Introduction
Portage employees provide a home teaching service for pre-school children with specific educational requirements, such as physical or learning challenges. These children fall within the purview of the Portage workers. In addition, they provide assistance and support to the parents of the children, and they educate the parents how to instruct their children in various skills via the use of a curriculum that is both well designed and adaptable.
The Working Conditions
Even though they have an office headquarters, portage workers spend a significant amount of time going to see families in their homes. In addition to this, it's possible that they have part-time jobs in nurseries or schools.
Regular Routines and Duties
Portage workers assist in the evaluation of children with special needs in areas including the following:
infant development;
social skills;
abilities related to thinking; cognitive
self-help skills;
motor skills;
linguistic development.
To name a few responsibilities:
collaborating with parents to develop a schedule of activities that can be carried out by both the parent and the kid;
visiting local families on a weekly basis to check on their progress and discuss any new objectives or activities;
creating long-term educational objectives for the kid in cooperation with the child's parents and producing frequent progress updates on the clients they are working with;
ensuring that educational programs are adapted to the specific needs of each kid in order to maximize their potential for learning;
collaboration with a variety of different specialists, including speech therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, health visitors, and social workers.
Skills & Interests
Portage employees need to be:
excellent communicators;
ability to collaborate well with a diverse spectrum of individuals, including children, parents, and other professions;
receptive to nuance and diplomatic;
capable of providing sound recommendations;
excellent authors of reports;
concerned with the well-being of children and families.
Entry Requirements
A professional qualification in nursing, social work, or education is often required by portage workers. Examples of such credentials are the NNEB, CACHE, teaching qualifications, or a degree in social work. It's also possible that you'll need to hold a level 3 N/SVQ in Early Years Care and Education to be considered.
Workers who are not previously certified in portage have the opportunity to get training in portage via the National Portage Association's basic portage workshop (NPA). These sessions often take place over the course of three or four days. Through the National Play and Tutoring Association (NPA), students have the opportunity to study more advanced modules in areas such as play and home visit, emotional support, and dealing with various learning problems. As portage workers are required to make multiple house calls, they are often required to possess a valid driver's license and, in certain cases, usage of a vehicle.
Opportunities and Prospects for the Future
It is possible to advance one's career within a portage service and become a manager or supervisor. Portage workers also have the opportunity to further their careers by becoming specialists in one or more of their talents and transitioning into fields like as speech therapy or nursery nursing, for example. You could also be able to further your career into other professional fields that include dealing with children, such as teaching or social work.