Our Services

Relational Mentoring (1:1, 2:1 & Small Group)

Our core mentoring service is a targeted early intervention designed for young people facing complex barriers and risks to engagement. We work alongside schools and partner agencies to strengthen the graduated response, providing therapeutic mentoring, trauma-informed support, and SEMH and SEND focused support and interventions. Our goal is to help pupils remain successfully within their mainstream settings, reducing the need for full-time Alternative Provision.

Part-Time Alternative Provision

We provide structured and planned part-time Alternative Provision (under 15 hours per week) specifically for students who are currently disengaged or at risk of exclusion. These programs are designed to complement—not replace—a student’s core academic studies, providing a high-quality environment that is responsive to SEND and SEMH needs. We aim to re-establish a sense of purpose, improve life skills, resilience, and regulation, while removing barriers and risk to provide educational and personal stability.

AQA Unit Award Scheme Provider

As an approved AQA Unit Award Scheme Centre, EMASS provides young people with the opportunity to earn nationally recognised certificates for their unique skills and achievements through a supportive, exam-free framework. With access to over 18,000 units—ranging from core GCSE-mapped subjects to vocational areas like digital skills, employability, and sport—the scheme is designed to accommodate every level of learning need. By celebrating small steps of progress and offering personalised recognition without the pressure of formal testing, we help build the confidence, self-esteem, and sense of belonging that every young person deserves.

Cultural Identity & Representation Interventions

Drawing on our deep cultural fluency, we provide specialised sessions that utilise identity as a protective factor. By exploring heritage and representation, we support personal development and help young people build the internal resilience necessary to navigate diverse environments with confidence.

Family Support & Systemic Advocacy

Recognising that a child exists within a wider system, we provide strength-based advocacy that extends directly into the home. We act as a vital bridge to ensure the "Voice of the Child and Family" is central to all professional support plans. By empowering parents as partners and stabilizing the "Team Around the Child," we improve family cohesion and long-term well-being. We warmly welcome direct inquiries from parents and carers seeking tailored support for their children.

Activity-Led Engagement

We utilise high-interest activities—ranging from sports, cooking, crafts, museums and music to nature walks, rock climbing, swimming, crabbing, and gaming—as therapeutic vehicles for regulation and trust-building. These are not merely hobbies; they are intentional interventions designed to improve motivation, attendance, and engagement with life skills and learning opportunities provided within these planned activities. With a vast network of community partners, we are exceptionally flexible and can source almost any activity to create a truly person-centred experience.

The Heart of Our Practice: Our Theoretical Framework

While our sessions can be high-energy and activity-led, every intervention is grounded in evidence-based psychological, developmental and educational theories. This ensures our "bottom-up" approach is both safe and effective for young people with complex needs.

• Attachment Theories & The Secure Base: We act as a "secure base," providing the relational stability needed for young people to move from survival mode into a state of growth.
• Polyvagal Theory, Regulation & Resilience: We prioritise nervous system regulation, helping young people navigate out of "fight, flight, or freeze" responses so they can safely build resilience and re-engage with learning and life skill development.
• The PACE Model: Using Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy, we build trusting connections with ‘hard to reach’ young people that minimises shame and fosters deep engagement and connection.
• Social Learning & Asset-Based Pedagogy: we model positive social behaviours, peer interaction & emotional literacy through real-world activities, focusing on a young person's unique identity and strengths as core protective factors. We build on what they can do to foster agency and self-worth.