Structured, low-pressure real-world activities delivered using pathways, designed to help children, young people and young adults build confidence, communication, independence and belonging at their own pace.
The Manor works with families, schools, SENCOs, inclusion teams, Alternative Provision partners, SEND organisations, therapists, parent-carer groups and community partners to provide safe, practical and enjoyable sessions in Farnham.
An Inclusive Hub For Schools • SEND • Alternative Provision • Community
The Hub
The Manor is a neurodivergent-centred inclusive play, skills and progress hub in Farnham, offering structured Pathways that support confidence, communication, independence, social participation, employability and real-world readiness.
The Hub brings together a wide range of practical, creative, social and skills-based opportunities, including tabletop roleplay, Dungeons & Dragons, chess, cooking lessons, practical life skills, employability tasks, customer service practice, venue skills, digital media, creative design, model-making, brick-building, escape-style challenges, social confidence sessions and partner-led specialist provision, alongside leisure-based activities such as karaoke, indoor golf, interactive darts and shuffleboard.
For some children and young people, mainstream classrooms, traditional sports, busy social spaces or standard activity clubs can feel difficult. The Manor offers a calmer, more structured alternative where participants can engage through interests, practise real-world skills, build confidence at their own pace and experience positive achievement in a supportive environment.
Person-Centred
Every participant arrives with different interests, communication styles, confidence levels, sensory preferences, support needs and past experiences. That is why The Manor is designed around the person first.
The activity is only the starting point. The real value is helping each young person or young adult find a way to participate that feels safe, dignified and achievable.
For one person, progress might mean joining a group game. For another, it might mean entering the building, watching first, asking for help, taking a break, trying one turn, staying for longer than last time or choosing to return.
At The Manor, participation does not have to look the same for everyone.
We help participants understand what to expect before and during sessions.
Participants can choose how they join in, whether that means watching, trying, joining a pair, taking a role or stepping back.
Support is offered in a way that avoids embarrassment, pressure or forcing someone to perform socially.
Small steps matter. We recognise confidence, communication, regulation and participation in ways that are meaningful to the individual.
Our Approach
Our approach is built around a simple principle: predictability, choice, dignity, safety and real participation before performance.
We gather practical information about interests, communication style, sensory preferences, support needs and what helps the participant feel safe.
Where helpful, we can provide photos, visit information, session structure, staff introductions and clear expectations before the first visit.
Participants can watch, try with support, work alongside others, join a small group, take a role or step away when needed.
Facilitators use calm, clear and respectful support. We avoid forced introductions, forced eye contact, rushed decisions or unnecessary pressure.
Breaks, quiet spaces, reduced demands and alternative activities are treated as part of participation, not failure.
Progress may include asking for help, trying something new, returning after a break, joining a peer activity, handling change or staying engaged for longer.
What we learn from each session helps shape future support, activity choices and next steps.
Participation Modes
Joining in does not have to mean the same thing for every person. The Manor uses flexible participation modes so young people and young adults can engage in ways that match their confidence, communication style and support needs.
I can observe first before deciding whether to join.
I can take part with help from a facilitator, parent, carer or support worker.
I can do an activity near others without needing to talk or join a group immediately.
I can choose from different activity options, roles or challenge levels.
I can join a pair or small group with clear structure and support.
I can explain, host, present, help another participant or take responsibility when ready.
I can step away, regulate and return without it being treated as failure.
First Visit
For many neurodivergent young people and young adults, the hardest part is not always the activity itself. It can be the uncertainty of a new place, new people, noise, transitions or not knowing what will happen. That is why first visits can be planned to reduce uncertainty and pressure.
Support Profile
To support a more personalised experience, participants can complete a simple My Manor Profile before attending. This is not a clinical assessment. It is a practical support profile that helps us understand how each person is most likely to feel safe, prepared and able to participate.
What I enjoy
What makes me anxious
How I prefer to communicate
Whether I like to watch first
My sensory preferences
What helps me take part
What staff should avoid doing
What helps me recover if overwhelmed
Activities I might like to try
What a good session would look like for me
Who It's For
Our sessions may be suitable for children, young people and young adults who would benefit from a predictable, low-pressure environment where they can take part in a way that matches their confidence, communication style and support needs.
Sessions can be adapted for different age groups, support needs and confidence levels.
