift patterns, breaks, and remuneration.
Link to qualifications: Show how the role connects to SVQs or Modern Apprenticeships, reinforcing the career pathway.
Support Beyond the Setting
Employers don’t need to do this alone. Scotland has strong mentoring networks that can complement in-house support, such as:
Developing the Young Workforce
MCR Pathways (mentoring for care-experienced young people)
Scottish Mentoring Network
Skills Development Scotland
Your local training provider
A Win-Win for Childcare
For young people, mentoring builds confidence, skills, and a sense of belonging. For employers, contracts and job descriptions provide stability, while mentoring adds the human support that makes the difference. Together, they create the conditions for young people to thrive and for employers to retain motivated, skilled staff.
Takeaway for childcare employers: Mentoring builds confidence, contracts and job descriptions build stability. Combined, they are the pillars of recruitment and retention in Scotland’s childcare workforce.
Get in touch if we can help you or support your next apprentice to achieve their goals.
