Portage Services

There are over 120 registered Portage Services in England and Wales. Registration of Portage Services identifies the elements of Portage that make it different to other early years provision and more importantly ensures that families across the country are guaranteed the same high level of Portage Service delivery.

The strength of the Portage model of support to families lies in its practical and relevant approach. All services that register with the National Portage Association agree to deliver the model within a set of certain criteria. These criteria link to the particular characteristics that identify Portage as different from other home visiting services.

The criteria for registration of Portage services is as follows:

1. Provide regular home visiting on a weekly basis or, at a minimum, on a fortnightly basis.
2. Use a broad range of materials, including observational records and developmental profiles/checklists, to provide a framework for parents and carers to discuss their children's individual strengths and needs in the context of the family's day-to-day life.
3. Review, at least twice a year, plans and goals with parents and carers that promote each childs:
   • play and personal development;
   • learning, physical development and communication;
   • participation and inclusion within the day to day life of the family and the wider community.
4. Keep shared records with the family of their childs progress and other issues raised by them, from both the home visits and regular reviews.
5. Have regular supervision (discussion of individual children and Portage practice) for Home Visitors. These should take place at least fortnightly.
6. Ensure all Home Visitors have successfully completed a Portage Basic Workshop delivered by a trainer accredited by the National Portage Association.
7. Ensure all those providing supervision to Home Visitors have also successfully completed a Portage Basic Workshop delivered by a trainer accredited by the National Portage Association. (The Association strongly recommends that they also have experience of delivering Portage visits to a family/families in the home environment.)
8. Have at least one current, active member of the service who holds membership of the National Portage Association.
9. Services are asked to help the NPA plan future support for them to use the Core Competencies, by indicating whether this document is being used or not.

   Additional Points:

   Portage Services would be expected to

   • raise awareness and promote the values and principles of the National Portage Association.
   • provide additional information in relation to any of the above criteria at the request of the National Portage Association.