Whether you are a parent, school, AP provider, therapist or community partner, we are happy to start with a conversation about what the young person needs before recommending a session.
The Hub Offer
The Inclusive Play & Skills Hub is organised around 8 structured Pathways that help participants build confidence, communication, social connection, creativity, independence, employability, wellbeing, practical skills, STEM confidence and nature-based learning. Each Pathway brings together activities that can be adapted for different ages, confidence levels, support needs and session objectives.
Some Pathways use The Manor's existing spaces and resources, while others are delivered through specialist partners and visiting practitioners. Pathways may include tabletop roleplay, Dungeons & Dragons, chess, cooking and food confidence, employability tasks, practical life skills, creative and digital projects, maker/STEM learning, nature-based activities and supported leisure activities such as karaoke, indoor golf, interactive darts and shuffleboard.
Some activities, including animal care, food-related sessions, practical workshop skills, hydroponics, electronics, VR/AR and specialist technology sessions, may require additional equipment, qualified partners, enhanced risk assessments, consent, allergy checks, animal welfare checks, or support staff from the referring organisation.
Pathway 01
Helps participants practise everyday public, social and communication situations in a safe, predictable and supportive environment. Especially relevant for those who find new places, group situations, transitions, public speaking, asking for help or communicating needs difficult.
Activities & example tasks
Pathway 02
Structured, age-appropriate and inclusive opportunities to enjoy activities, build friendships, practise teamwork and experience belonging — without the pressure of mainstream clubs or highly competitive environments.
Activities & example tasks
Pathway 03
Supports self-expression, creativity, communication, confidence and digital skills through media, content creation, music, storytelling, design and creative production.
Activities & example tasks
Pathway 04
Helps older participants build practical work-readiness, confidence, communication and responsibility through real or simulated tasks linked to hospitality, customer service, events, enterprise, administration and venue operations.
Activities & example tasks
Pathway 05
Supports everyday life skills, independence, decision-making and confidence in community settings. Particularly relevant for teenagers, young adults, school avoiders, AP learners and those preparing for adulthood.
Activities & example tasks
Pathway 06
Supports emotional regulation, sensory confidence, physical confidence, low-pressure movement and wellbeing. Designed around choice, consent and dignity — avoiding forced participation or overly competitive formats.
Activities & example tasks
Pathway 07
Hands-on learning through making, building, coding, designing, repairing, experimenting, problem-solving and applied technology. Well suited to participants who enjoy practical learning, systems, engineering, construction, digital creation, special interests, tangible outcomes or structured problem-solving.
Activities & example tasks
Pathway 08
Supports confidence, responsibility, sensory exploration, wellbeing and practical learning through nature-based activities, growing projects, plant care, sustainability, animal care and hands-on environmental science. Especially suitable for participants who respond well to calmer, tactile, nurturing or observation-based activities.
Activities & example tasks
Some future activities may require specialist partners, additional equipment, enhanced risk assessments, qualified practitioners or referring organisations to provide appropriate support staff.
Cross-Pathway
Across the Pathways, participants may have opportunities to build confidence, communication, teamwork, social interaction, self-advocacy, emotional regulation, independence, creativity, digital confidence, practical life skills, employability, problem-solving and real-world readiness.
Approach
Activity-led sessions can make confidence-building feel more natural, practical and enjoyable. Young people do not always need to sit in a classroom or talk directly about confidence to build it. They can practise communication, turn-taking, patience, decision-making, regulation, teamwork and problem-solving through games, creative projects, venue-based tasks, movement, storytelling, digital media, practical skills and real-world scenarios.
Tabletop games and roleplay are one well-loved route into participation at The Manor, but they are only one part of a wider neurodivergent-centred activity model that adapts around the individual.
Communication
Turn-taking
Teamwork
Creativity
Problem-solving
Confidence
Hybrid Sessions
One of The Manor's most distinctive offers is the ability to combine tabletop storytelling with real venue activities. Young people can solve a clue at the table, then complete a golf, darts or shuffleboard challenge as part of the story.
A tabletop story where young people complete real The Manor challenges as part of the adventure. Solve a clue, complete a darts challenge, use shuffleboard to cross the "bridge", then complete a golf simulator target challenge to finish the mission.
Young people build part of a fantasy world, obstacle, castle or quest location, then use it as part of a tabletop story or team challenge.
The group solves puzzles, unlocks clues and completes physical or digital challenges around the venue.
