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For Mel Montgomery, a career in public service has been driven by a simple motivation: helping people while always looking for opportunities to learn something new. Today, she brings both to her role as a Family Mentor, working with children and families across Jersey.
That commitment to making a difference has shaped Mel’s career. Before becoming a Family Mentor, she worked as a Hub Responder within the Children and Families Hub, answering enquiries and taking safeguarding referrals. While the role gave her valuable insight into the challenges families face, she found herself wanting a more direct role in supporting them. Through her work, Mel became familiar with the impact Family Mentors have and saw it as an opportunity to make a meaningful difference. When a position became available, she felt it was the natural next step.
“I realised I missed working directly with families,” she said. “I was confident it would be a good fit for me.”
Today, Mel supports children and young people with additional needs, helping them develop confidence, build emotional resilience and achieve goals that matter to them. Her work can include encouraging young people to share their views and set their own goals, helping them understand and regulate their emotions, establish routines and boundaries, and gain a better understanding of neurodivergence. Alongside this, she works closely with parents and carers, helping them implement strategies at home, access community services and make use of resources tailored to their family’s needs.
Building strong relationships with the children and families she supports is one of the aspects of the role that Mel values most. By taking the time to understand each family’s circumstances, she can provide personalised guidance that reflects their goals and challenges.
“My favourite thing about my job is meeting so many children and families and being able to tailor support to their individual needs. Getting to know the children and families that I work with helps build trusted relationships and makes the support I provide more meaningful and impactful.”
This personalised approach can have a significant impact on both children and their families. By adapting her support to suit individual needs, Mel helps young people build confidence, resilience and emotional wellbeing. For many families, this can make everyday challenges feel more manageable and create positive changes that extend across the wider family.
For parents and carers, having someone who can offer practical guidance and help them navigate different approaches can make a real difference.
“Caregivers are often overwhelmed and confused by the range of information, services and advice available, so having someone work alongside them to tailor support to their child and family can lead to better outcomes,” said Mel.
One case that stands out for Mel involved a young person with autism and ADHD who was struggling to understand and communicate their emotions. The challenges were affecting daily life at home and placing additional pressure on the family. By helping the young person better understand their experiences and identify strategies that worked for them, Mel discovered that much of the language used to describe emotions felt vague and overwhelming.
“We worked together on what would help them,” she said. “Their parent reported that they are able to voice their feelings more now, and they can use strategies to help them calm down that they would previously not acknowledge.”
The positive changes not only improved the young person’s confidence and self-understanding but also had a lasting impact on the wellbeing of the whole family.
Mel’s journey highlights the wide range of opportunities available across the public service. Her advice to anyone considering a similar career is to take the time to explore different areas and gain experience along the way. While every role comes with its own challenges, she believes the opportunity to support Islanders and see the impact of that work first hand makes it a rewarding career path.
Get advice and support
The Children and Families Hub provides advice, guidance and support for parents, carers, children, young people and families across Jersey. Whether you have a concern, need information or are looking for the right support, the team can help you understand the options available and connect you with the services that best meet your family’s needs.
To speak to the Children and Families Hub, call 01534 519000 or email childrenandfamilieshub@gov.je. The team is available Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 5pm, and Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm.
Find out more at gov.je/ChildrenAndFamiliesHub
