Committee
Equal Opportunities Committee 27 March 2014
27 Mar 2014 · S4 · Equal Opportunities Committee
Item of business
Fathers and Parenting
Fiona Robertson
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As I said, the whole organisation has to be involved. Management must take responsibility in the process, as well. Sometimes, it is difficult to get managers to participate in the awareness-raising sessions that we run. We get a lot of practitioners who have been sent along, but they need the support of their management in checking up and disseminating that awareness throughout the nursery or organisation. There can be one person flying the flag who is seen as the person who engages with dads. There must be a management procedure. We have found that it helps to have it written into service plans and policies that an organisation is strategically looking to engage fathers. We are trying to encourage that. When that happens, the organisation becomes accountable to the education department and there is an onus on it to report back, so it must do those things and be seen to be doing them. There is also the inspection process.
In the same item of business
The Convener
Lab
Agenda item 3 is oral evidence on our fathers and parenting inquiry. We have two panels of witnesses today, and we will conclude with evidence from the Minis...
Dr Gary Clapton (University of Edinburgh)
Good morning. I am a senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh.
Karen Love (West Lothian Council)
Good morning. I am team manager for the sure start and early years outreach service in West Lothian Council.
Inez Murray (National Day Nurseries Association)
Good morning. I am here representing the National Day Nurseries Association. I own and manage two nurseries in Glasgow.
Fiona Robertson (South Lanarkshire Council)
Good morning. I am senior community learning and home-school partnership worker in South Lanarkshire Council.
Donny Scott (City of Edinburgh Council)
Hello. I am a service manager in the City of Edinburgh Council’s children and families department and I am responsible for family and community support.
The Convener
Lab
I ask the witnesses to indicate to me or the clerk on my left when they wish to speak. We have heard evidence from fathers, support groups, employers and tr...
John Mason
SNP
As the convener said, we have heard from a number of witnesses, including fathers and people who represent organisations. The suggestion has been made that t...
The Convener
Lab
Who would like to speak first? Will I pick someone?
Dr Clapton
Not me.
The Convener
Lab
You have volunteered, so on you go.
Dr Clapton
I was volunteering my colleague Karen Love. Laughter. The committee has seen my submission. I have looked particularly at publicity and found evidence of st...
Donny Scott
The power of Gary Clapton’s presentation is in the fact that he has done a systematic study. In our experience it is commonly—but not universally—true that s...
Inez Murray
I can come in on employment. The most recent NDNA newsletter contained an article about some parents’ perception that it is not right for men to be in childc...
Karen Love
West Lothian Council has some male workers in our early years service, which has allowed us to diversify that service. That is the tip of the iceberg, though...
Fiona Robertson
I agree. Early years and nursery settings are not seen as places for men generally, so dads do not feel comfortable in them, and some staff are not particula...
John Mason
SNP
Dr Clapton is from Edinburgh university and obviously cannot speak for all universities, but I will use the university as an example. Does the university hav...
Dr Clapton
I cannot speak for the recruitment policy even of Edinburgh university. However, I have run the four-year undergraduate social work course and although we of...
John Mason
SNP
Do you think that we need a whole change in culture, more than just one or two specific actions?
Dr Clapton
I think that there is a much wider issue, including our stereotypes of Scottish men. It goes beyond my ability to attract prospective students to the courses...
The Convener
Lab
My question is for Inez Murray and is on attracting men into childcare. When you advertise for staff, what is the ratio of male applicants to female applican...
Inez Murray
That is a difficult question for me to answer, because I do not advertise for staff. People tend to come to me and I have good staff retention, so it is not ...
Siobhan McMahon
Lab
Fiona Robertson said that fathers might sometimes feel unwelcome when they drop their children off. We have received written evidence from fathers who though...
Fiona Robertson
There are two aspects to that. First, there is what happens when fathers drop their children off and the behaviour that they are met with. Secondly, there is...
Dr Clapton
“I found a father!” Laughter.
Fiona Robertson
Yes. It must be a whole-organisation approach, from the person who answers the phone, to ensuring that they are not passed on as soon as they come through th...
Siobhan McMahon
Lab
How do you monitor whether that is happening? We heard evidence from a father who, unfortunately, thinks that that is not happening.
Fiona Robertson
As I said, the whole organisation has to be involved. Management must take responsibility in the process, as well. Sometimes, it is difficult to get managers...
Donny Scott
That point about writing such aims into policies is really important. I have been chewing over the idea that there is still a challenge—certainly in my local...
Dr Clapton
I echo the emphasis on policy, but I also return to the micro level and the front-door question, which is important. I have done a wee bit of work on that, t...