Portage – additional needs
Tower Hamlets portage service is a
home-teaching service for pre-school children with additional
needs. The service offers a weekly home teaching programme using
the portage checklist and activity chart.
All activities set are agreed with the parent who will then
carry out the teaching each day and will record the outcomes.
Successes are celebrated with the family and home visitor each
week
Our aim is to help parents become confident in using their own
skills to help their child. Therefore, working in partnership
with parents is a main principle of the portage model.
Team members attend weekly supervision meetings, where
individual cases are discussed and successes celebrated and
problems shared. The service offers 1-1.5 hour weekly home
visits and the referral criteria are as follows:
- children from birth to five years old living in the London
Borough of Tower Hamlets
- children not in receipt of daily early years provision
- children who have a condition known to be linked with learning
difficulties or other developmental delays
- parents willing to make time available for the portage
worker’s weekly visit as well as carrying out daily teaching
activities.
Since April 1990 the Tower Hamlets portage service has been
funded entirely by the Tower Hamlets Education Authority. In
September 1999, the service became part of the early years
service.
The service has a multi-disciplinary advisory committee
consisting of a range of professionals and representatives from
parents receiving the service. They meet regularly to receive a
report from the portage manager and to discuss future developments
of the service.
Because portage is a home teaching service, this will end should
the child attend any full-time early years provision or the family
no longer requires the service. The phasing out period occurs over
a period of up to one term. With a gradual reduction in home
visits, school visits are made and introductions to any new
relevant agencies made.
How to contact us
Tel: 020 7364 6491
Fax: 020 7364 6441
Email: portage@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Open: Monday - Friday 9.00am - 4.00pm (term-time only)