MindJam

MindJam Logo

Our Service


MindJam offers emotional support, mentoring and guidance through gaming and game design. 

Our approach is positive, gentle encouragement with no demands. We can look at any aspect of computers, from playing and chatting together in favourite games such as Minecraft, Fortnite and Roblox, to learning Java, hosting a server, modding, creating games in Roblox Studio and Dreams, coding games in Python and Lua, video editing, animation, digital art, music, Esports, using Scratch, modelling in Blender, becoming trained and certified as a junior programmer in Unity and helping aim towards further education and employment.    The purpose is to build self esteem, confidence, recognise skills and abilities and talk through anxieties, worries and goals whilst engaging in games and other interests. All our mentors are very experienced and trained in working with autistic young people and other conditions such as adhd, anxiety, trauma, ptsd and pda. Through positive, non-judgemental social interaction, tuition and play, we aim to provide the right support for their individual needs, whilst also providing an educational benefit through furthering skills in gaming, game design and coding.   Sessions are online and 121, and we can connect on whichever platform your young person is most comfortable with. We support young people aged between 6 and 25 years.   We’re based in Lincoln, but, as sessions are online, we provide them all over the world. We work with many UK local authorities including Essex, Surrey, North Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, Nottinghamshire, Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Doncaster, BCP, Hampshire, Cornwall, plus many schools and specialist provisions. We work with the NHS, Sony, BAFTA, Media Molecule, Red Balloon Learner Centre, and the PDA Society.  We also support young people in the US, Australia, New Zealand and throughout Europe.    Costs

Privately funded 1 hour sessions are £48 including VAT. 30 minute sessions are £24 including VAT.
School/ Council funded 1 hour sessions are £50 excluding VAT. 30 minute sessions are £25 excluding VAT. We recommend at least 1 hour per week.    We are also offering online group D&D sessions through our MindJam Adventure Guild for our mentees. One-off trial sessions are £36 including VAT, and a campaign consisting of ten consecutive sessions (pausing for school-holidays) is £360. This is an optional activity to do alongside your normal sessions.    Similarly, we can offer support in gaining entry level qualifications through ASDAN should the young person wish to do so. These are approximately £5 to £30 per module, including learning materials, and from £0 to £4 per certificate. These can be done during session time with the mentor. 

Who to contact

Contact Name
Dan Clark
Contact Position
Business Owner
Telephone
01522 462978 01522 462978
E-mail
hello@mindjam.org.uk
Website
MindJam's website
Scan to visit this website

Where to go

Name
Online

Costs

Costs
£50  Per hour
Details

Privately funded 1 hour sessions are £48 including VAT. 30 minute sessions are £24 including VAT. School/ Council funded 1 hour sessions are £50 excluding VAT. 30 minute sessions are £25 excluding VAT. We recommend at least 1 hour per week. We are also offering online group D&D sessions through our MindJam Adventure Guild for our mentees. One-off trial sessions are £36 including VAT, and a campaign consisting of ten consecutive sessions (pausing for school-holidays) is £360. This is an optional activity to do alongside your normal sessions. Similarly, we can offer support in gaining entry level qualifications through ASDAN should the young person wish to do so. These are approximately £5 to £30 per module, including learning materials, and from £0 to £4 per certificate. These can be done during session time with the mentor.

Availability

Age Ranges
6-25
Referral required
No
Other notes

“We are so grateful that MindJam Dan came into our lives. My son has had an extremely difficult few years, Dan has brought fun and laughter back into my son's life on a regular basis. This is no mean feat, particularly after the added stress of lockdown. My son is 11, has been having a weekly session with Dan since January 2021. My son is autistic, demand avoidant, and highly anxious. He’s had dreadful experiences in education. Dan is enthusiastic, happy, accommodating of my son's needs, understands his needs better than most people. Dan uses his understanding of autism and wellbeing, and his shared passion for gaming to connect and build trust with my son. Dan has had the most success with my son of all the professionals that have worked with him since he became too anxious for school. My son looks forward to his sessions and wishes he could have more than 1 a week. He frequently asks me when he will be seeing Dan. He creates things in Minecraft in his spare time to share with Dan. My son has built the level of trust in 5 months of weekly sessions, that he can talk to Dan when something is concerning him, which is monumental. After a session with Dan my son’s mood is always lifted. Dan's sessions provide fun, support with wellbeing and also technical knowledge of which I am lacking! Thank you Dan you are the highlight of my son’s week.” - Jess   "My 10 year old son has a very complex profile of autism including extreme PDA and school trauma and he has been having sessions with Dan for 4 months. My son takes a very long time to engage with others (if at all) due to negative experiences in education but he engaged with Dan instantly. I believe this is due to Dan’s approach which is low demand, friendly and responsive, with a manner which exudes unconditional positive regard. Dan always treats him as an equal which is so vital for successful engagement with the PDA profile . He always brings positivity to the sessions without fail. I have been looking for someone like Dan for my son for a number of years and what I have found is that it’s quite rare to find a good fit for an extreme PDA profile with extremely high anxiety. When you do find it, it’s like striking gold! In my experience there are a few key attributes to look for when sourcing a tutor/mentor for a complex profile like my son and they are the right personality, skill, intelligence and shared interests. Mindjam Dan has all of these and more. If Dan doesn’t know something that my son has requested (which isn’t very often) then he will go away and research it meticulously and return with the correct knowledge to inform the session. In the 4 months my son has been working with Dan through the lockdown, he has made excellent progress in that he is now managing the transitions with ease, has been able to compromise in situations and is learning reading, spelling and technical skills all through gaming. My son looks forward to the sessions and through Dan’s patience and understanding when my son’s anxiety has been high, my son is easily able to re-engage with the peace of mind that Dan is someone that he can trust. As a result of the safe and happy space that Dan creates, my son is supported well and as a result this has improved his self esteem and maintained positive mental health during the lockdown. I would highly recommend Dan and I just wish there were more tutors/mentors out there with his profile and skill set. I feel very fortunate that he has come into my son’s life." Written 12.3.21 Best wishes, Joanne Lee

