Engaging fathers in child welfare services: A narrative review of recent research evidence

Maxwell, Nina ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3931-7729, Scourfield, Jonathan Bryn ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6218-8158, Featherstone, Brid, Holland, Sally ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7600-3855 and Tolman, Richard 2012. Engaging fathers in child welfare services: A narrative review of recent research evidence. Child and Family Social Work 17 (2) , pp. 160-169. 10.1111/j.1365-2206.2012.00827.x

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Abstract

It is widely recognized as problematic that there are generally low levels of engagement with child welfare services from biological and social fathers. The result can be limited resources for children's care and potentially poor risk assessment and management. This paper reviews the published research from 2000 to 2010 about the barriers to and facilitators of better father engagement, as well as the very limited evidence on the effectiveness of work with maltreating fathers. There is relatively little known about what works in engaging men, but there are some promising indicators from family support and child protection practice contexts. These include early identification and early involvement of fathers; a proactive approach, including an insistence on men's involvement with services; and the use of practical activities. In the light of what is known about the characteristics of maltreating fathers, there is a logical fit with cognitive-behavioural approaches. Although there is no direct evidence of the effectiveness of motivational interviewing in this context, its effectiveness in allied fields of practice would suggest that it may hold some promise for the initial engagement of fathers who pose a risk to children.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
Uncontrolled Keywords:	child protection; child welfare; fathers/fatherhood; gender
Publisher:	Wiley-Blackwell
ISSN:	1356-7500
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	12 Mar 2024 02:08
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/30800

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