Portage is a specialist home-visiting educational service, for pre-school aged children with additional support needs and their families. Portage is a partnership between parents and professionals where parents take the lead role. The service aims to provide ideas for practical learning activities and uses a coaching model to increase parents’ confidence in using the Portage small steps to learning approach to support their child’s play, communication and learning. It also aims to support inclusion in the family and the wider community.
Portage recognises that parents know their child best and every stage of the Portage ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ cycle is completed in partnership with parents.
It is available for families who reside in Salford and have a child with developmental delay aged from birth up to five years of age. Careful consideration for suitability of Portage home visiting is given to children accessing childcare provisions on a individual basis in collaboration with the childcare setting and the family.
Portage Practitioners can also offer support around transitions into settings such as nurseries or schools, offer advice/information and signposting on benefits, services and charities available in Salford.
Salford Portage aims to:
- Provide support, advice, and guidance to parents and / or carers.
- Supports parents to acquire the skills necessary to promote their child's development
- Celebrate the child's achievements
- Develop strong partnerships between parents and other professionals
- Signpost families to relevant services and support groups
- Support the inclusion of children with additional needs into early years provisions and schools
What do Portage Home Visitors do?
Portage Home Visitors focus on the development of play, communication, relationships, and learning. They visit children and their families at home, working in partnership with parents or carers to develop play-based activities that support all areas of development. Portage Home Visitors will use information from parents, observations, and appropriate assessment tools to identify goals for future learning. Portage Home Visitors work closely with other practitioners/professionals to ensure a holistic approach to meeting the child's needs. The Portage Home Visitor can also take on the role of lead professional or non-designated key worker when appropriate.
To request the support of a Portage Home Visitor you must meet the following criteria:
- Live in Salford
- The child is under statutory school age
- The child has a special educational need or disability or lifelong genetic learning condition
- Is showing a developmental delay of six months or more in two or more areas of development (or has an identified diagnosis that is likely to result in a delay)
Salford Portage Offer
Home visiting – When not accessing a setting
- Available to children aged five and under and not accessing childcare
- Portage assessments are a standalone full assessment of the child’s development and needs and can take up to six weekly visits to complete.
- Portage interventions will be provided after assessment if appropriate and will be carried out weekly or fortnightly in agreement with the family and reviewed regularly.
- Portage practitioners will work with each family to assess the child’s strengths and needs and then create individual play activities that support the child and family.
- Provide ideas for practical learning activities for the child in their home learning environment.
- A coaching model is used to increase the families confidence in understanding and supporting their child’s developmental needs.
- Provide support advice and guidance to families and where applicable offer non designated Early support key worker service.
- Signpost families to relevant service and support groups i.e. First Steps.
- Support the family to access appropriate childcare (including funding where appropriate) and support transition into the provision.
- To support the graduated approach and Initiate EHCP process at the earliest opportunity – (linked to My Story)
- To complete and gather information to support assessments and referral pathways as required such as: External Early Help Assessment, Portage assessment, Neurodevelopment pathway, education psychologist, physio therapy /Occupational Therapy, Paediatrician, Speech And Language Therapy and Early Support Keyworkers etc.
Home learning and transition support – if attending a setting
- Portage assessments are a standalone full assessment of the child’s development and needs and can take up to six weekly visits to complete.
- Supporting transition into a setting – sharing assessment information and cluster skills to empower settings to take the lead role / linking with Early Years inclusion advisor and multi-agency working.
- Portage practitioners will work with the parents and setting to assess the child’s strengths and needs and then create individual play activities that support the child and family.
- Provide ideas for practical learning activities for the child in their home learning environment.
- A coaching model is used to increase parent’s confidence in understanding and supporting their child’s developmental needs.
- Provide support advice and guidance to parents/carers Signpost families to relevant service and support groups
- To support the graduated approach and support the EHCP process at the earliest opportunity – (linked to My Story)
- To complete and gather information to support assessments and referral pathways as required such as: External Early Help Assessment, Portage assessment, Neurodevelopment pathway, education psychologist, physio therapy /Occupational Therapy, Paediatrician, Speech And Language Therapy and Early Support Keyworkers etc.
First Steps group offer
- Available to children who meet the criteria for portage (whether accessing a portage practitioner or not)
- Access to free first steps groups
- Introduction to the Portage small steps to learning approach
- Opportunities to play and learn with guided support from a Portage practitioner in a safe environment
- Advice, guidance and signposting
- Activities and ideas for home learning
- Meet other families to increase social support networks
- Outdoor and indoor play opportunities
Make a request on the Children's Portal
Comments from parents who have used the service
“Thanks you for everything! Your help, support and encouragement has helped me more than you know. We cannot thank you enough we will miss you R..A…J…and A.”
“Thanks you for all your hard work over the past two years. Has developed a great deal with your support and specialist knowledge. It’s always been a pleasure you coming to visit me and the girls. I hope you continue this good work, and can help other families like mine. Your input has been immense. love N.. S..S.. and H.”
“S.. has helped and encouraged us as parents to adapt to A..needs. A.. development has always progressed even as a surprise to us, but A.. is so shy around people, that first interaction S.. kept her distance until A.. was ready. A.. child play has progressed with portage to let her encourage with other children with S.. visits and help A..is where she needs to be with the effort of S.”
“When K.. first became involved, R.. was a very quiet boy who had little interest in playing. Now he greets her with excitement and a big smile. His nursery place was sorted through portage also which he loves. He has gone from a boy who now plays with a variety of toys happily and confidently and I cant thank them enough for that. He really enjoys his visits and it’s a shame they have to stop.”