 For children due to start school in September 2025 (DOB from 01.09.20 - 31.08.21) any new referrals, specifically for cohort 25 children, will be invited to a new TEDS (Targeted Early Development Support) drop in that will be running monthly in the Family Hubs from September. Portage will be working alongside TEDS at the drop ins to offer parents advice and support and will also be modelling activities. Due to waiting times, Portage are unable to offer home visits to any new referrals made for cohort 25 children, but they would encourage you to please continue to refer, so that they can look at alternative support that either themselves or other services are able to provide. If you could please consider this when you are discussing Portage referrals with parents of cohort 25 children so that they are clear the referral is not for home visits but they will be contacted to have a discussion about other support.
Please also check that you have their current referral form saved and share with your teams.
Please contact Penny Ball, Portage Team Lead for any queries.
Penny.Ball@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
 Please see August's edition of the Family Hubs newsletter, a bi-monthly update for professionals on all things new and coming soon to Portsmouth families, thanks to the UK government Family Hubs Start for Life funding.
 The neurodiversity team have been working to address concerns raised about the number of requests that schools/early years settings are receiving for neurodiversity profiling tools to be completed.
The feedback received is that sometimes these requests are inappropriate, and needs are already identified and being met through an alternative plan (e.g. IEP/PSP).
Concerns have also been raised that other services are recommending that profile tools are completed when it is not necessarily needed, or it would be appropriate for the service recommending the tool to complete the profiling tool with the family.
From September 2024 there will be a new process to follow when there is a request for a new ND profile - please see the documents below.
 If you have identified concerns about a child's development and would like the Health Visiting service to consider an integrated review, please complete the referral form and email FAO Duty HV to: PortsmouthHealthVisitingService@solent.nhs.uk. The form can be downloaded from the Portsmouth Local Offer website here under 'Health Forms and Guidance - including service referral forms' or click the button below.
 As you all know, from September 2024, 15 hours of childcare support will be extended to eligible working parents with a child from age 9-months-old. In order to be eligible for the working families entitlement from 1 September, parents must have a valid code issued by 31 August. Please contact the early years funding team if you have any queries about codes and we will do our best to help.
 Please ensure that parents are completing these forms accurately, especially when the funding is shared between more than one provider. If a parent indicates that a child has transferred from another setting or is sharing funding with one or more settings but is unclear of the hours claimed, then please contact the early years funding team to confirm the funded hours previously claimed.
|
