BLOCKS

Blocks is a 1-to-1 mentoring programme to gives 8-11 year olds in North and East Manchester all the tools they need to move to high school effectively.

The project creates a positive, trusted, and supportive environment for young people, where they can build essential life skills, emotional resilience, and confidence through consistent mentoring and structured support.

Subjects covered by Blocks includes:

Confidence
Self-esteem
Managing difficult emotions
Healthy relationships
Coping strategies
Planning for their future at high school

The project runs for the duration of the whole school academic year, with support also being available in school holidays, and is commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority in partnership with Salford Foundation.

We also deliver and support a small Blocks cohort of young people in Salford.

Blocks Explained

Blocks Outline Curriculum – developing social, emotional and personal skills

My Identity focuses on the young person’s self-perception, giving them a deeper understanding of themselves, teaching techniques for identifying and managing emotions, and building self-esteem. This sets a foundation for understanding how factors identified in future sessions impact their emotional health.

My Relationships teaches them how to identify red flags in a relationship including conversations around power and coercion, discusses who their positive role models are, and has them consider which of their relationships are healthy. It also gives the young people tips on how to express concerns they have about specific relationships in a healthy way.

My Environment applies the previous two categories to their usual environments, such as school, home, and any outside activities they participate in. This also helps the young people identify safe places they can go to, and safe people within those places. The emotional health exercises from the first few weeks are applied here.

My Future identifies the young peoples’ future aspirations. This involves setting goals and a vision for their future and thinking about how they will apply what they have learned in the sessions to any future challenges they face.

Manchester Blocks Case Study

Freddie’s Story

‘Freddie’ was referred to Blocks as he was involved in numerous fights both in and out of school. He spent significant amounts of time unsupervised in the local area, particularly in a local park that is a hot-spot for drug dealing, violent incidents and sex work.

He was seen as being at high risk of exploitation as he struggled to establish healthy relationships and boundaries. He was involved in a ‘prank’ in which he was ‘kidnapped’ by an older young person and tied to a radiator – all of which was filmed for sharing on social media.

Freddie gradually built a trusting relationship with his mentor and began to explore emotions; healthy relationships; setting boundaries; and anger management. In particular, Freddie learnt practical strategies and techniques he could use when situations began to escalate. Since participating in Blocks, Freddie’s school report that he is calmer, more self-assured and that he has not been involved in any fights.