Children and Young People "In Care" Participating in a Peer-Mentoring Relationship: An Exploration of Resilience

The aim of this study was to explore how a 1-year peer-mentoring relationship contributed to change in young women "in care." Twenty semistructured, one-to-one interviews were conducted with mentors (n = 11) and mentees (n = 9) recruited from two different London local authorities. Participants' accounts were interpreted through a developmental lens to uncover developmental aspects and locus mechanisms through which transformative change took place. Resilience as a healthy outcome was the result of the dual function the mentoring relationship performed. The mentoring relationship was protective against the risks associated with transitioning to independent living and/or adulthood, and promoted internal assets and competencies whereby the mentees' ability to resist them was enhanced. Establishing a trustworthy connection with a role model promoted developmental domains within mentees.