Recognising Fathers

‘Recognising Fathers’ is about the experiences of fathers who have children with learning disabilities.

The latest report from the Recognising Fathers research is now available.
The report, 'Recognising Fathers: A national survey of fathers who have children with learning disabilities’, presents the findings from 251 fathers who completed a questionnaire. The report highlights that current policies and practices often fail to acknowledge or support fathers in their role as carers.

There is a Need2Know briefing for policy makers, commissioners and services.

We have produced guidelines for practitioners in education, health, social care and family support settings to involve fathers in meetings and appointments.

We know that fathers often respond differently to mothers when they get a diagnosis that their child has a learning disability. At the time of diagnosis, and in the years ahead, support in their caring roles is usually geared more to mothers than fathers. Fathers say they sometimes feel like an ‘invisible’ parent.

“Support immediately after the birth…there’s a lot of support for mothers but I had to go back to work and just get on with it”

Father interviewed for Recognising Fathers

We want to see fathers encouraged and supported to be involved through:

Education, health and social care services including fathers in meetings and in decision making about their children
Employers giving more support to fathers to combine their caring responsibilities with their paid work
GPs and other health workers giving fathers help to look after their health
Opportunities for fathers to meet and provide peer support

Fathers are important to family life

Families who have a child with learning disabilities usually have a lot of pressure on them as they try to get their child the support they need. Fathers have an important role to play in the family.

Fathers’ involvement with their children

Fathers have a strong sense of responsibility about providing care for their child and supporting their partner. Many are trying to spend more time with their child to meet these responsibilities, but their main motivation is that they enjoy their child’s company. They also feel that their involvement has a positive impact on their child’s life.

Services involving fathers

Many services encourage fathers to attend and participate in meetings about their child and fathers welcome this. However, some meetings are arranged in ways that make it difficult for them to attend. For example, giving short notice means that fathers in employment are not able to take time off. Sometimes, when fathers go to a review meeting they are not asked for their views.

“My desire to be at home was affecting my work, which I was not doing well. I became stressed and depressed”

Father interviewed for Recognising Fathers

“Support immediately after the birth…there’s a lot of support for mothers but I had to go back to work and just get on with it”

Father interviewed for Recognising Fathers

Balancing paid work and caring responsibilities

Fathers need flexibility at work in order to be involved in their child’s care. In order to get this flexibility they often have to change either the kind of work they do or move to part-time work. These changes can lead to a loss of career opportunities and income. Some fathers have stopped working altogether because of these difficulties.

Keeping healthy

Fathers talked about experiencing high levels of stress and stress related illnesses. A major cause of worry is their child’s future. Fathers are receiving very little help from GPs or other health workers with looking after their own health. Almost half said they need more help and they were often those on lower incomes.

Philippa Russell, who is the Chair of the Prime Minister’s Standing Commission on Carers and also has an adult son with learning disabilities, says:

"Families matter for all children. But they are probably even more important for children with learning disabilities, who will need the active support, encouragement and love of both parents if they are to achieve the ambitious outcomes set out in the Government's flagship programme, Aiming High for Disabled Children.

However, 'families' for disabled children are too often narrowly interpreted as 'mothers' alone. As this study shows, fathers also have a critical role to play and valued their role. They wanted to be active partners in their children's development and many sacrificed employment and other opportunities to share the care. But some experienced multiple problems; felt excluded from decision-making; experienced loss of income and, importantly, were not always recognised as family carers by employers or the local community.

As this research shows clearly, investment in support for fathers as carers must be promoted as a very effective way of supporting the whole family."

For more information about Recognising Fathers contact Christine Towers on 020 7803 1158 or email Christine.