As part of the first ever Year of the Dad in 2016, Fathers Network Scotland in collaboration with the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships are hosting a conference on Friday 12th February 2016.

The conference aims to be a day of reflection, dialogue and stimulation for academics, policy-makers, diversity and inclusion leaders and practitioners. The day will highlight the positive contribution fathers make to children, families, communities and society as a whole.

After an overview of families and fathers in Britain, there will be four simultaneous streams of conversations: ‘what children need from fathers’, ‘what mothers want from fathers’, ‘what fathers need at work’ and ‘what fathers need in adversity’. The afternoon session will reflect on these streams and their recommendations. This will then feed into Year of the Dad activities in 2016.

There will also be time to relax and have discussions at stands and posters presented by students researching fathers in Scotland along with music and creative contributions from local communities.

If you require accommodation, please make your reservation directly at the Salisbury Green Hotel on the Pollock Halls Campus with Edinburgh First. 

http://www.edinburghfirst.co.uk/for-accommodation/salisbury-green-hotel/

***You can use the code CONF16 to obtain 15% off prices at Masson House or Salisbury Green Hotel.***

 Outline Agenda

09:00     Registration

09.30     Welcome 

David Drysdale (CEO of Fathers Network Scotland)

Aileen Campbell (Minister for Children and Young People)

09.45     Families in Scotland 

Lynn Jamieson (Professor of Sociology, Families and Relationships, The University of Edinburgh / Co-Director of CRFR)

10:00     The changing role of fatherhood in Britain - Margaret O’Brien (Director of the Thomas Coram Research Unit, UCL)

               Coffee break

11.00    Conversation Streams

What do mothers want from fathers? Chaired by Stuart Valentine (Relationships Scotland)

• Negotiating the domestic contract – how to make your partner an equal partner – Tina Miller (Professor of Sociology Oxford Brookes)
• Men can do it – Gideon Burrows (Author and dad)
• What do mothers want?  - Liz Meenagh (Women for Independence) 

What do fathers need at work? Chaired by Sarah Jackson (CEO of Working families)

• Parental leave in Iceland – how does it work - Ingolfur Gislason (Professor in Sociology, School of Social Sciences University of Iceland)
• The Price of Love – Caroline Gatrell (Professor of Management Studies Lancaster University Management School)
• Making the most of workplace entitlements - Alison Koslowski (Senior Lecturer in Social Policy University of Edinburgh)

What do children need from fathers? Chaired by Dr. Sarah Morton (Co-Director CRFR)

• What children want from dads - Colin Morrison (Co-Director Children’s Parliament)
• Including dads in education - Prestonpans School 
• Gary Clapton (Senior Lecturer in Social Work University of Edinburgh)

What do fathers in adversity need? Chaired by Paul Bradshaw (Director of ScotCEN)

• In work poverty – Ann Henderson (Assistant Secretary STUC)
• lone fathers - Brock Lueck (One Parent Families Scotland)
• Mellow dads - Alan McMaster (Mellow Dads Co-ordinator) 

12.45     Lunch - stands and poster exhibition 

13.30     Welcome back 

13.45     What’s good for families?

Feedback on discussions from each stream. (Paul Bradshaw, Stuart Valentine, Sarah Jackson and Sarah Morton)

14.30     Reply from key notes

Margaret O’Brien, David Drysdale and Lynn Jamieson 

14:45     Now what? - Sam Pringle (Head of Research Fathers Network Scotland)

Comments from the audience   

15:00     Close 

The presentations will be available online after the event and the workstream notes will be written up in a conference report. 

This conference is funded by the Scottish Government and is therefore free to attend.