Portage is a home based service for pre-school children with significant additional needs.

Portage Visitors assess the needs of the child and work in partnership with their parents to build on their abilities and develop new skills.  Portage Visitors and parents discuss and agree long term goals.

The Portage Visitors then outline carefully structured activities to enable parents to support and encourage effective learning for their child.

Criteria for access

Children can be referred to the service by a direct referral to the service from a parent or professional, for example Health Visitor or Speech and Language physio. 

Portage offers a variety of services to stakeholders:

• Work alongside parents to develop understanding of and activities for their child

• Consultation with multi-agency professionals

• Portage workshop training for those wishing to train as Portage Home Visitors

Targeted Services

• Supporting parents with personalised targeted strategies and activities for their child

• Working alongside Health, Care and Social Care to support parents and children

• Training for parents / carers / professionals, eg. Portage Workshop

• Transition planning towards educational settings for children within the service

• Planning towards the FSA (Formal Statutory Assessment) / EHCP (Education Health Care Plan) process