Achi news desk-
It has been available at schools including Dingwall Academy, Inverness Royal Academy and Lochaber High School since 2021.
The local authority wants to develop its own program as part of the Future Workforce program and said MCR staff would be part of the redesign.
The Highland Council pays approximately £169,000 annually towards running the scheme.
It comes after it emerged that Glasgow City Council is considering cutting funding for the programme. prompting founder Dr Iain MacRitchie to warn that the consequences would “be felt for life” by young people in the city where it was launched in 2007.
Sharon McIntyre, Chief Executive of the charity, said that there was concern that the new model in Highland might not offer the specialist support that young people had access to and that she was trying to hold urgent discussions with the council.
He said the council was cutting the project when it was entitled to another year of funding from the Scottish Government.
He said: “At the moment we have no idea what the real direction of travel is.
“They have been asking about using our materials and our database and we get the feeling that they would like to include the program but without us running it.
“It’s definitely been muted as a review but not as strong as Glasgow.
“If [they] We are thinking about streamlining services to focus better on young people, but what we don’t have a sense of is that it is young people who drive.
“Our concern is that the young people we support are then in a larger pool of young people that the council has promised to support through this generic mentoring scheme.”
He said young people and mentors had established “great relationships” and there was a risk that progress could be undone in the transfer.
He said: “We focus on young people in a holistic way, which we think the council cannot do because of its resources.
“We have a very sophisticated matching process and an amazing training program for mentors.”
He said the charity had a large pool of mentors “who are deeply committed across Highland schools” and there was concern they would not have access to the same support based on trauma.
One mentor from the Highlands added: “The children this service supports need it and not for it to be weakened.”
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While some councils are considering cuts, one local authority in Scotland is to start offering the scheme in August.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar said pupils at the Nicolson Institute in Stornoway will have access to support from August.
Earlier this week the charity published the findings of a new report which found that attainment has “significantly increased” for young people who are mentored and have care experience compared to the national average.
Data shows that 41.3% of young people across Scotland achieved at least one Higher qualification before leaving school compared to the national level of 29.2%. This figure rises to 48.2% in Glasgow.
Those who achieved at least three qualifications at National level 5 were 66.7%, compared to the national level experienced in care of 43.8%.
A spokesman for the Highland Council said: “The MCR co-ordinators are currently employed by the Highland Council and this will continue.
“They will be part of the redesign process to develop a mentoring program as part of the Work Force for the Future programme, which has been designed to further meet the needs of our young people across the Highlands area.
“The expertise of THC and MCR staff will be invaluable in ensuring that all our young people who benefit from mentoring receive a service that supports them to reach a positive and lasting destination.
“The invaluable contribution that mentors make through MCR and other mentoring programs is valued and appreciated by THC and MCR in helping to develop the skills and attributes of our Future Highlands Workforce.”