Older pupils design their own simple game rules, then compare them to real-world activity scoring systems such as golf, darts or shuffleboard.
This creates a unique mix of storytelling, creativity, movement, digital scoring and social confidence work.
What To Expect
Welcome and check-in
Clear session expectations
Warm-up activity or story recap
Main tabletop session, activity rotation or group challenge
Individual, team or story-based challenge
Reflection and feedback
Summary for school or provider where required
We aim to keep sessions predictable, structured and positive, while still making them enjoyable and engaging.
Outcomes
Our sessions are designed to support positive engagement and meaningful participation in a practical, enjoyable environment. Progress may look different for each person. Depending on the participant and selected Pathway, progress may include:
Entering a new space with less support
Watching before joining in
Asking for help
Using a break strategy
Trying one new activity
Taking turns
Managing frustration
Returning after a break
Joining a peer activity
Communicating a preference
Completing a shared task
Building confidence through repeated attendance
Practising independence
Developing practical or employability skills
Feeling safe enough to come back
Where required, we can provide brief session notes, attendance records and end-of-programme feedback for schools or partner organisations.
Progress & Evidence
The Manor is designed to help participants build confidence, communication, regulation, social participation, independence and real-world readiness through structured, activity-led sessions.
To help make this progress visible, we use the Ember Journey Dashboard as a structured way to capture real-life observations, session progress and outcome evidence where appropriate.
The dashboard is designed to help parents, schools, AP providers, therapists and partner organisations better understand how a young person is engaging, participating and developing over time.
Most progress does not happen only on paper. It can be seen when a young person enters a new space with less support, asks for help, joins a group activity, handles a change, recovers after frustration, communicates a need or contributes to a shared task.
The Ember Journey Dashboard helps us capture and organise these real-life moments so they can be reviewed, understood and shared appropriately.
Parents and carers can better understand what happened during a session, what progress was observed, what support was needed and what next steps may help.
Schools, SENCOs, inclusion teams and AP providers can receive structured evidence that supports review conversations, re-engagement planning and wider provision discussions.
Where appropriate, therapists and SEND professionals can use structured session observations to understand how a participant responds in real-world, activity-led settings.
Charities, youth organisations, funded programmes and community partners can better evidence the impact of inclusive, activity-led provision.
Participants take part in a structured Hub activity or Pathway session.
Relevant moments of confidence, communication, participation, regulation and independence are noted.
The Ember Journey Dashboard helps organise observations into meaningful outcome areas.
Where agreed, parents, schools, AP providers or partners can receive suitable progress summaries.
Progress evidence can help shape future sessions, support strategies or wider pathway planning.
Safeguarding and boundaries
The Ember Journey Dashboard supports structured observation and progress tracking. It does not diagnose, provide therapy, replace safeguarding judgement, replace school records or replace professional assessment. Information is shared only where appropriate and with suitable consent, safeguarding and data protection controls.
Our 4-Week Re-Engage and Confidence Pilot
Pilot Programme
The Manor offers a 4-week pilot programme for schools, SEND organisations, Alternative Provision partners and community groups. The pilot helps partners test whether the Inclusive Play & Skills Hub is a good fit for their pupils, service users or young people before committing to longer-term provision. The pilot can be shaped around one or more Pathways depending on the group's age, needs and intended outcomes.
Pilot focus options
Week 1
Young people are introduced to the venue, facilitators, activities, session structure and support options.
Week 2
Activities focus on interaction, listening, patience, group decision-making, asking for help and peer encouragement.
Week 3
Young people practise managing challenge, frustration, transitions, puzzle-solving, teamwork and trying again.
Week 4
The group completes a final challenge, project, quest, activity rotation, presentation or confidence task and reflects on progress.
Trust & Safety
The Manor takes safeguarding and participant wellbeing seriously.
For school, SEND and council-linked sessions, we can provide:
We can use the Ember Journey Dashboard to support structured progress notes, outcome observations and appropriate reporting for parents, schools, AP providers, therapists and partner organisations.
Important note
For children who require 1:1 support, personal care, high-risk behaviour support or specialist supervision, the referring school, provider or organisation must provide the appropriate support staff and information unless agreed separately in advance.
Disclaimer
The Manor does not provide formal education, clinical therapy, personal care, specialist SEND assessment or behaviour intervention unless separately arranged through appropriately qualified partners.
