Portage is a home visiting educational service for pre-school children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) and their families. Portage aims to:
- work with families to support quality of life and experience for themselves and their young children, in which they can learn together, play together, participate and be included in their community in their own right
- play a part in minimising the disabling barriers that confront young children and their families
- support the national and local development of inclusive services for children
Portage workers work alongside parents/carers offering support with practical help and ideas to:
- make learning fun for all the family
- encourage your child’s interests
- promote development
- work closely with other professionals involved with your child
- support transitions into early education settings
Children considered for referral
Your child may be considered for Portage referral if they:
- live in Stockport
- are aged from birth to pre school
- are presenting significant differences in their development which are impacting on their progress/affecting functioning, or have a diagnosed medical condition which is likely to lead to future developmental delay
Stockport Portage service offers:
- home visits
- opportunity groups (stay and play sessions) offering a variety of experiences for families to share together.
- support for families to access any relevant benefits they may be eligible for
- support for families to access early education funded places
- support with transition into early years education
- support in relation to SEND pathways
Each child’s offer will be different depending on their individual needs.
Quotes from families
Jane
The team at Opportunity Group are brilliant, so helpful and understanding and champion our children, cheering them on when they overcome challenges.
Daisy
Our Portage service has been a terrific support to our family. The initial home visit, when L was about 4 months old, was our very first experience of talking about L in a way that felt positive and joyful with someone outside of our family and friend’s network.
Claire
Every family that has the pleasure of working with you is unbelievably lucky. We started the journey lost and with little knowledge of the SEN world. You made the good days awesome and the bad days brighter!
If you’re worried about your child’s development
Contact your local Start Well team to discuss your concerns. This could be your:
- health visitor
- early year’s worker
or - childcare provider
All referrals to Portage are made by a member of the Start Well team using a developmental needs referral form, which is discussed at the Child Development Unit’s (CDU) monthly allocation meeting. A decision will be made about which service will best support your child, including Portage.
Once the referral is accepted a member of the Portage team will contact you within 6 weeks to discuss the referral and next steps.
Reviews and end of Portage support
Your child’s Portage intervention will be reviewed on a regular basis. Support from the team will end when:
- you request a temporary or permanent end to the visits
- developmental progress made by your child means that they no longer need the support of the Portage service
For more information about Portage visit the National Portage Association website.