Abstract
This article provides a case study of the challenges faced by one local authority in supporting young fathers, in a context of changing models of service provision, resource constraints and professional training needs. Developments in service provision are tracked over a decade, starting with a mentoring service set up under New Labour’s 10-year Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, and considering how this has been refashioned under new models of service provision. The article was developed in close consultation with local authority service providers and draws on both professional accounts and the perspectives of young fathers as clients of the service. Overall, the article contributes to debates around the relative strengths of mainstream and specialist support for young fathers, and suggests the value of specialist support within mainstream provision.
Highlights
IntroductionKey changes of pertinence to young fathers have been the realignment of health visiting boundaries to match those of children’s centre cluster areas; increased levels of joint working and improved communications – e.g. joint documentation and information sharing - across health and child care agencies; the use of the Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond programme of support (DoH, 2011) and other bespoke support packages; and the development of both universal and targeted pathways to provide tailored support where needed
This article traces the development of a specialist service supporting teenage fathers in a local authority area that we have called Grey Bridge in the North of England
Our review of developments in the provision of support for young fathers in this local authority reveals the challenges faced by statutory services in balancing specialist and generic support for young parents, in particular, in creating a robust interface between the two through referrals and professional training
Summary
Key changes of pertinence to young fathers have been the realignment of health visiting boundaries to match those of children’s centre cluster areas; increased levels of joint working and improved communications – e.g. joint documentation and information sharing - across health and child care agencies; the use of the Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond programme of support (DoH, 2011) and other bespoke support packages; and the development of both universal and targeted pathways to provide tailored support where needed. In inculcating a father-inclusive ethos, the local authority used the findings of the evaluation exercise, described above, to develop and commission specialist training for practitioners on father- inclusive practice This has been rolled out in the locality across the family support services – the health team, integrated health visiting and children’s centre team, domestic violence team and Teenage Pregnancy and Parenthood team. This indicates the importance of individual practitioners in pioneering new approaches to service development and delivery
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