Taking it Further
There are a number of great resources already out there designed to support a variety of professionals to engage dads or to improve their systems to better meet the needs of dads. This is not an exhaustive list but a good place to start.
For use with dads:
Tiny Happy People Resources for Professionals and Volunteers, by the BBC. A range of resources from social media packs to downloadable resources to use with new and expectant parents. Resources are organised by role (i.e. midwife, health visitor, early years) to enable easier navigation.
Becoming Dad: A guide for new fathers, by Fatherhood Institute in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation. An evidence-based guide to help dads navigate their personal journeys into fatherhood.
Getting to Know Your Baby by The Association of Infant Mental Health. Getting to Know Your Baby videos have been designed to help parents, caregivers, and health professionals to know how to support the development of a baby’s emotional wellbeing.
For improving the system
Kent’s Father Inclusive Guidance. Kent has produced Father Inclusive Guidance and accompanying resources to support practitioners and service providers in taking an inclusive approach to fathers.
Engaging Dads: a Fatherhood Institute & Royal College of Midwives toolkit. A series of resources aimed at helping maternity services and midwives to continue and accelerate progress towards deeper, more systematic, effective engagement with fathers and other non-birthing parents.
The Myth of Invisible Men. A Child Safeguarding Practice Review that focusses on the circumstances of babies under 1 year old who have been harmed or killed by their fathers or other males in a caring role. The report includes a section on improving practice to be more effective at engaging, assessing and planning for and with men in the protection of their children (or those for whom they have a parenting responsibility).
Think Dad! A father inclusive toolkit for professionals. An interactive toolkit containing resources, activities, and advice for professionals and services who want to improve how they work with young fathers (aged 25 and under).
Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children. A 5 minute fact sheet designed by the Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership for use individually or to prompt discussions in team meetings or as part of wider learning events.
Working with Men: Sharing Learning from Leeds, by Research in Practice. This podcast series explores the journey of Leeds City Council in developing services that effectively support men, including examining the difference that having a dedicated service for fathers can make and reflections on a service being developed to work with fathers from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds.
