Webinar: Improving practice with fathers in children’s services

Presenter: Jonathan Scourfield, Professor of Social Work, CASCADE, Cardiff University

There is a long-standing and ongoing problem of practice in children’s services focusing primarily on mothers and failing to properly engage fathers (the term used here in an inclusive sense). This works against the interests of women, men and children. The causes of the problem are complex. The presenter first studied it when doing his PhD in the late 1990s and more recent evidence would suggest there has been little change since then.

This webinar will introduce the issue and then describe research-based training and organisation development designed to improve the situation. ISAFE (Improving Safeguarding through Audited Father-Engagement) was developed by The Fatherhood Institute and CASCADE at Cardiff University. Its effectiveness is currently being tested in a randomised controlled trial funded by Foundations, the national What Works Centre for children and families.

ISAFE is based on previous work by the two organisations: training developed by the presenter and colleagues in Cardiff and a multi-layered father-engagement intervention designed and implemented by the Fatherhood Institute, which the presenter evaluated. Also, the skills training element introduces motivational interviewing, the use of which in children’s services has been pioneered by CASCADE academics.