Fathers Network Scotland / Lìonra nan Athraichean
2021 Survey
As we lived through a second national lockdown here in Scotland, we undertook a follow up, completely anonymous survey to find out how things have changed for dads and their families. The results were shocking, with more than two thirds of dads saying their mental health had deteriorated. Read more about the research here and watch the DADx panel discussion here.
Our Call to Action
We are campaigning for the better inclusion of dads within perinatal mental health services. Fathers Network Scotland’s research over many years is clear: fathers often feel excluded from perinatal services, and perinatal services still tell us that they’re not sure how to get dads involved. Despite the evidence, paternal perinatal mental health-focused work has not yet been specifically supported or prioritised within the three-year investment into third sector Perinatal and Infant Mental Health work. Here is our call to action and a summary of recommendations.
Understanding Dad
We're working with schools to encourage more father-inclusive practices, so that fathers are able to get as involved as possible in their children's school lives. We're encouraging employers to offer equal parental leave opportunities to both new mums and dads. We're promoting flexible working to allow fathers to take time to immerse themselves in family life without experiencing negativity in the workplace. We're working with services so that they can become as dad-friendly as possible, and with criminal justice professionals to consider fatherhood within their work.
Our Covid-19 Response
FNS’s work is continuing across Scotland as we respond to increased demand for our support. In response, our projects & team continue to use a variety of innovative methods to maintain contact with our network offering support and resources.
We are offering online training, a dads' WhatsApp group, a free SMS support service for new parents, a Facebook group and DADx series of talks for dads' and families' workers, along with our directory and sign posting services. We have also developed a new resource for perinatal health professionals to support new dads through lockdown. Find out more here.