Our Portage Worker is Mrs Karen Kitney. She can be contacted through the school on 01775 725566. Please click the button below to view the Portage in Lincolnshire Information Leaflet:
Learning at Home
Parents are the most important teachers for their children. From parents a child learns to walk, talk, to behave socially with others and to develop a whole range of other skills. Mostly children progress through their early years with little difficulty. However, some children may learn at a slower rate or have specific difficulties and parents may become unsure and concerned. The Portage Team’s aim is to help families by working with them in the home and helping them to meet the needs of their child.
What if Portage?
Many parents find that helping their child to succeed in a small way is stimulating and enjoyable. The parents and portage worker find many ways to encourage a child’s development, making it fun for both the child and parents. There are eight Portage Teams in Lincolnshire, each comprising of a Portage Team Coordinator and Portage Home Visitors. The Portage Home Visitors may come from different professional backgrounds such as Health, Social Services or Education. They and the Portage Coordinator are all trained to National Portage Association standards and regularly update and extend their training. The Lincolnshire Portage Association Teams are affiliated to the National Portage Association
Who is it for?
Portage is a home visiting educational service for pre-school children with special needs. These may be learning difficulties, developmental delay or physical handicaps.
Referral to Portage
Children can be referred from birth by parents/carers or any agency involved with the child such as Health Visitors, GP’s, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Paediatricians, Educational Psychologists, Playgroups etc.
How does it work?
The Portage Worker visits the family at home weekly or fortnightly and plans activities with the parent or carer. Every activity is written down, as is every success. Each child’s progress is reviewed at least termly and the need for ongoing Portage is discussed.
Who else is involved?
The Portage Home Visitor regularly meets with other professionals working with pre-school children to share ideas and review progress. These people may include Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and the Educational Psychologists. General discussions take place but direct referrals to these services only occur with parental permission.
What parents think about Portage…
“It has helped me because I can see the improvements and it has given me confidence in my ability to help him.”
“It is done at home within the best environment for one-to-one teaching. Everyone is relaxed which makes things easier.”
“It has taught me to takes things gradually. Before Portage I expected to see an immediate response to certain things. Now, I accept the little things which all add up to succeeding in one big thing later.”
“I look forward very much to my weekly visit. You don’t feel isolated and you know that if you have anything you’re worried about, you can discuss it.”