SEN and Engagement Service- The Portage Service

The Portage Team is part of the SEN and Engagement Service.  The Portage team provides a service for children with complex and/or multiple special educational needs aged up to discharge term after they turn 3 : ‘Are experiencing significant developmental delay(s) and/or sensory impairment’ e.g. difficulty with walking, talking, hearing, seeing, playing or coping with the world around them. 

OR

‘Have a condition which has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay and/or long term needs.’ (DfES 2003)

For Portage children accessing day care/nursery provision, the members of the team will work together with the setting with the aim of improving outcomes for the child. This may include visits to the setting, telephone contact or sharing of information sessions. This may also include work around transition from room to room or Nursery to Reception as appropriate.

Portage is a step by step approach for children and is used as part of a weekly home visiting service.  Portage Home Visitors provide support and advice to enable parents to support their child to enjoy and engage with play based experiential learning activities and to make progress.  Families receiving Portage may also join in with other group activities or receive support to access leisure/recreational experiences with their child.

Portage is a centrally funded service and the team covers the borough of Stockton-on-Tees.