Portage service

Portage is a home based teaching service for pre-school children (under 3 1/2 years) with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The aim is to help parents and carers support their child's learning.

What is a Portage Home Visitor?

Portage Home Visitors:

• Are experienced in working with families and children with SEND.
• Make learning easier by breaking down skills into small acheivable steps.
• Devise individual teaching plans to include activities which encourage and promote:
• Participation
• Play
• Communication
• Independance
• Learning

How does the Portage Service work?

• Following referral your child will be offered a play based assessment within the home to determine suitability for further home visits.
• Our Portage Service has various pathways and ways of working with you. The appropriate pathway will be discussed during the assessment.
• Your Portage home visitor will focus on what your child can do and incorporate their interests to develop their skills.
• Your Portage home visitor will visit your home on a weekly basis for a cycle of support (to be discussed during assessments).
• Your Portage home visitor will prepare a support plan including long term goals and activities to promote learning through play.
• Following the initial cycle of home visits there will be a break to enable you to practice strategies and activities suggested during the home visits. A further cycle of support may be offered if deemed appropriate (this will be discussed during the sessions).
• If your child attends nursery, or is about to start, the Portage home visitor will also visit nursery to share strategies and ensure staff teams understand your child's individual needs.

Criteria and how to refer

• We have an open referral policy which means we accept referrals from parents, carers and professionals. The child must have a home address in Northumberland.
• The child mut be under 3 1/2 years with a significant delay in 2 (or more) areas of their development, which is impacting upon their learning, or the child has a diagnosed medical condition, which is generally recognised and is likely to lead to future significant development delay.
• Parents and carers must be available to engage in a block of Portage home visits and have the desire to practice learning activities and strategies in between visits.

Helpful documents and  referral form

• complete the online referral form below

Please click here for the Portage referral form.

Information and privacy

Information for service users and/or adults with parental responsibility for the service user, in accordance with GDPR:

• Please click here to find out how we handle your data.

Please click on the blue drop down boxes below to find out more about Portage, such as withdrawal from the Portage service and Portage training.