Portage Service
Portage is a home‑visiting educational service for pre‑school children with additional needs. It’s based on the principle that parents and carers are the most important people in their child’s development.
Cumberland Family Hub Portage Service provides Portage to families living in Cumberland. The service is registered as a five‑star Portage provider with the National Portage Association.
What happens during a Portage visit
Portage home visits last around 1 hour. They take place weekly or fortnightly in the family home.
Each visit includes:
- child‑led play to understand your child’s skills and interests
- family focus time to celebrate progress and discuss any concerns
- structured teaching to support your child’s development
What Portage home visitors do
Home visitors work with you to support your child’s learning and development. They:
- look at all areas of development, including physical skills, language and communication, self‑help skills, and social and emotional development
- work in partnership with you to agree goals for your child
- provide toys, materials and practical tips to help meet these goals
- demonstrate activities for you to practise with your child
What parents and carers do
Parents and carers play an active role in Portage. You will:
- work with your home visitor to understand your child’s development and agree goals
- practise activities during the week and share progress at the next visit
Referring to the Portage Service
Children can be referred from birth to 4 years old if they have a significant delay in at least two areas of development. This is usually shown through ASQ or the EYFS developmental journal.
Parents and carers must consent to the referral, take part in weekly or fortnightly sessions, and practise learning activities between visits.
Request for involvement Portage referral
For further information or enquiries, email PortageReferral@cumbria.gov.uk