Swindon Portage and Special Tots

Swindon Portage and Special Tots provide education for children aged 0 - 4 years and 11 months who have special needs and disabilities.

Swindon Portage Home Teaching

A child may be referred to Swindon Portage for the home visiting programme if the child has identified complex needs and is either receiving multi-professional input or is likely to require it before they start school. This may also include children who have significant medical conditions.

A child is defined as having complex needs if he or she has been identified as requiring intervention from:

  • Universal services
  • Health Visitor
  • General Practitioner
  • Community Paediatrician

and at least 2 of the following services:

  • Paediatric Therapy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • The Learning Disability Team of Community Nurses
  • Specialist Consultant e.g. Hospital Paediatrician, Neurologist, Oncologist
  • Education Support Service: Advisory Teachers for Hearing, Vision and Physical Impairments
  • Children’s Community Paediatric Nursing Team

Children can be visited weekly or fortnightly depending on the circumstances.

For children with social interaction and communication difficulties/Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it is felt more appropriate to provide group work to address the social interaction difficulties.

Special Tots

Children with specific identified needs can be referred to Special Tots without meeting the above criteria. This includes children with social interaction and communication difficulties and those who have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Special Tots is for any child with an identified special need, in order to help their successful inclusion into a mainstream setting.

Support Provided

Both the Portage and Special Tots’ teams work in partnership with parents and a range of other professionals and services to facilitate co-ordinated provision for the child and family. They offer a high level support for each child, with a home visiting ratio of 1:1 and in the Special Tots’ playroom of 1:5 qualified staff, supported by volunteers.

All children have individual play plans or activity sheets and the teams use developmental journals to help break down activities into small steps. They use appropriate and adapted play materials linked to the child’s developmental need and not their age, in addition to the provision of specialist play and postural equipment in the playroom and outdoor area. The children have access to a sensory room and a variety of switch adapted toys and equipment, touch screen and iPads.

The team can also make referrals to extra-curricular activities e.g. swimming, Aiming High, Hop Skip Jump

How to Make a Referral


Portage and Special Tots

Referrals can be made via a referral form from parents/guardians and any other professional or agency working with the child and family.

For initial discussions and to request an application form, please:

How Much does it Cost?


Portage
There is no cost to parents for Portage home visiting. However, where a child is in receipt of Free Entitlement Funding (FEF) they do require one session to be used to contribute to the cost of the Portage visitors’ work.

Portage Inclusion into School
This is a traded service and schools are required to pay for this service.

Special Tots
There is a cost of £5 per term per child when the child is not in receipt of Free Entitlement Funding. Where a child is in receipt of FEF, they are required to use 2.5 hrs of this funding to contribute to the cost of the session. Special Tots will also accept 2 year funding to contribute to the cost of the service.

Transition into School

The team will have discussions with parents about the transition into school and where appropriate will initiate a statutory assessment. They will support parents when visiting local schools to help them make an informed decision about the most appropriate provision for their child.

Schools are included in the Team Around the Child (TAC) process prior to transition. The team’s individual knowledge of the child is shared with the receiving school. Action plans are then put into place, identifying an induction programme for the child and family.

For those children who have received Portage at home, the receiving school has the opportunity to purchase inclusion into school for that child, providing 12 school/class visits and 5 hours of training to staff.

Useful Links


Swindon Portage and Special Tots
Salt Way Children’s Centre
Pearl Road
Swindon
SN5 5TD
Tel: 01793 465360
Email: [email protected]
Key Contact: Stephanie Hathaway, Manager
Hours of business/opening hours:
Portage: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 9am - 5pm
Special Tots: Monday, 9.15am - 11.45am; Wednesday 9.15am - 11.45am and 1pm - 3pm; Thursday 9.15am - 11.45am

Emotional and Mental Health

Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy

Speech and Language Therapy