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The Positive Involvement of Fathers:
what do families need from practitioners?
Pete Cloke, CircleGary Clapton, University of
Edinburgh
Why should we encourage father involvement?
Who Benefits? #1
•Mothers:…perceived support by the baby’s father in a sample of young and highly disadvantaged mothers strongly correlated with lower rates of depression. And a shorter length of
hospital stay among women with pre/postpartum psychiatric disorders was found to be strongly and positively correlated with supportiveness by their (male) partner.
Who benefits? #2
• Children:
The identified relationship between the involvement of a noncustodial parent, most often a biological father, and a reduction in the likelihood that children are placed into out-of-home care, is a unique finding (Bellamy, 2009, p. 260, emphasis added).
• Fathers…
• Communities…
Where vulnerable families receive external support, what support services help to ensure that Scottish fathers are positively involved in the upbringing of children?
Practitioners and Fathers Views
74 Practitioners (872 families)Two key findings
#1
• 45% of families were described as having a positively involved father
The top five reasons for non-involvement (with % of respondents)
#2 Failure to engage
24% of practitioners agreed that ‘front line workers in all agencies work in way which ensures they effectively engage fathers’
•“social services are not always there to help “•“fathers are dismissed” •“fathers feel isolated when children’s services are involved” •“services assess aggression in a father and intervene with aggression”
20 FathersWhat makes an effective practitioner?
Five features
• MotivatedBelieves in the value of involved fathers and – more importantly – in the individuals they work with
• DependableThey are consistent and predictable – they will be there
• Resilient Recognise that their will be dips but will see them through these – wont give up
The relationship
• ‘Sealed-in’ significant turning pointsThese don’t have to be ‘above and beyond’ the worker’s role but are identified as a significant moment by the father where the worker ‘proves’ themselves.
• Prepared to go the extra mileThe fathers recognised moments they felt the worker had gone beyond their role – even if the worker didn’t identify this themselves. Also included doing things that may be frowned upon e.g. giving food or money, availability or support ‘off duty’.
SO
Father Relationship Practitioner
• Be there• Be active• Be positive• Centrality (and
salience) of role
• Formed through difficult times
• ‘Sealed-in’ significant moments
• Shared belief in father’s role
• Motivated• Dependable• Resilient• Goes the extra mile• A positive philosophy
The intervention
• establish and maintain a positive relationship between parents (e.g. mother often ‘gate-keeper’)
• promote the ‘salience’ and ‘centrality’ of the man’s identity as a father
• encourage and support the development of shared interests increasing the opportunities for ‘sole care’ of the children, i.e. he is needed and wanted as a father
• provide individual and group opportunities for peer support
• Not time limited
Messages for Managers• Can we recruit, develop and support workers who are
motivated, dependable and resilient – willing to go the extra mile and prepared to form enduring relationships with fathers?
• Do all staff working with families have an up to date knowledge of the importance of fathers in the lives of children and families and the value of positively involved fathers?
• Are we effectively involving and engaging fathers?
• Stop regarding women as sole carers, start asking ‘where’s the father?’
