A growing scheme across our NIHR infrastructure has flipped the traditional notion of mentorship with Reverse mentorship
There are great benefits for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) at our organisation.
The scheme is inspired by a programme that started in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton. This year, ten pairs of mentors and mentees have taken part.
What is reverse mentoring?
Usually, a mentor will be someone in a senior position, helping a mentee in a junior role. Reverse mentoring turns that upside down, with the person in the junior role being the mentor.
It means the person in the junior role can use their own lived experience to educate their mentee.
NIHR ARC Wessex Director, Professor Alison Richardson has taken part along with Deputy Director Professor Catherine Bowen.
Alison says:
It's very helpful, a really thought provoking process that can be uncomfortable at times. It is so worthwhile and gives you a totally different perspective of things.
Professor Alison Richardson
Next steps
The reverse mentoring scheme is coordinated by the NIHR Southampton BRC and also involves mentees from the university’s NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility and NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex.
New mentors and mentees will be invited to apply in 2025.
If you would like more information on the scheme, or are interested in replicating it in your area, please contact BRC Project Manager Matt Gale (matt.gale@uhs.nhs.uk).
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