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Course Overview

This short professional development course is designed for UK and international practitioners working in, or aspiring to work in, family support, health, education, youth work, social care, or the third sector. This unique programme explores how to meaningfully engage and support men as fathers and caregivers. You'll have the opportunity to gain practical tools to make your service more inclusive and effective, connect with peers, and apply insights directly to your professional context.

Course Highlights

Understand systemic barriers and why inclusion matters

Explore the impact of father engagement on families and services

Proven, research-based strategies you can apply immediately

Supporting diverse fathers and promoting equity in practice

Students in a seminar discussion

How You Study

This course is designed to support you to recognise and challenge systemic barriers to father inclusion, apply inclusive, evidence-based approaches in your professional setting, and communicate the value of father engagement in family wellbeing.

All attendees will receive a certificate of completion from the University of Lincoln, which can enhance your CV and professional portfolio.

Course Highlights

Delivered by Professor Anna Tarrant, Founder of the Centre for Innovation in Fatherhood and Family Research, this course covers four fundamental themes; why we need to think about fathers and male caregivers, the value of father involvement and engagement, how fathers might be better supported, and working with diverse dads.

An introduction to why it is important to recognise and support men as fathers and care-givers

Fathers tell us that they want to be invoved in their children’s lives. However, they experience various forms of constraints and exclusions in terms of family policy, welfare and social support. On this course, you’ll explore the question of why we should recognise and respond more effectively to men as fathers and what kinds of challenges men may experience in being there for their children.

Father involvement and engagement: why they matter

You will explore the concepts of father involvement and father engagement to understand the different ways that father exclusion has been addressed. This understanding will help you to explore how and why men as excluded as fathers and why more inclusive approaches to engaging with men are necessary.

Approaches to engaging and supporting men in practice

Professionals who engage men as fathers and caregivers are often unsure how to include men more effectively in support. You will be introduced the latest research and practice around father engagement and how it might be achieved. You will evaluate approaches and consider their value in your own context.

Father-inclusion and the importance of engaging with marginalised and minoritised fathers

Existing knowledge and research often overlooks men who are marginalised or minortised. You will explore how and why fathers in all their diversity are overlooked and encourage critical reflection on how this might be addressed.

Professor Anna Tarrant

The course will be delivered by Professor Anna Tarrant and her team. You can find out more about Professor Anna Tarrant's research projects, publications, and teaching on her profile page.

Visit the Staff Profile

Following Young Fathers Further

Following Young Fathers Further is a research study based at the University of Lincoln. The study involves close partnership working with young fathers and professionals to understand the experiences and support needs of young fathers (aged 25 and under) and to promote a more father-inclusive approach to support in the UK.

A father with his son on a beach at sunset