Committee
Equal Opportunities Committee 27 March 2014
27 Mar 2014 · S4 · Equal Opportunities Committee
Item of business
Fathers and Parenting
The Minister for Children and Young People (Aileen Campbell)
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I am joined today by Erica Clarkson and Simon Stockwell. We all welcome the opportunity to talk about the subject that the committee has been investigating. The Scottish Government intends Scotland to be the best country in the world in which to grow up—a country where all our children and families have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. I know that, in evidence gathering for your inquiry, a number of clear themes have arisen for your consideration. Those issues echo the issues that arose during our wide-ranging consultations with parents and professionals across Scotland, which helped to inform our national parenting strategy. The parenting strategy, which was launched in October 2012, supports everyone who is in a parenting role and recognises that fathers should absolutely be involved in their children’s lives. It also acknowledges fathers’ needs for professional support with issues that affect their ability to be confident, proactive and successful parents. Through the strategy, we are working with partners to examine how to make services relevant and able to involve fathers positively in their children’s lives. We want to make the strategy fit for fathers, and what we need to do is listen effectively and respond to what dads really want. As we move forward with implementation of the parenting strategy, we will continue to ensure that services such as health and education and those in the third sector make dads feel welcome and included. For example, we are currently working with Children in Scotland to examine ways in which our public bodies can ensure more equal treatment of dads when it comes to parenting responsibilities. We are also working with employers to support them in creating workplaces that encourage a better work-life balance for everyone. So that we can help dads to thrive at home and at work, we have formed a new partnership with Fathers Network Scotland, the parenting across Scotland group and Working Families to try to change the way that Scotland’s parents live and work. Through funding for organisations and initiatives such as the men in childcare project, we are acting to redress the gender imbalance and to raise awareness of the need for more men to opt for a career in our early years sector. Elsewhere, we are investing in projects and organisations such as Families Need Fathers and Fathers Network Scotland to ensure that the voices of dads are heard. Along with Fathers Network Scotland, we co-chair the fathers advisory panel, which met earlier this week to consider how fathers can contribute to policy and practice development across Government. Most recently, the panel has helped us to restyle our “play talk read” and family information service websites to ensure that they work in a way that speaks to dads. In addition, we are working with the advisory panel and Fathers Network Scotland to develop clear, simple messages about GIRFEC and the named person. We have also sought the views of dads in developing the sexual health and relationships education resource for secondary schools. As well as that, we are working with young men and fathers as we take forward the development of the new teenage pregnancy and young parent strategy. We will also be working with the advisory panel and Fathers Network Scotland over the next few months to map the delivery of support groups for dads across Scotland, so that we can better understand the provision and consider what needs to be done to encourage participation and widen access. Furthermore, in partnership with Families Need Fathers, we have been gathering data from local authorities on policy and practice in schools in relation to fathers and non-resident parents. That is being used to develop a good practice guide for schools, and NHS Health Scotland has been working with a group of dads to father proof a range of resources and to inform the development of new content to be made available on the “Ready Steady Baby!” website. The overhaul will include a fathers section, usability testing with fathers and the development of a communication strategy for the launch. I believe that we have made solid progress over recent years, but I recognise that there is still a long way to go if we are to ensure that all parents—dads included—get the support that they need, when they need it, in order to be the best that they can be for their children. Thank you for the opportunity to provide this statement. I hope that I have given you a flavour of the work that we have been doing across Government in relation to the theme that you have been examining for the past few weeks.
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...