Social work and the shadow father: lessons for engaging fathers in Northern Ireland

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.

What about the fathers? The presence and absence of the father in social work practice in England, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden—A comparative study

“…As in previous research, he is overlooked as a carer for the family's children (Bangura Arvidsson, 2003;Baum, 2017;Ewart-Boyle, Manktelow, & McClogan, 2015;Ferguson & Hogan, 2004;Scourfield et al, 2012;Skramstad & Skivenes, 2017;Storhaug, 2013), and, here, this continues to be the case even when the mother's substance misuse accelerates. As in previous research, he is overlooked as a carer for the family's children (Bangura Arvidsson, 2003;Baum, 2017;Ewart-Boyle, Manktelow, & McClogan, 2015;Ferguson & Hogan, 2004;Scourfield et al, 2012;Skramstad & Skivenes, 2017;Storhaug, 2013), and, here, this continues to be the case even when the mother's substance misuse accelerates.…”

Gender‐sensitive intervention to improve work with fathers in child welfare services

“…To be sure, in recent years understanding of the imperative to involve fathers in the work of social welfare services has greatly increased. Scholars have called for a less gender-biased social work discourse (Risley-Curtiss & Heffernan 2003;Scourfield 2014), and training courses have been developed to foster less genderbiased practice Ewart-Boyle et al 2013). With this, as scholars acknowledge, making the proposed practice shift is 'challenging' (O'Donnell et al 2005).…”

“…Featherstone et al 2007;Long 2008) and programmes (e.g. Maxwell et al 2012;Ewart-Boyle et al 2013) to support fathers' involvement in child welfare services have been introduced.…”

“…Some mothers do not want their partner to engage with social workers (e.g. Ewart-Boyle et al 2013). The professional discourse on fathers in child protection work paints them variously as useless, irrelevant, absent and a threat (e.g.…”

“…A fourth reason has to do with the fear that female social workers may have of men (Brown et al 2009;Scourfield et al 2012;Storhaug 2013). A fifth reason is that, as noted earlier, most social workers are ill prepared to work with men (Duggan et al 2004;Brown et al 2009;Ewart-Boyle et al 2013). In few if any social work courses are men -their needs, their gender-related ways of manifesting and coping with distress and interventions specifically geared to theman inherent part of the curriculum (Brown et al 2009).…”