The Portage Team

Portage is a home visiting service for pre-school children, aged 0-5, with special educational needs or a disability (SEND). The team provide regular home visits which aim to:

• support the development of play, communication, relationships, and learning for your child(ren)
• support you and your child to participate in local activities
• work to support you in taking the lead role in your child’s development
• help you to identify what is important to you and your child, and set out some personal goals for learning and participation.

Portage is based on the principle that you, as a parent, are the key figure in the care and development of your child.  The team works in partnership with parents/carers and other agencies and information is shared with nursery, schools and other early years settings to provide continuous support for your child.

Visits

The Portage worker will have lots of good ideas which will help you to find out and build on what your child can already do.

Each visit will have:

• a family focus
• time spent sharing and addressing family priorities
• child-led play
• time spent reviewing and planning opportunities for independent play
• structured teaching
• time spent reviewing and planning your child’s progress and deciding on an activities for you to do with your child at home.

You can work together to record special moments in your child’s development creating memories and a shared record of what happens over the time you work together.

Activities are based on play and grounded in everyday situations to provide fun and success for your child.