THE FATHERHOOD QUALITY MARK
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1. Background

Fathers Direct’s Fatherhood Quality Mark (FQM) is a new tool to help agencies develop services which effectively engage with and support fathers, based on evidence from research. The FQM has grown out of a two-year consultation process developing standards for father-friendly practice. These were first summarised in FD’s Working with Fathers: a guide for everyone working with families launched at the first national ‘Working with Fathers’ Conference in April 2004. The FQM was launched in April 2005 at FD’s second national ‘Working with Fathers’ Conference.

2. What is the Fatherhood Quality Mark?

The Fatherhood Quality Mark (FQM) is an award for agencies – or services within an agency – demonstrating good practice in working with fathers . It is designed to translate the growing awareness about the important roles fathers play in children’s lives into practical policies and services. Father-friendly services are defined in the FQM in relation to children’s welfare – they are services which take fully into account the impact of fathers on children’s lives, and are firmly based on evidence about local needs.

All the bodies that achieve an FQM will have in place policies and practices which strengthen positive father-child relationships, and situate concern for, and valuing of, positive father-child relationships in the mainstream of their work. Fathers are welcomed in as appropriate, and professionals ‘keep dads in mind’ when working with all individuals, families and other agencies. The FQM is responsive to the issues faced by each service or agency, and requires agencies to develop realistic, achievable goals in relation to working with fathers. Working through the quality mark process will be relevant both to workforce development (recruitment, training, supervision etc.) and to practice development.

Any agency that works with children, young people and families can apply, including Teenage Pregnancy Units and other local authority services, health services, voluntary sector agencies etc. We have received a lot of interest about the FQM from all these sectors, and several agencies are already working towards it.
Fathers Direct offers assistance to agencies working towards the FQM, including:
• roundtables to help local managers plan and develop services that engage systematically and effectively with fathers (more details below)
• mentoring for your agency from an experienced advisor (more details below)
• a toolkit for developing services, including checklists of policies and procedures, our Working With Fathers practice guide, case studies, tips and strategies, and a self-assesment tool
• accredited training courses
• information and resources for services to give to fathers

3. Why is the FQM Important?

Agencies which receive the FQM will have shown they have:

• achieved high quality services which support positive father-child relationships;

• fulfilled key Government policy objectives about engaging with fathers, including those in the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services (DfES, DoH, 2004); in the Children’s Centre Guidance (Sure Start, 2003); and in the strategy on Teenage Pregnancy (Social Exclusion Unit, 1999). The Minister for Children, Beverley Hughes, wants good practice in engaging with fathers to be mainstreamed throughout publicly funded programmes.

• met forthcoming statutory obligations about equal treatment of men and women in public service provision (which will be in the Equality Bill, expected to become law in 2006)

• demonstrated these achievements publicly to all stakeholders: to local communities, other local agencies, senior management, Government, actual and potential funders.

4. Who is the FQM for?

The FQM is aimed at any body that works with children and families, including local authorities and health services. Some children’s centres have already started the process, and teenage pregnancy teams, other statutory services, and some large/medium sized charities, are showing keen interest.

The FQM is flexible and is designed to be responsive to the issues faced by different sectors, agencies and services. So, while a non-negotiable aspect is to take account of father-child relationships in everything attracting the FQM, the process will incorporate a plan which takes account of the priorities of the body seeking quality recognition.

5. The FQM Assessment Process

Before an agency or service is assessed, a Fathers Direct Assessor will visit and, in consultation with the Client, identify key issues for the assessment and plan the process. Issues for consideration will include: who will the Assessor interview – managers, workers, volunteers, service users, other stakeholders. What will s/he be trying to find out? To what extent will questionnaires and other written assessment tools be used? Will the interviews be done one-to-one or in ‘focus’ groups?

The assessment itself will be both portfolio and interview/focus group based. It will involve one or more on-site visits by the Assessor, followed by a written Assessment Report. When the period for which the FQM is valid expires, the process must be engaged in again to retain FQM status, although this is likely to be a much less complicated process.

The length, complexity, and costs, of the FQM Assessment will vary according to the size of the agency or service being assessed.

6. Leadership Roundtables

These roundtables are small, focussed one-day meetings, tailor-made to help local managers of agencies working with children, young people and families (including teenage pregnancy services) plan and develop services that engage systematically and effectively with fathers, fathers-to-be and young men. They are designed to foster local leadership to implement the strengthening national agenda around fatherhood, and build on local good practice.

The roundtables explore how to promote positive change in supporting fathers, involve all stakeholders, and plan next steps. They will look particularly at how achieving the FQM can help agencies meet their core objectives. Attendees will receive practical guidance and handouts on how to engage with fathers, and there will be an opportunity to view and discuss new materials that services can give to fathers. Wherever possible, the Roundtables will involve local agencies already offering good practice in working with fathers, so that useful local links can be forged and strengthened.

We can create a Roundtable in partnership with you and other local agencies if there is sufficient interest in your area.

We also run programmes of Roundtables across the country at certain times:  to find out more go to http://www.fatherhoodinstitute.org/index.php?id=0&cID=359

7. Mentoring

Fathers Direct also offers mentoring from an experienced advisor to help agencies develop their work with fathers in relation to the FQM criteria. The first step is normally a face to face session on site with key managers and staff, at which there is an initial review of current practices and policies. The advisor can stay involved with the agency as appropriate, offering support as the agency develops its strategies. This can involve coaching for managers and staff, whole team training, and signposting to other resources.

8. Next Steps

If you would like to book, or find out more about, the Roundtables, please email David Bartlett at d.bartlett@fathersdirect.com or phone him on 01422 847825.

For more information on other aspects of the FQM, please phone 0845 634 1328.

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