Our intent
The Manor's approach is designed to support participation, confidence and belonging. It does not aim to force masking, normalise behaviour or make every young person participate in the same way.
Partners
We work with schools, SENCOs, inclusion teams, Alternative Provision providers, SEND organisations, therapists, charities, parent-carer groups and local authority-linked programmes that are looking for structured Pathway-based provision.
The Manor can support confidence, communication, participation, independence, employability, practical life skills, social belonging and real-world readiness through sessions shaped around the needs of the young person or group.
Primary schools
Secondary schools
SENCOs and inclusion teams
Alternative Provision providers
SEND organisations
Youth organisations
Parent-carer groups
Local authority-linked programmes
Holiday activity providers
Community wellbeing partners
We are open to one-off visits, low-pressure first visits, 4-week pilots, recurring Pathway sessions, employability programmes, life skills sessions, tabletop roleplay and chess clubs, cooking and practical skills sessions, holiday provision, membership routes and wider partnership programmes.
For organisations that need more than attendance records, The Manor can support structured progress tracking through the Ember Journey Dashboard. This can help partners evidence participation, confidence, communication, regulation, independence and real-world readiness across suitable sessions or programmes.
Pricing
Pricing
Every young person, group and organisation will have different needs, so we shape session proposals around the level of support required, the selected Pathway, group size, session length, staffing, preparation and any reporting needs.
We are happy to discuss options for:
Sessions may be funded by parents/carers, schools, Alternative Provision providers, SEND organisations, charities, local authority-linked programmes, personal budgets or other partner organisations.
Because suitability, support needs and session goals can vary significantly, we recommend starting with a short conversation. We can then suggest the most appropriate format and provide a clear proposal.
Suitable for schools, parent-carer groups, SEND organisations or young people who want to try the Hub before committing to a longer programme.
Suitable for recurring Dungeons & Dragons, Quest Club, gaming, creative, social confidence or Pathway-based sessions.
Suitable for schools, AP providers and organisations that want to test whether the Hub is a good fit for a group before considering longer-term provision.
A fuller membership option for individuals or families who want regular access to Inclusive Hub activities, clubs and events across the Pathways.
Full membership does not automatically include activities delivered by external partners, specialist practitioners or separately funded programmes. Where partner-led events are not included, discounted member access may be offered.
Suitable where smaller groups, additional preparation, enhanced support, specialist partners or more detailed reporting may be required.
Where children or young people require 1:1 support, personal care, high-risk behaviour support or specialist supervision, this must be provided or funded by the referring organisation unless agreed separately in advance.
Membership does not replace individual suitability assessment, safeguarding judgement or support planning. Some activities may require parent/carer attendance, referring organisation support staff, additional consent, specialist supervision or partner-led delivery.
Credibility
The Manor is designed around the young person, not just the session. Our approach combines low-pressure first visits, practical support profiles, flexible participation modes, structured Pathways, safeguarding-aware planning and real-world opportunities to build confidence, independence and belonging.
Why partners choose The Manor
Community Consultation
We are gathering feedback from parents/carers, young adults, therapists, SEND professionals, charities and community groups to understand which Pathways, activities and support options would be most useful. This includes confidence-building, social belonging, digital creativity, employability, independent living, wellbeing, STEM, practical technology and nature-based learning.
The survey takes around 10–15 minutes and can be completed anonymously.
Start the Conversation
Send a quick enquiry and we can help guide you.
Whether you are a parent, carer, school, AP provider, therapist, charity or community partner, you do not need to have everything worked out before getting in touch. Tell us who you are, what you are interested in, and we can help suggest the most suitable next step.
Best if you want to ask a question, plan a first visit, discuss suitability, or understand which pathway may be most appropriate.
Best if you are a school, AP provider, SEND organisation, therapist or parent/carer ready to share more information about needs, support, preferred sessions, pathways or progress tracking.
Quick Enquiry
Use this short form if you would like to start a conversation. We can follow up to gather more detail if needed.
Detailed Enquiry
If you are ready to share more information about support needs, preferred pathways, first visit preferences, membership, progress tracking or partnership options, you can complete the detailed form below.
You can also use the Quick Enquiry form above if you would prefer to start with a shorter message.
We would be happy to discuss a one-off visit, a 4-week Pathway pilot, a weekly club or a longer-term partnership shaped around your participants' needs.