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Mentoring

The right person, at the right time in your career

IOSH mentoring connects you one-to-one with a fellow health and safety professional. Whether you’re navigating a career change, building confidence or ready to give back – there’s a mentoring option for you. It's free for all members, typically takes around an hour a month and counts towards your CPD. Meet online or in person, wherever you are in the world.

  • Find a mentor

    Get one-to-one support from an experienced health and safety professional.

    • Develop your skills and build confidence
    • Get guidance on career decisions and direction
    • Work towards Chartered membership
    • Counts towards your CPD record

  • Become a mentor

    Share what you know and make a real difference to someone’s career.

    • Open to all – you don’t need to be Chartered
    • Strengthen your leadership and communication skills
    • Gain fresh perspectives and new insights
    • Counts towards your CPD record

How IOSH mentoring works

Our platform matches you based on your needs and experience. It takes minutes to set up on any device.

  1. Register

    Sign up online, it’s free and quick to join.

  2. Create your profile

    Say what you want to develop (mentees) or what you can offer (mentors).

  3. Get matched

    Browse profiles and send a request to a mentor who suits your needs and goals.

  4. Agree your goals

    Together, you’ll decide what you’ll work on and when you’ll meet. Around one hour a month is typical.

  5. Start mentoring

    Meet online or in-person. Track your progress and log your actions as you go.

  6. Log your CPD

    Both mentors and mentees can record preparation time, meetings and follow-up as CPD hours.

Around one hour per month. Flexible to suit you both.

Types of mentoring

We offer three options to suit different career stages, experience levels and goals. All are free to members.

Receive support and guidance from an experienced professional.

This is ideal if you're looking to grow your confidence, develop specific skills or break into a new area of health and safety.

Mentor a more experienced professional. It’s a chance to share your knowledge and lived experiences with someone different.

This type of mentoring can help both people to gain understanding from a new perspective. It can inspire creative thinking and close the skills gap.

Connect with someone at a similar career stage – possibly in a different role or industry.

Share challenges, exchange approaches and support one another in equal measure.

 

Man and woman sitting down talking

For mentors

Learning goes both ways

Our members sometimes don’t realise how much they have to offer. And mentoring isn’t just good for your mentee – it develops you too.

Think about the decisions you’ve navigated, the challenges you’ve worked through, the moments that shaped how you approach your work. That experience has real value to someone earlier in their journey – and sharing it can be just as rewarding for you as it is for them.

  • What you gain as a mentor

    Mentoring is often thought of as a one-way street. It isn't.

    • Satisfaction in helping someone solve a real challenge
    • New insights from seeing things from a different perspective
    • Development of leadership and communication skills
    • Confirmation that your knowledge and experience is valued
    • A stronger professional network

What’s it like being a mentor?

“From my employer’s point of view, I’m getting so much out of mentoring, it’s really worth doing. It’s given me a window into somebody else’s world,” says Helen Crampton, Head of Safety and Risk Management at Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service.

“You may think you need years and years of experience to mentor. However, the closer you are in learning the better, as you will remember the actions you took in achieving the same goals.”

Yvette Moffatt CMIOSH

Five mentoring top tips

Here are some suggestions from our mentors...

    “Be willing to learn new skills and be receptive to suggestions” Valentine Mmereola

    “Be involved in the whole process and keep in touch even after the mentoring is completed. Develop a relationship.” Farrukh Husnain

    “All questions can be answered. Use your work experience and environment to provide clear and concise guidance. Be sure to answer the questions and not leave them puzzled.” Darren Franklin

    “Be patient, open and honest with your mentees and back up any advice you give to them with resources that could help further!” Josh Wright

    “Make sure that it’s manageable. Take on as many mentees as you can manage, but remember the priority is to do it well, not about how many you can help.” Chris Newson

Frequently asked questions

    No. You don't need any special qualifications. Early-career professionals can mentor students and any member with relevant experience can apply. You just need a willingness to share it.

    Yes. Both mentors and mentees can log their mentoring activity as CPD. Record your preparation time, meetings and any follow-up actions.

    Yes. A mentor can help you identify the skills and experience you need, support you through the process and help you build confidence along the way.

    You can end the relationship at any time and find a new match. There’s no obligation to continue if it’s not the right fit.

    Around one hour per month is typical. You and your mentor or mentee agree the frequency and format that works for you both – it’s flexible by design.

    Yes. IOSH mentoring supports online and in-person meetings. This makes it accessible for members wherever they are in the world.

    Most relationships run for six to 12 months. You agree the duration with your mentor or mentee. Some continue informally after the formal period ends.

    Mentoring involves sharing personal experience and knowledge to guide someone’s development.

    Coaching focuses on unlocking someone’s own thinking through questioning and reflection.

Get involved

See also

  • Member benefits
  • Volunteering
  • Future leaders