Lee Sobo-Allen – Cardiff University

Lee Sobo-AllenPhD student (P/T) – Cardiff UniversitySenior Lecturer in Social Work

“Child Protection, Children and their non-resident fathers: A study into social worker’s expectations and motivations for considering non-resident fathers as potential alternative carers for their children”.

‘Engaging Dads in Assessment’ Conference15th January 2016 – The University of Huddersfield

“In child protection services, the limited research which exists suggests that men who wish to care for children have to struggle to be seen as resources by professionals even in situations where mothers cannot look after children safely” (Ashley et al 2006)

Lee Sobo-Allen – Cardiff University

Lee Sobo-Allen – Cardiff University

Fathers not seen as a resource or a protector

• We know that fathers and stepfathers are often side-lined by child protection services. But the real tragedy is that we are missing a huge opportunity to improve children's lives by ensuring, where fathers are not the abusers, they are at the heart of supporting children who are in danger. (Bartlett 2001)

Non-residency in the UK• In 2013 in the UK there were 1.9 million lone parent families with

dependent children, an increase from 1.8 million in 2003 (ONS, 2013b, ONS, 2012)

• Increase 8% to 22% in the proportion of lone parent families between 1971 and 2013

• Increase 7% to 20% increase with mother as lone parent between 1971 and 2013

• Increase 1% to 2% increase with father as lone parent between 1971 and 2013 (ONS 2013)

• 1,200 care applications in courts in Ireland explored – 74% single parents, majority mothers, only 9% cohabiting (Coulter 2015)

Non-residency in the UK• Estimated that 97% of parents with primary care for children are mothers

(DWP 2010, Pool et al 2013)• Despite gender neutral legislation – default gendered model of parenting• Non-resident fathers experience non standard paternal biographies (Lewis and

Lamb, 2007) • 15% of babies born to parents who are nether married or cohabiting - UK

Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) (Kiernan 2005, 2006)• 71% of fathers who have non-resident children don't live with other

dependent children (Poole et al., 2013)• 46% of fathers with non-resident dependent children are not living with a child

or a partner and therefore live on their own. (Poole et al., 2013).

Contact and involvement• Non-resident fathers are often described in pejorative ways - abandoning,

disengaged, ‘deadbeat’ (Pasley and Minton, 2001) or ‘feckless’ (Johnson, 2007) “Disneyland Dads” (Kielty 2006)

• estimated that 10% (Blackwell and Dawe, 2003) or 13% (Poole et al., 2013) of fathers in the UK report having no contact with their non-resident children

• 47% of the non-resident fathers reported seeing their children at least once a month, with 68% of these having contact more regularly than this (Bradshaw et al., 1999)

• 87% of non-resident fathers stated that they continue to have contact with their children, with 49% having regular contact on weekends and during school holidays (Poole et al 2013)

Challenges for non-resident fathers• Loss of contact:

• Where father is risk to mother and/or child or relationship is detrimental to child• Legal decisions and Legal Aid• Disengagement through feelings of loss (Kruk 1994, Mercadente et al 2014, Troilo & Coleman 2012)• Refer to traditional role of financial provider (Troilo & Coleman 2012)• Pre-divorce fathering does not prepare fathers for fathering following separation - fathers

inexperienced in dealing with their children on a day to day basis and find it difficult to establish meaningful ways to relate to them (Smart and Neale 1999, Wilson et al 2004)

Sustaining ‘normal’ or redefined fathering role (Olmstead et al 2009, Philip 2013)• Knowledge of their children interrupted of limited through time restrictions• Accommodation – routine activities, emotional closeness and authority (Philip 2014)• Gatekeeping -mother mediating fathers relationship with their children through monitoring,

supervising and delegating certain tasks to fathers (Smart and Neale, 1999, Pasley and Minton, 2001)

Lee Sobo-Allen – Cardiff University

Engagement with fathers in the child protection

• Legal and Policy mandate• CA 1989• Children Act 1989 – “children are generally best looked after

within the family, with their parents playing a full part in their lives and with least recourse to legal proceedings” (DOE, 2014 pg.5)

• HRA 1989 – Article 8 – Right to family life, Article 6 right to a fair trial

• UNCRC • Best interests of the child? Child centred practice

• Assessing fathers as both a risk, a resource, protector or potential permanent alternative carer

Lee Sobo-Allen – Cardiff University

The study• MA Social Research - University of Leeds• March – September 2014 - Kirklees Council• 2 Focus groups – used Vignettes developed from real

cases• Semi structured individual interviews and

gatekeeper interviews• Experienced practicing Child Protection social

workers • Thematic analysis

Lee Sobo-Allen – Cardiff University

• Explore the motivations of social workers in considering/assessing non-resident fathers as alternative carers at the Pre-proceedings stage

• What particular attributes/behaviour could non-resident father’s demonstrate that would support their engagement with social workers

Research Aims

Lee Sobo-Allen – Cardiff University

Findings• Motivations of social workers

• Children have a right to know and be with their father • A resource to avoid the child coming into care

• Resident mothers as gatekeepers• Withholding information • Coercion with non-resident father• Fathers fearing to inform social services or come forward

due to risk of losing contact – Not wanting to “rock the boat”(Ashley et al 2006, Roskill et al 2008, Dominelli et al 2011, Storhaug 2013)

• Exaggerating or fabricating risk of violence from father

Lee Sobo-Allen – Cardiff University

• Negative effects of Domestic abuse reporting• Impact of who, why and what is recorded• Enduring stigmatising effect of records• Perceived fear of violence/ assessment of risk

