Serious case reviews have repeatedly highlighted failures by social workers to effectively engage fathers or identify men who pose a risk to children. Judy Cooper investigates why men are being overlooked and how professionals can address this.
Sixteen page guide that offers strategies for engaging with men in, or attached to, families in which a child is at risk or may become so.
It has been developed from a two-year project (2011-2013) in the UK, led by the Fatherhood Institute in partnership with the Family Rights Group and funded by the Department for Education's Voluntary and Community Sector Grant.
The purpose of the project was to support local authority safeguarding services to engage more effectively with fathers and other men in families, in order to reduce risks to children.
Report that is the outcome of a Knowledge Exchange Fellowship undertaken by Circle’s fathers’ worker Nick Smithers and the University of Edinburgh School of Social Work. The purpose of the practitioner research project was to elicit the views of fathers who have been involved in child protection processes through their child/ren being placed in foster care or placed on the child protection register.
A resource for professionals providing antenatal education and support to fathers.
Paper that outlines the key findings of the limited research that has investigated how a history of child sexual abuse can influence men’s perceptions and experience of fatherhood, and also discusses some of the reasons why this important topic remains largely excluded from public, academic and policy discourses.
This paper will be most useful to practitioners and policy-makers who work to support men, parents and/or families.
Report that examines the state of play as regards absent fathers and offers eight policy recommendations to strengthen parental responsibility.
Paper that analyses the relationship between having one or more father figures and the likelihood that young people engage in delinquent criminal behaviour. It pays particular attention to distinguishing the roles of residential and non-residential, biological fathers as well as stepfathers.
Expectant fathers need to be included in all aspects of maternity care and be offered opportunities to discuss their feelings and any fears they may have. Positive involvement of fathers has the potential to decrease their fear and anxiety and increase their trust and respect as well as their partner’s.
This document provides guidance for how to involve fathers in maternity care.
Document which is intended to provide useful insight to all maternity service staff as to how they might best encourage the involvement of fathers throughout pregnancy and childbirth, and into fatherhood and family life.
It is envisaged that this document will increase awareness of the importance of fathers being engaged in maternity care as well as assisting local maternity services in the development of their own local practices and guidelines.