Portage service for children under five

Our team assists parents in finding a nursery or school for their child. They then work closely with the school, family and other professionals to ensure the proper support is in place to help the child settle quickly and progress.

Visit the SENDCO Space to access support, training, resources, key documents, and referral forms for Early Years.

Working with children

Our Portage Visitors:

• maintain a caseload of children, visiting them weekly or fortnightly
• collaborate closely with parents and professionals to identify the child's developmental stage and family aspirations
• facilitate progress by modelling play ideas, lending toys, and suggesting activities while incorporating specialist advice into daily play

Here, families can access guidance on various aspects, such as toileting, sleep, behaviour, learning, play, resources, and transitioning to nursery—all while having fun!

Supporting parents

Portage Visitors work alongside parents, helping them navigate the early years and SEND systems. We help record the child's progress and provide practical strategies which foster smooth transitions to educational settings.

Moreover, we assist parents in engaging with community activities, resources, and available funding to ensure comprehensive community involvement.

Eligibility for Portage Service

Children who meet the following criteria will be considered for Portage:

• the child is under five and lives in the London Borough of Haringey
• the child is not attending an early-years setting
• the child has complex health needs or a disability from one of the following groups:
  • Neurodisability (for example, cerebral palsy, chromosomal and genetic conditions, and syndromes)
  • Neurodevelopment disorders (for example, autism)
  • severe physical and/or learning difficulties/developmental delay
  • profound and multiple disabilities
  • severe sensory impairment (blindness or deafness)
  • a degenerative illness or complex and severe health problems that are life-limiting
  • the child receives or has been referred for multi-agency input from 3 or more specialist agencies
  • children with significant social communication difficulties who do not access multi-agency input from three or more agencies may be eligible for Portage

Referral process

Parents or professionals can make referrals by emailing portage@haringey.gov.uk:

• please include evidence of the child meeting the criteria listed above in the eligibility section
• a referral will only be considered if the parents/carers have consented
• portage cycles last 3 months and are subject to review

Search our SEND directory for resources, services, and support based on age, need, and type of assistance.

SEND directory