About West Wilts Portage




Home Learning for Disabled Children - working in partnership with Parents...
Description
What is Portage?

Portage is a specialist home learning service for pre-school children with disabilities/additional needs. It is a small experienced team of Home Visitors who visit families throughout West Wiltshire. Portage believe that parents are the first and best teachers of their children and supports parents to engage their children in play and learning activities, and so take positive steps forward...

Who is Portage for?

Portage visit 0-5 year olds who are experiencing difficulties in their development. Portage visits families with children with a wide range of needs including children with: autism and/or social communication difficulties, physical delay eg through cerebral palsy, global developmental delay, Down's Syndrome, complex needs (physical, medical and sensory), and other genetic conditions/syndromes...
Children do not need a formal diagnosis to access our service.

What does Portage do?

A Portage Home Visitor works with the family to help identify priorities for the child's learning and development. The Portage Home Visitor work with the family either weekly or fortnightly for an agreed period of time. It combines the family's knowledge of the child with the team's experience and expertise and works together to meet the child's unique needs.

The main focus of the visit is to involve the family in the childs learning through play. Portage Home Visitors help parents and families recognise and celebrate each small learning step that the child takes. The aim is to provide positive, purposeful, practical and emotional support to the child and family. Portage Home Visitors liaises with other services that may be working with the child, and help to access other services.

What happens during a Portage visit?

A Portage visit generally lasts between an hour and an hour and a quarter (term time only). During this time the child and family are involved in a variety of play activities, some specific to teaching new skills, sharing information, celebrating successes and supporting the child and family. The Home Visitor will offer support when looking at schools or nurseries, or help to access community facilities such as soft play or swimming.

How to access Portage...

Parents, carers or any other professionals such as Health Visitors, Paediatricians, Therapists or Nursery Practitioners can refer a child to Portage. For a referral form please contact us by telephoning 01225 766500 or emailing www.westwiltsportage@hotmail.co.uk

Registered Charity No: 1108737

No comments:

Post a Comment