The Being a Dad programme was research funded by the National Institute for Health Research School for Social Care Research.
Parents with learning disabilities and learning difficulties are over-represented in the child protection system, typically due to concerns regarding neglect by omission.
The ‘Fathers to Fathers’ project aimed to find out from fathers with learning disabilities and learning difficulties what it meant to them to be a dad, what their experiences had been, and what advice they would give to other fathers.
These resources highlight what it is like to be a dad with learning disabilities and learning difficulties. Resources also highlight the need for services working with families to recognise and build on the value of fathers as good male role models, and to support and work with them.
The importance of being dad
Fathers are important and play a crucial role in a child’s life. But fathers are often overlooked, especially when they have learning disabilities or learning difficulties.
This policy briefing highlights the need for services working with families to recognise and build on the value of fathers as good male role models, and to support and work with them. This includes fathers who have learning difficulties.
*This publication uses the term learning difficulties as an umbrella term to include people with a diagnosed learning disability as well as those with a milder impairment with similar parenting needs.
Fathers with learning difficulties
This video explores NIHR funded research findings around learning disabled fathers’ experiences of adult social care services. Key findings included:
- Fathers need to be identified in referrals and included in family support work coordinated jointly by adults and children’s services.
- Despite fathers needing it, practical and emotional support is often focused on mothers.
- Support for fathers is often around housing and independent living skills, but not parenting.
- Processes often aren’t accessible.
- Fathers are often not listened to.
- High levels of stress meant that half of the fathers in the study had to seek mental health support.
- Time is needed to understand the person and their individual needs.
Fathers with learning disabilities and their experiences of adult social care services
The Care Act 2014 introduced an eligibility outcome for adults in relation to their caring responsibilities for a child. However, most of what is known in this field focuses on and reflects the experiences of mothers.
The research reported in this briefing focused on eight fathers with learning disabilities to hear their own experiences of being fathers and their experiences of adult social care services.
To understand some of the issues related to practice, the study also included interviews with practitioners in adult learning disability services about working with fathers.
About being a dad
Written by dads, for dads, this leaflet summarises real life experiences of how dads have felt when involved with professionals like health visitors and children's social workers.
It offers some simple advice on what to do in these situations and details of where to get further help and guidance.