How much do sessions cost? Privately funded sessions start at £24 (including VAT) for 30 mins. 1 hour sessions are £48 (including VAT). School/Council Funded sessions are  £25 (excluding VAT) for 30 mins. 1 hour sessions are £50 (excluding VAT).

How long do sessions last? Sessions occur within 30 minutes and 1 hour slots. 

The minimum time provided in a 30 minute time slot is 28 mins. 

The minimum time slot provided in an hour slot is 55 mins.

Sessions may still go up to the full amount of time depending on the activity. However, the difference is to enable mentors to write up notes, correspond to parents/carers and to allow a transition between sessions.

We recommend at least an hour per week to allow more time for mentees to get the most from the sessions. 

Can I have more than one session per week? Of course. We have some children that have two, three, even four sessions per week. Please note that this is dependent on mentor availability. 

How long do I need to have sessions for? This is at the discretion of the parent/carer and the needs of the mentee. There is no minimum or maximum length of time over which to have sessions. Some mentees benefit from a few months of sessions, whilst many benefit from being with us long-term. 

Can I request a specific mentor? Unfortunately not. Although please know that we always strive to place all our mentees with the best fit mentor.

You are more than welcome to suggest a mentor that you think would be a good fit in your questionnaire. However, there is no guarantee that a place with a requested mentor would be available.

Who do I talk to about my young person’s session? Your primary contact for your sessions is your young person’s mentor. Please contact them if you wish to discuss sessions. They will be more than happy to accommodate any changes that may be needed.

My young person hasn’t started talking about their worries / When does the therapy start? Firstly MindJam mentors are not therapists, we are mentors. We can support and guide your young person but we cannot force them to do anything they do not want to.

The therapeutic  aspect of the sessions comes through MindJam’s ethos – one-to-one, child-led, low demand sessions. Providing support through non-judgemental, enthusiastic, and positive role modelling to build understanding, confidence, self-esteem and belief in their own abilities is our top priority. 

The time it takes for a young person to feel comfortable enough to open up about their worries or emotions can vary from individual to individual. Some may open up instantly, some may take time. Some may require some prompting. Please contact your young person’s mentor to discuss any concerns regarding this. 

I want my child to learn a skill with MindJam, is this possible? It is. All our mentors will be able to guide mentees in developing  a skill, whether that is coding, game design, digital art, video editing or music editing.

We try to match mentees with mentors that have knowledge of the skill they wish to learn. However, we’ve also found that a peer-to-peer relationship where the mentor and mentee learns together works well if neither have prior knowledge or a limited knowledge of that skill.

My young person hasn’t started learning a skill yet, why not? Please speak to your mentor about possible ways we can help engage your young person in developing a skill as we have techniques that may spark their interest. However, we can only guide, we cannot force. A skill based session cannot take place if your young person doesn’t want to do it. 

Is my child safe in the sessions? Absolutely. All our mentors have an enhanced DBS, received regular safeguarding training and are trained in online safety. Mentors are able to guide their mentees in how to be safe online. If you have a particular concern about online safety please do not hesitate to contact your young person’s mentor, who will be able to assist you.

How would my child communicate in sessions? That is entirely up to the mentee and what they would feel most comfortable with. We use video chat, voice chat or text chat. 

For Xbox and PlayStation we can use the in-built voice/text chat functions. For PC, Nintendo Switch and mobile/tablet gaming we use Google Meets and Discord. Over platforms can be used.

Please note that although Discord is a popular platform that many young people prefer to use, it is a social media platform that has an age restriction of 13+ and carries the same risks associated with other social media platforms. For more information click here.

Who do I contact if I want feedback on the sessions or if I have a concern/problem? Your primary contact is your child’s mentor. Please contact them  regarding any questions you have. If they are unable to answer they will pass it onto a senior mentor. 

When will I receive my invoice? Invoices for the month are sent at the beginning of the following month. For example, January’s sessions are invoiced at the start of February. 

If your sessions are funded please let us know where to send the invoice. 

How do I get my sessions funded? Many sessions are funded through EHCP or EOTAS plans. We are an approved provision for many Local Authorities. In our experience, it is more beneficial for the request to local authorities or school for funding to be made by parents/carers. 

It can be helpful to forward the following document to your point of contact when requesting funding for MindJam sessions.