Social work and the shadow father: lessons for engaging fathers in N orthern I reland

Shirley Ewart‐Boyle · Roger Manktelow · Mary McColgan

45 citations0/0 files storedChild & Family Social Work

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Family Dynamics and Relationships Social Work Education and Practice Social Sciences and Policies

Abstract

Abstract The legislative framework of social work practice has consistently highlighted the need to work in partnership with parents, with far‐reaching implications for families. However, the importance of engaging fathers in social work practice is an issue that has received limited attention within academic debate and research. A research study undertaken across six family centres, investigated paternal involvement in family centre social work in Northern Ireland. The study involved 46 semi‐structured interviews with social workers, fathers and mothers. This paper presents the views of 22 social workers on the barriers to paternal involvement in family centre interventions. A range of factors were identified which served to inhibit or promote engagement of fathers. There were substantially more deterrents than promoters, a clear indicator of the problematic nature of paternal involvement. The findings highlight that both attitudes and practices of social workers influence the engagement of fathers. Recommendations drawn from the findings are presented for the development of father – inclusive social work practices and research.

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References

1985The Role of the Father in Child Development 2000Fatherhood in the Twenty-First Century 2000The History of Research on Father Involvement 1998Constructing Fatherhood: Discourses and Experiences 2007A Meta-Analysis of Father Involvement in Parent Training 2009Manufacturing ghost fathers: the paradox of father presence and absence in child welfare 2003Gender and Child Protection 2001On Men: Masculinity in Crisis

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2018What about the fathers? The presence and absence of the father in social work practice in England, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden—A comparative study 2014Are all fathers in child protection families uncommitted, uninvolved and unable to change?2015Child welfare caseworkers’ characteristics and their attitudes toward non-custodial fathers 2019Linked lives: Gender, family relations and recurrent care proceedings in England 2022Gendered Discourses of Responsibility and Domestic Abuse Victim-Blame in the English Children’s Social Care System

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