Specialist DSA support
available nationwide.

You check availability

Email admin@mangominds.co.uk with location, support type, delivery preference and hours. We reply with whether we have a suitable practitioner — not just whether we have capacity in general.

The student gets in touch

Once funding is confirmed, the student contacts us or we contact them, whichever the entitlement letter specifies.

We match and start

We match on support type, condition experience and availability, then schedule a first session. Usually within two weeks of the report and funding confirmation.

Support runs

Weekly sessions with the same practitioner for the length of the award. We flag early if attendance drops rather than quietly burning the hours.

Every practitioner working with students clears an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references before taking on a student.

Students stay with the same person throughout. No rotating pool, no restarting the relationship each term.

If the fit is wrong we change it quickly, without requiring the student to make a case for it.

Professional records kept throughout; attendance and hours confirmed on request.

We say when something needs a different kind of help. We would rather decline a referral than take hours we cannot serve well.

Mostly online across the whole UK, with in-person options in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London.

How quickly can support start after a referral?

Usually within two weeks of receiving the needs assessment report and confirmation of funding, and often sooner. The limiting factor is practitioner availability in the student’s support type, which is why we ask for the support type and location when you check capacity rather than confirming in the abstract.

What qualifications do your practitioners hold?

Our practitioners hold relevant qualifications or substantial demonstrable experience in mentoring, mental health, education or a related field, with experience supporting students with disabilities, mental health conditions or specific learning difficulties. Autism-specific support is delivered by practitioners with qualifications or significant demonstrable experience in autism support.

Are your practitioners DBS checked?

Yes. Everyone working with students is subject to satisfactory references and an enhanced DBS check before they take on any student.

Does the student keep the same practitioner throughout?

Yes. Students are matched with one practitioner and stay with them for the duration of their support. We do not operate a rotating pool, because continuity is most of what makes mentoring effective.

What happens if the match is not right?

We rematch, promptly and without requiring the student to justify it. A poor match is a practical problem rather than a complaint, and we would rather fix it in week three than lose the student’s remaining hours to a relationship that is not working.

Do you provide session records?

Yes. Practitioners keep clear, professional session records, and we can confirm attendance and hours used on request. We do not share the content of sessions without the student’s consent, other than where safeguarding requires it.

What is your rate?

£55 per hour plus VAT, flat across every DSA support type we deliver. Where in-person support requires significant travel, a higher rate or additional cost may apply — contact us to discuss location-specific availability.

Do you carry out needs assessments?

No. Mango Minds delivers support only. We do not carry out DSA needs assessments, diagnostic assessments, assistive technology assessments or training, and we are not a medical, therapeutic or counselling service.

Can you support students outside England?

Yes. We deliver across the UK, including students funded through SAAS, Student Finance Wales and Student Finance NI. Most support is online, which is what makes nationwide coverage possible.

How do I check availability?

Email admin@mangominds.co.uk with the student’s location, the support type recommended, online or in-person preference, the number of hours, and any key access requirements. We confirm whether we have suitable practitioner availability, rather than accepting a referral we cannot staff well.