Engaging with Fathers in Family Support Services: A summary of the learning acquired through Barnardos’ Da Project

Abstract

This report summarises some of the learning about increasing the engagement of fathers in family support services which has been acquired through the Da Project work, which is on-going within Barnardos Cherry Orchard Family Support Project, based in Ballyfermot, Dublin. It is based on the outcomes of an independent evaluation of the work which took place between May 2004 and December 2005 and also draws on the views and experiences of project staff and management. The aim of this report is to help other family support projects begin to develop their practice and provision so that they are more inclusive of fathers. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or comprehensive guide but to provide some pointers for action and ideas for implementing the work based on the experiences of the Da Project. Throughout the report all the names of people involved in the project - staff, management, fathers and families - have been changed and the case studies which we have included do not refer to any one particular father or family.