The Positive Involvement of Fathers What families need

The Positive Involvement of Fathers: What families need from practitioners

The Positive Involvement of Fathers Research Question Where vulnerable families receive external support what helps ensure that fathers are positively involved in the upbringing of children? Specifically interested in the role of support services

Effective support services • Effective support to fathers depends on four elements: The father (attitude and motivation) The Practitioner (attributes and actions) The Relationship (enduring connection) The Intervention (promoting centrality)

Methods A collective case study including: • Interviews with fathers (9) (Purposeful sampling) • Fathers focus groups (3) • Practitioner survey (n. 74) Allowing for ‘naturalistic generalisations’

What we know • Positively involved fathers benefit us all – children, mothers, families, communities. • Everyone needs support to be a good parent

Practitioner Survey • 45% of families described as having a positively involved father • 24% agreed that ‘front line workers in all agencies work in way which ensures they effectively engage fathers’

Failure to engage “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”

To be positively involved fathers need to: Be there – spending ‘quality’ time with their children; Be active and interested – take an interest in what they like to do and take part; and Be positive – it is ‘the most difficult job’ and needs a positive outlook.

What has most effect on the involvement of fathers? - own experience of being parented - personal characteristics and perspectives - co-parental relationship - external support

The top five reasons for non-involvement (with % of respondents) were as follows

The effective practitioner • Motivated Believes in the role of fathers and more importantly in the individuals they work with • Dependable They are consistent and predictable – they will be there • Resilient Recognise that there will be dips but will see them through these – won’t give up

The relationship • Sealed in significant moments These don’t have to be ‘above and beyond’ the worker’s role but identified as a significant moment by the father where the worker ‘proves’ themselves. • Prepared to go the extra mile The 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, support ‘off duty’.

The positive involvement of fathers • • Father Relationship 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 Practitioner • • • Motivated Dependable Resilient Goes the extra mile A positive philosophy The intervention • establish and maintain a positive relationship between parents; • promote the ‘salience’ and ‘centrality’ of the ‘father’ identity; • encourage and support the development of shared interests increasing the opportunities for ‘sole care’ of the children • provide individual and group opportunities for peer support • Not time limited

Implications for service providers • Do we recruit, develop and support workers who are motivated, dependable and resilient – willing to go the extra mile and prepared to form enduring relationships? • Do all staff working with families have an up to date knowledge of the importance of fathers in the lives of children? • Are we effectively engaging fathers?

neil. gentleman@circlescotland. org www. circlescotland. org