Plymouth Early Years Inclusion Service

Our multi- disciplinary portage and advisory service works with pre school children with identified additional needs and or disabilities. We work closely with other early years services to provide a range of targeted and specialist training programmes for all early years practitioners. We believe that this will help promote identification, prevention and interventions for children with additional needs and disabilities.

Accessing our services

Our service can be accessed for children through a request to the Single Point Of Contact (based at the Child Development Centre) and or Early Years Forum, by submitting a Common Assessment Framework (CAF) form and include relevant evidence.

Portage service

Portage provides an early intervention home learning service for pre-school aged children with additional needs and/or disabilities and their families. The teams are highly skilled, experienced professionals who help parents and children learn together and play together.

Portage is based on three key principles:

• Child led play
• Family focused approach
• Structured teaching

Our trained portage home visitors work in partnership with parents and other professionals to plan realistic goals, using a step-by-step approach for the children, based on their individual needs.

Advisory Teachers Additional Needs (ATANS)

ATANS provide advice to parents and professionals to ensure children with complex disabilities receive a positive experience when they start Nursery. They work directly with children, their parents and setting staff primarily in pre school settings and in the home when required. They also work in partnership with a range of multi agency staff to advise and develop evidence based strategies to enable all children to access learning and play opportunities. When children are due for school ATANS work with parents and professionals to ensure a smooth and seamless transition for children with additional needs and disabilities into the foundation stage of school through the Transition Plus policy.

Step by Step Together Groups

Step by Step Together Groups (term time only) located in Children's Centres in the City. Participating children's centres are listed in the document below.

Step by Step Together Groups [50KB]

The Step by Step Together groups are a small 'drop in' group for parents who have concerns about their child/children's development. The groups provide a safe place for children to learn to play and learn with their peers. They also provide parents with a support network and introduction to children's centre activities.

Eleven Step Groups are held in children's centres throughout the city (at least one in each locality) for parents/carers to visit with their children.

Each group is facilitated by a children's centre worker and supported by a specialist portage home visitor and sometimes a volunteer (usually a parent).

The focus of the groups is based on the children having fun. Specialist toys and play activities are available for children at all stages and ages of development from 0 to 4 years.

Advice and support is offered from experienced professionals along with information about services that will help parents help their children.

As it is a 'drop in' group there is no need for a referral, parents can attend any group in the city that suit their needs. The groups are held during term time but some groups are available in the school holidays.

Sensory play ideas [58KB]