As part of the Shaping Us campaign, launched by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in January, the princess met with children with complex and specialist needs and their parents, and engaged in a sensory play session with bubbles, shaving foam, feathers, textured fabrics and plenty of shredded paper.
The session, which Nursery World attended, took place at the Orchards Centre, a Multi Agency Specialist Hub (MASH) in Sittingbourne, Kent. It involved a group of six children aged between 11 months and three years, with a range of needs and disabilities, including autism, Down Syndrome, visual impairments, and social and communication difficulties.
The princess spoke to their parents and the front-line practitioners delivering the service, to understand more about portage and how it supports families on a day-to-day basis. She spent the morning talking to parents and interacting with the children and listening to the journeys that the parents with SEND have been on – and the invaluable support that Kent County Council’s team of portage practitioners have provided.
The portage service, which is available across England and Wales, provides home learning sessions with specially trained portage practitioners who work with families and their children to learn together, play together and participate in their community.
The princess sat with three-year-old Darcie, who has Down Syndrome, and played with her in the arts and craft area, where she filled up and emptied paper cups with shiny pieces of paper.
Her mum, Liz Jarmaine, spoke to her about how portage had provided her with a ‘lifeline’.
‘It’s made a massive difference. I wish I had the support sooner,’ she told the princess. ‘Darcie took her first steps in February and her walking and speech has come on so much, although she uses sign language, Makaton. Having a portage practitioner to turn to has given us the confidence to know that what we’re doing for Darcie is right, and she’s getting all the support she needs. Our portage worker also supports me with my mental health and helps with other services that we are in contact with.’
Portage practitioner, Charlotte Beer, whose six-year-old daughter was referred to portage when she was two and has since gone on to train as a practitioner, told Nursery World, ‘The most amazing thing about portage for us, when our daughter was referred, was the positivity we encountered. It was all about, this is where she’s at in her development, and that’s amazing. Our practitioner helped us see the positives, rather than where she was falling behind.’
She added, ‘Portage practitioners are here to listen to parents’ needs. They tell us about their children and we work with them in the home learning sessions, tailoring activities to their needs. It could involve songs and rhymes or turn-taking with a musical instruments.’
The princess also spoke to parents of 11-month-old Noah* [name changed], who was born with severe brain damage. Their portage practitioner, Naomi Nice, said that the Princess spoke to his parents about hyperemesis – extreme nausea in pregnancy – which the Princess also experienced with her children. ‘She also asked about the other NHS services that the family are navigating – physiotherapy, occupational therapy, ophthalmology.’
Nice has been working with the family since February and provides an approach known as TACPAK, which is about bringing body awareness to children using music and everyday objects.
She said, ‘It’s so important to raise awareness of portage services. When you talk to the families that have received our support, they talk about that lifeline, from early on. To highlight that awareness to the country is vital.’
Speaking after the princess had left, Janet Rickman, chair of the National Portage Association (NPA), told Nursery World, ‘Today was fabulous. The families looked very comfortable with the princess and the session showcased the kind of children we work with and their families, and the type of activities we do. The National Portage Association is in its 40th year this year, so it’s great to raise awareness of our work.’
However, she added, ‘The crux of portage is home teaching, but most services also run groups because it’s good for the children and families to come out and meet each other and talk about the challenges they face and their successes.
‘With more and more children with additional needs, particularly the group of children who have social communication difficulties, it would make a huge difference to be able to assess them early on, and to know what support and strategies they need,’ she said.
The Princess of Wales founded the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021 and launched the Shaping Us campaign in January 2023.
PHOTOS Nicole Weinstein
