The role of the Portage Home Visitor

Portage Home Visitors:

• Use professional skills, knowledge and experience of child development to assess, set targets and promote the development of pre-school children with special educational needs, through partnership with parents/carers and early years practitioners.
• Use knowledge of behaviour management strategies to promote skills to parents and a range of early years settings to prevent exclusion or pre-school children who have been identified as requiring Portage Plus.
• Provide an outreach service to early years settings to support children identified as having additional needs at ’Early Years Action Plus'
• Initiate and/or contribute to transitional planning meetings, to ensure a smooth transition of children into school - including responsibility for initiating the Inclusion Partnership Agreement (IPA).
• Problem solve with parents/carers to develop and undertake activities matched to the special educational needs of the child.
• Empower and facilitate learning to enable parents/carers to promote their child’s development.
• Refer to other services as appropriate, including to help prevent the risk of family breakdown.
• Produce informative, detailed and accurate reports, at least six monthly long term goals to be shared with a wide range of professionals working with the Portage child, including early years settings.
• Act as Lead Professional / Key Worker / CAF completer as required.
• Provide support groups as identified by local needs.
• Use knowledge and experience of child protection and implement appropriate procedures as required. Attend Child Protection Reviews / Case Conferences and/or produce supporting reports.