Wrexham Portage Service Jill Palmer Panna Champaneria Portage Home Educational Psycholo

1. Wrexham Portage Service Jill Palmer Panna Champaneria Portage Home Educational Psychologist Visitor

2. Jill Palmer - Portage Home Visitor Jill is a qualified Nursery Nurse who was appointed 4 years ago as a Portage Home Visitor. This was a newly created post as the portage service was new to Wrexham LEA. She helped set up the service to meet the needs of children and families, who would like help to build on skills that are most important for their child’s future learning. Prior to Jill’s portage post she has had over 10 years experience working within a variety of schools and early years settings, supporting children in a maintained setting who were developing age appropriately, some with additional needs and supported children age 3-16 years with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Panna Champaneria – Educational Psychologist Panna is a Senior Practitioner for Early Years. Following the initial 2 day portage training in March 2005, Panna has worked alongside Jill to develop the Wrexham Portage Service.

3. Whole child, family and community Small steps Inclusion Partnership Celebrating success Generalising skills Our Principles Enabling Being positive Celebrating diversity Looking forward Practical, immediate, relevant Supporting

4. Eligible Criteria Referral routes: Open Community Paediatricians Maelor children’s centre Health Visitors Speech and language therapists Playgroup leaders Flying Start Team

5. Criteria: • Children must be 0-3 years old • Children and families resident in Wrexham • The service is offered to children who are not in an educational setting • Children who show a delay in developing skills in at least two of the following areas: physical/sensory development communication Skills learning self-help skills personal and social skills

6. Criteria cont: We do not work with children and families: • Who require an ADHD assessment • Who require an ASD assessment • With learning disabilities

7. Wrexham Portage ServiceRequest Form • Child’s information • Parents comments, including strengths and needs • Areas of concern and targets to focus on • Involvement of requestor and other agencies • Additional Information • Parent/carer’s signature • Requestor’s signature • Return completed form to Erlas Centre • Tel: 01978 317679/317675

8. The Early VisitsIntroducing the service, E.P Supervisor and Portage Home Visitor • Service information and personalised pack • Roles of Portage Home Visitor, supervisor and family • Timing and length of weekly visits • Weekly supervision/team meetings • Links with other services • Confidentiality • Links with NPA

9. STARTING POINTS First Home Visit • Relationship building • Discuss generic goals with parents • Identify current skills by completing the Portage checklist • Introduce the small step approach • Consent for multi-agency working

10. FAMILY FOCUS ELEMENT • Empowering parents • Sharing daily experiences and routines • Addressing needs, successes and looking forward • Sharing information and concerns • Promoting inclusion

11. STRUCTURED TEACHING ELEMENT • Joint design and practice of a teaching activity • Checking what happened since the last visit using the activity chart • Deciding what to do next • Trying out a new activity

12. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE HOME VISITOR • Keeping confidentiality • Attending weekly supervision with Educational Psychologist/ Team leader • Knowing boundaries to the role • Sharing information with other agencies (with consent) • Joint working with other agencies as necessary • Ongoing assessment • Report writing • Collating information for reviews and evaluation

13. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EACH FAMILY • Maintaining records and sharing completed activity chart • Identify long term goals • Monitor progress • Liaise • Share success and concerns

14. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SUPERVISOR • Keeping confidentiality • Support Portage Home Visitor through regular supervision • Ensure the appropriateness of referrals • Attend initial visit with Portage Home Visitor and subsequent review visits where appropriate • Liaise with Educational Psychologists, other agencies and schools

15. Request information At any one time Jill is working with 8-14 families depending on need and demand.

16. Requests from Acrefair Acton Barker’s Lane Brymbo Brynteg Caia Park Chirk Coedpoeth Gresford Gwersyllt Hightown Llay Maes Y Dre New Broughton Overton Penycae Plas Coch Rhosddu Rhosllanerchragog Rhosrobin Rhostyllen Ruabon Southsea Wrexham

18. Areas of Concern Behaviour Development Medical Motor Play skills Speech and language Social Skills Combinations of any of the above

19. Tracking information • 76 requests for portage input • 9 requests for an assessment place in a resourced nursery • Of those 2 went to their mainstream school • 7 had a Statutory assessment • Of the 7 one went to his mainstream school

20. Advice on how to deal with difficult situations was useful. My daughter waited for Jill to arrive because she looked forward to play. Mum also looked forward to chat and share problems. Jill’s help has been invaluable in helping me learn how to play. This in turn helps William learn through our play, he is now great at role play, action songs and turn taking games. He is happy to co-operate and help. This is a big change from the two and a half year old who wouldn’t look anyone in the eye.

21. I was worried his development was far behind what it should be; now l know he is not. My son came on immensely whilst having Portage and l was not expecting such an improvement in a short space of time, it was great! It helped me feel a lot less stressed about his behaviour. Lots of practical advice and support, very caring and a no pressure to achieve approach.