The Fatherhood Institute’s Toolkit for Father-Inclusive Practice helps managers and practitioners meet the strong policy requirements for father-inclusive services coming from the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and elsewhere.

The Toolkit is an attractive, boxed set of 15 colour-coded cards, well designed, with insightful cartoons. The Cards chart 8 logical and easy-to-follow Steps for developing father-inclusive services (i.e. for ensuring that issues relating to fathers and fatherhood are effectively addressed in all services delivered by an agency). Also included is a Research Summary of the benefits of father-inclusive practice to children and mothers; a Legal Briefing (which explores issues of confidentiality, data collection and Parental Responsibility); and Resources sections.

Father-inclusive services are required by the Children’s Centre Guidance, the Childcare Act 2006, the National Services Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services, the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, the Gender Equality Duty (in the Equality Act, 2006) and other policy documents. The Toolkit’s 8-Step approach also informs Fathers Direct’s training and consultancy services and underpins our kite-marking system for father-inclusive practice – the Fatherhood Quality Mark – promoted by DCSF/HM Treasury in Aiming high for children: supporting families (2007).

The Toolkit is an invaluable aid not only for an agency, but – since it is so easy to follow – for each worker within it. It can be read in association with Working with Fathers: a guide for everyone working with families, which develops the theories underlying the 8 steps in more detail and contains a wider range of Tips and Strategies. The Toolkit also complements a range of specialist Fathers Direct guides to working with, for example, African Caribbean fathers and Muslim fathers, and with fathers in drugs & alcohol services.

Find details of how to buy the Toolkit in our online shop.

The Toolkit is also available free for all attendees at our Regional Roundtables for Developing Father-Inclusive Services. Click here for more information.