Additional Information

Providing services to
Children
Young people
Disabled children/young people
Notes

“We are so grateful that MindJam Dan came into our lives. My son has had an extremely difficult few years, Dan has brought fun and laughter back into my son's life on a regular basis. This is no mean feat, particularly after the added stress of lockdown. My son is 11, has been having a weekly session with Dan since January 2021. My son is autistic, demand avoidant, and highly anxious. He’s had dreadful experiences in education. Dan is enthusiastic, happy, accommodating of my son's needs, understands his needs better than most people. Dan uses his understanding of autism and wellbeing, and his shared passion for gaming to connect and build trust with my son. Dan has had the most success with my son of all the professionals that have worked with him since he became too anxious for school. My son looks forward to his sessions and wishes he could have more than 1 a week. He frequently asks me when he will be seeing Dan. He creates things in Minecraft in his spare time to share with Dan. My son has built the level of trust in 5 months of weekly sessions, that he can talk to Dan when something is concerning him, which is monumental. After a session with Dan my son’s mood is always lifted. Dan's sessions provide fun, support with wellbeing and also technical knowledge of which I am lacking! Thank you Dan you are the highlight of my son’s week.” - Jess   "My 10 year old son has a very complex profile of autism including extreme PDA and school trauma and he has been having sessions with Dan for 4 months. My son takes a very long time to engage with others (if at all) due to negative experiences in education but he engaged with Dan instantly. I believe this is due to Dan’s approach which is low demand, friendly and responsive, with a manner which exudes unconditional positive regard. Dan always treats him as an equal which is so vital for successful engagement with the PDA profile . He always brings positivity to the sessions without fail. I have been looking for someone like Dan for my son for a number of years and what I have found is that it’s quite rare to find a good fit for an extreme PDA profile with extremely high anxiety. When you do find it, it’s like striking gold! In my experience there are a few key attributes to look for when sourcing a tutor/mentor for a complex profile like my son and they are the right personality, skill, intelligence and shared interests. Mindjam Dan has all of these and more. If Dan doesn’t know something that my son has requested (which isn’t very often) then he will go away and research it meticulously and return with the correct knowledge to inform the session. In the 4 months my son has been working with Dan through the lockdown, he has made excellent progress in that he is now managing the transitions with ease, has been able to compromise in situations and is learning reading, spelling and technical skills all through gaming. My son looks forward to the sessions and through Dan’s patience and understanding when my son’s anxiety has been high, my son is easily able to re-engage with the peace of mind that Dan is someone that he can trust. As a result of the safe and happy space that Dan creates, my son is supported well and as a result this has improved his self esteem and maintained positive mental health during the lockdown. I would highly recommend Dan and I just wish there were more tutors/mentors out there with his profile and skill set. I feel very fortunate that he has come into my son’s life." Written 12.3.21 Best wishes, Joanne Lee

Supporting people with
Challenging behaviour
Learning difficulty
Mental health conditions
Autistic Spectrum Condition
Communication impairment

Actions

Save to Shortlist

Record managed by Oxfordshire Family Information Service

This information has been collected from third party providers and Oxfordshire County Council cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of the information nor does inclusion represent a recommendation or an endorsement. Parents, carers, young people and professionals are recommended to check that organisations and services are appropriate and safe before they attend.
See: Help on how to choose services safely

Last Updated

Last updated:

Skip back to top of page