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.
Our Principles
Partnership
InclusionSmall steps
Whole child, family and
community
Celebrating success
Looking
forward
Being positive
Practical, immediat
e, relevant
Enabling
Supporting
Celebrating diversity
Generalising skills
Eligible CriteriaReferral routes:
Open Community PaediatriciansMaelor children’s centreHealth VisitorsSpeech and language therapistsPlaygroup leadersFlying Start Team
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
Criteria cont:
We do not work with children and families:• Who require an ADHD assessment• Who require an ASD assessment• With learning disabilities
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
The Early Visits Introducing 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
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
FAMILY FOCUS ELEMENT
• Empowering parents• Sharing daily experiences and routines• Addressing needs, successes and
looking forward• Sharing information and concerns• Promoting inclusion
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
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
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EACH FAMILY
• Maintaining records and sharing completed activity chart
• Identify long term goals• Monitor progress• Liaise• Share success and concerns
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
Request information
Date of request
No. ofrequests
Jan 05 1
Jun - Dec 05 18
Jan – Dec 06 19
Jan – Dec 07 16
Jan - Dec 08 13 + 3 FS
Jan 09 2
Feb 09 2 (FS)
Total 76
At any one time Jill is working with 8-14 families depending
on need and demand.
AcrefairActonBarker’s LaneBrymboBryntegCaia ParkChirk CoedpoethGresfordGwersylltHightownLlay
Maes Y DreNew BroughtonOvertonPenycaePlas CochRhosdduRhosllanerchragogRhosrobinRhostyllenRuabonSouthseaWrexham
Requests from
Requests From:
Educational PsychologistFlying Start TeamHealth visitorHome advisory teamNPA parent repNursery Nurse PaediatricianParentPlaygroup leaderPPA Social servicesSorting panelSpeech and Language Therapist
Areas of Concern
BehaviourDevelopment
MedicalMotor
Play skillsSpeech and language
Social Skills
Combinations of any of the above
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
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.
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.
I was worried his development was far
behind what it should be; now l know he is not.
It helped me feel a lot less stressed
about his behaviour.
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!
Lots of practical advice and support, very caring and a
no pressure to achieve approach.