SEND - Local offer

To access the service all children must:

• Live in Shropshire or Telford & Wrekin
• Be referred before the age of 30 months (a child will be considered in exceptional circumstances beyond this age)
• Have two or more concerns within their learning and development (including cognition)

All children are referred by:

• Consultant and Community Paediatricians
• The Nurse Consultant for children with complex care needs covering Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin council
• Speech and Language Therapists associated with the First Links Pathway
• The Early Years SEND Team

The team of four consists of a team leader, two full-time home visitors and one part-time home visitor.

The team delivering the service are all Portage trained, experienced and have specialist skills in working with very young children with SEND.

Our offer includes:

• Portage Advice Line
  A one-off phone consultation offering advice, activity ideas, and signposting to other services.
• Short Intervention Programme
  6 - 12 visits focused on specific goals for the child’s development.
• Home Visiting Service
  Regular visits to support the child’s learning and development in the home environment.
• Support in Early Years Settings
  Advice and visits to nurseries or settings where Portage children attend.
• Transition Support
  Organising multi-agency meetings to support children starting a new setting or moving on from Portage.
• Advisory/Play Home Visits
  One-off visits to model activities and suggest ideas to help with learning and development.
• Multi-Disciplinary Meetings
  Attending feedback meetings at Child Development Centres to support joined-up care.
• Reports and Goal Programmes
  Including reports to support Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
• Specialist Support for Down’s Syndrome Pathway
  Supporting children on this pathway through meetings, training, and coordination with professionals and families.

National Portage Association - Support for Parent Carers

What we offer

• Personalised Advice and Support
  Speak with a member of the team for guidance tailored to your child’s needs.
• Practical Activity Ideas
  Suggestions to help support your child’s learning and development at home.
• Information and Signposting
  Details about other services and organisations that can offer additional help, advice, or support for your family.
• Advisory Home Visit
  If needed after the initial phone consultation, a home visit may be arranged to provide further support.

How does it work?

• Request a Call
  Parent carers can email [email protected] to ask for a phone consultation.
• We’ll Get in Touch
  A team member will call to arrange a suitable time for the appointment.
• What to Expect in the Call
  During the call, we’ll learn a little about your child’s history, share activity ideas to support their learning and development, answer any questions or concerns and suggest other services that may be helpful.
• Follow-Up Support
  You’re welcome to contact the advice line again if your child is ready for new ideas or if you need more help with previous suggestions.

What happens during a home visit?

• The home visitor creates tailored teaching activities for your child.
• The home vistor will encourage free play to observe your child and join in.
• The home visitor creates time to support parent carers.
• Skills are broken down into small, manageable steps that can be practised daily.
• During each visit, the home visitor models the activity, then leaves it with the family to practise.
• At the next visit, progress is reviewed and next steps are introduced until the skill is mastered.

Support in Early Years Settings

If your child attends a mainstream setting (e.g. nursery or preschool), the home visitor will:

• Visit once per half term
• Observe and monitor your child’s progress
• Offer advice, outcomes, and activity ideas to support learning
• May provide resources to help your child apply skills in different environments

What happens during the short intervention programme?

• The focus is on specific areas of development, agreed with the family during the initial assessment.
• Each visit lasts about one hour.
• The home visitor will model activities tailored to the child’s needs.
• The home visitor will leave the activities for the family to practise during the week and suggest additional activity ideas to support progress.

After the Programme

Families receive a summary report which can be shared with settings and other proffessionals. The report outlines:

• The area of development worked on
• The child’s progress
• Recommendations for future learning

National Portage Association

• Every child and every family should be valued for their individuality as diversity brings strength to us all.
• Inclusion and participation of every individual in our community is a right that should be supported and nurtured.
• Parent carers play the key role in supporting their young child’s development.
• Families have the right to make informed choices and decisions for themselves about things that are important to them now and in the future, whilst remaining the child’s first ally.
• All children have the right to enjoy the widest range of play experiences, as these are the foundation of learning and development.
• Early childhood is the foundation on which children build the rest of their lives; it is not just a preparation for the next stage – it is vitally important in itself.
• Everyday contacts, relationships and activities are fundamental in nurturing development, quality of life and experience.
• Services for families are most useful when they support everyday living and are delivered within the child’s natural environment.
• All children are able to learn. Building on abilities and strengths, rather than focusing on difficulties, best supports their progress.