Frequently Asked Questions

~ Academic Tutoring: Sessions typically take place in the participant’s home to provide a comfortable, familiar learning environment. However, if a community setting, such as a local library, park, or café, would suit the participant better, alternative locations can be arranged. Sessions can also include real-world, practical learning within the local community, such as purchasing ingredients, managing budgets, calculating cost estimates, or using bus timetables to calculate travel time. These out-and-about activities are only ever undertaken if agreed upon with the client and participant first. ~ Holistic Mentoring: Locations are agreed upon collaboratively between the client, participant, and staff based on the participant's goals and interests. While sessions start and end at the participant’s home, sessions can also take place across a variety of community and outdoor settings, including local parks, nature reserves, farms, libraries, shopping centres, and supermarkets. To help participants access these varied environments and build life skills, sessions may include travel on public transport or in staff's private, fully insured vehicle.

Session lengths depend on the type of support your participant receives: ~ Academic Tutoring: These are charged hourly and are only available after school hours. ~ Holistic Mentoring: This takes place during the standard school day hours and consists of two options: Half-Day: 3 hours (Morning: 8:45 AM – 11:45 AM or Afternoon: 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM) Full Day: 6 hours (9:00 AM – 3:00 PM)

Yes, absolutely. The structure of a 3-hour or 6-hour mentoring session is decided collaboratively by the client, the participant, and staff. We can either set aside a structured period for targeted academic learning within the session or naturally embed Maths and English into the practical outdoor activities. Our sessions are designed to be completely flexible and tailored to the individual—no two sessions look the same. This flexibility underpins the core Roots & Waves ethos: adapting gently to the natural ebb and flow of each participant's needs.

If you would like to arrange Academic Tutoring or Holistic Mentoring outside the school calendar, such as during school holidays, please reach out as this is something we can happily discuss. Sessions outside of term time are arranged on a case-by-case basis depending on staff availability, so please reach out directly to discuss your needs. For EOTIS/EOTAS clients with direct payments, funding strictly covers sessions held within standard school hours and term dates, which is why our core invoicing is structured on a half-term basis.

We always aim to support participants in staying engaged throughout their session by tuning into their interests and listening to how they would like their time to look. This often means pivoting at the last minute to redirect the session towards an activity that better suits their energy and mood that day. Understandably, we all have days that do not go as planned. If a participant still feels unable to engage, staff will use the remaining session time to review their profile, update their documentation, and adapt upcoming session plans to better support their needs going forward.

Yes, absolutely. Clear communication, documentation, and collaborative working are key parts of supporting our participants. To ensure reporting and meeting involvement match the level of support required, clients and participants are categorised into three tiers based on their needs: ~ Roots Clients: Foundational support focusing on verbal feedback and open communication. ~ Branches Clients: Intermediate support including session overviews, half-termly summary reports, and participation in standard/ annual review meetings such as EHCPs. ~ Canopy Clients: Comprehensive, multi-agency support and liaison including in-depth reporting, attendance at complex review meetings, and active contributions to multi-disciplinary team discussions and regular contact with the LA. Staff are available to attend network meetings, annual reviews, and team-around-the-family discussions when scheduled within allocated session time. If a meeting falls outside of session hours, detailed written reports can be provided instead.

Please connect with us to find out more about our prices. Rates vary depending on the service selected, whether Academic Tutoring (charged hourly) or Holistic Mentoring (half-day or full-day blocks), as well as the specific support tier (Roots, Branches, or Canopy) tailored to the participant's needs. Reach out to us directly for an initial consultation, and we can provide a detailed breakdown based on your individual requirements.

Sessions are invoiced and charged on a half-termly basis, aligned with the Sutton academic school calendar. Once an invoice is issued, payment can be made via bank transfer to the account details provided on the invoice. ~Self-funding clients: Invoices are sent directly to you two weeks before the start of each half term. ~ Clients with EOTIS/ EOTAS who hold direct payments: Invoices are sent directly to you two weeks before the start of each half term, which you can then forward to your Local Authority (LA) for proof of services. Please ensure you include your invoice number as the payment reference so we can attribute your payment correctly.

Because our sessions are scheduled and invoiced on a half-termly basis, specific cancellation terms apply depending on the circumstances: ~ Client/Participant Cancellations: Missed or cancelled sessions are non-refundable, as staff time and session preparation are reserved specifically for the participant for that half-term. When a participant is unable to attend, this dedicated time is utilised for the participant’s ongoing case management, session planning, profile updates, and record-keeping. ~ Staff/Service Cancellations: If a session is cancelled by us (for example, due to unforeseen circumstances or staff illness), we will always aim to offer a makeup session. If a makeup session cannot be arranged, a full credit towards the following half-term can be issued or a full refund processed upon request.

Most of our risk assessments, park permissions, land agreements, and funding approvals are established within the London Borough of Sutton, although some of our mentoring activities do extend into the neighbouring areas. If you live outside of the Sutton Borough, or are funded through a different Local Authority, please reach out to us. We are always happy to discuss whether we can accommodate you and explore how we might support you.