Portage home visitor

As a Portage home visitor, you may:

• observe children and work with parents to identify their child's skills
•  develop activities for parents and their child to practise together
•  show parents how to record their child's progress
•  encourage and provide emotional support to families
•  help parents to access other support services
•  write progress reports and attend review meetings

• the ability to work well with others
• knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• to be flexible and open to change
• knowledge of psychology
• persistence and determination
• the ability to create the best conditions for learning or teaching new things
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

In some local authorities you may need to be able to drive and have access to a vehicle.

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• volunteering
• applying directly

With experience, you could:

• become a senior Portage worker with supervisory or management responsibilities
•  study to be an accredited Portage trainer
•  look for work in a special educational needs school