Early Years Support and Portage

Working in partnership with parents, carers, early years settings and colleagues within the Council and health, Educational Psychologists facilitate a shared understanding of a child's unique profile of strengths and needs. With this shared understanding we work together with parents/carers and settings to identify strategies and arrangements to support the child's development and inclusion.

Support for schools and settings

Our work might involve consultation, observation and direct work with children or a combination of these. With a shared understanding of the child, Educational Psychologists' work with settings might involve discussing or modelling support arrangements, resources and interventions for an individual child or groups of children. Our Educational Psychologists can also support capacity building by providing training in schools or settings if required. The Specialist Educational Psychologist for Early Years supports the council's strategic functions with reference to very young children with SEND and represents Educational Psychology on the Early Years Panel.

Portage service

The Durham Portage Service is a team of skilled and experienced specialist support staff line managed by the Specialist Educational Psychologist for Early Years. Portage workers provide specialist home teaching support for very young children with the most complex needs, usually before they begin nursery education. Some families also access Portage Parent and Child groups. Referrals typically come from health colleagues but also parents and occasionally early years' providers. The Durham Portage Service is a member of the National Portage Association.