• Behaviour /attributes of father• Proactive – contact already taking place/ challenge resident

mother• Motivated and committed to assessment process• Willing and able to change lifestyle• The “light bulb” moment

Lee Sobo-Allen – Cardiff University

• Fathers not wanting to considered as main carers• Distrust and dislike of Social Services• Lack of confidence• Their own experiences of parenting – “I did okay”• Content with level of contact • Do not want anything to do with their child• Influence of new family

Lee Sobo-Allen – Cardiff University

My PhD research study• Direct observations of team meetings/office environments • Mobile Research methods (Ferguson 2044) - Journeys to and from visits• ‘Practice Ethnography’ (Longhofer & Floersch 2012) • Direct observations of meetings/ home visits of assessing non-resident

fathers? • Explore how Social Worker negotiate and undertake assessments of non-

resident fathers as potential full time carers for their children – what are they looking for?

• Life History methodology/ Timeline Interviews with non-resident who have been assessed/considered.

• Explore how non-resident position themselves as fathers and how this impacts upon their motivations and ability to become potential full time carers for their children.

• Disseminate into social work practice to develop understanding and improve engagement of non-resident fathers in the Pre-proceedings stage of the Child Protection Process.

•Thank you and any questions?

References• ASHLEY, C., FEATHERSTONE, B., ROSKILL, C., RYAN, M., WHITE, S. (ed.) 2006. Fathers Matter -

Research findings on fathers and their involvement with social care services, London: Family Rights Group.

• DOMINELLI, L., STREGA, S., WALMSLEY, C., CALLAHAN, M. & BROWN, L. 2011. 'Here's my Story': Fathers of 'Looked After' Children Recount their Experiences in the Canadian Child Welfare System. British Journal of Social Work, 41, 351-367.

• BLACKWELL, A. & DAWE, F. 2003. Non-resident Parental Contact. London: Office for National Statistics

• BRADSHAW, J., STIMSON, C., SKINNER, C. & WILLIAMS, J. 1999. Non resident fathers in Britain. In: MCRAE, S. (ed.) Changing Britain: Families and Hosueholds in the 1990's. Oxford: OUP.

• COULTER, C. 2015. Child Care Law Reporting Project http://www.childlawproject.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/CCLRP-Full-final-report_FINAL2.pdf: Child Care Law Reporting Project (CCLRP).

• DWP 2010. Families with children in Britain. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/publication-of-dwp-research-report-families-with-children-in-britain-findings-from-the-2008-families-and-children-study-facs: Deprtment of Work and Pensions.

• JOHNSON, S. 2007. Feckless and other fathers. New Law Journal, 149, 248-251• KIELTY, S. 2006. Similiarities and differences in the experiences of non-resident mothers and non-resident

fathers. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family• KIERNAN, K. 2005. Non-residential Fatherhood and Child Involvement: Evidence from the Milleniun

Cohort Study. London: London School of Economics.• KIERNAN, K. 2006. Non-residential Fatherhood and Child Involvement: Evidence from the Millennium

Cohort Study. Journal of Social Policy, 35, 651-669.• KRUK, E. 1994. The Disengaged Noncustodial Father: Implications for Social Work Practice with the

Divorced Family. Social Work, 39, 15-25.• MERCADANTE, C., TAYLOR, M. & POOLEY, J. A. 2014. "I Wouldn't wish Ii on My Worst Enemy": Western

Australian Fathers Perspectives on their Martial Separation Experiences. Marriage and Family Review, 50, 318-341.

• ONS 2012. Lone parent families with dependent children in UK near two million. In: STATISTICS, O. F. N. (ed.). http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/mro/news-release/lone-parent-families-with-dependent-children-in-uk-near-two-million/famandhousenr0112.html.

• OLMSTEAD, S., FUTRIS, T. & PASLEY, K. 2009. An Exploration of Married and Divorced, Nonresident Men's Perceptions and Organization of their Father Role Identity. Fathering, 7, 249-268.

• ONS 2012. Lone parent families with dependent children in UK near two million. In: STATISTICS, O. F. N. (ed.). http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/mro/news-release/lone-parent-families-with-dependent-children-in-uk-near-two-million/famandhousenr0112.html.

• ONS 2013a. Chapter 3 - Households, familes and people (General Lifestyle Survey Overview - a report on the 2011 General Lifestyle Survey). In: STATISTICS, O. F. N. (ed.). http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/ghs/general-lifestyle-survey/2011/rpt-chapter-3.html.

• ONS 2013b. Families and Households, 2013• . In: ONS (ed.). http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/family-demography/families-and-households/2013/stb-families.html.• PASLEY, K. & MINTON, C. 2001. Generative Fathering After Divorce and Remarriage: Beyond the "Disappearning Dad". In:

COHEN, T. F. (ed.) Men and Masculinity. Belmont: Wadsworth.• PHILIP, G. 2013. Relationality and moral reasoning in accounts of fathering after separation or divorce: care, gender and

working at 'fairness'. Families, Relationships and Societies, 2, 409-24.• PHILIP, G. 2014. Fathering after seperation or divorce: navigating domestic, public and moral spaces. Families, Relationships and

Societies, 3, 219-33.POOLE, E., SPEIGHT, S., O'BRIEN, M., CONNOLLY, S. & ALDRICH, M. 2013. What do we know about non-resident fathers? http://www.modernfatherhood.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Briefing-paper-Non-resident-fathers.pdf: http://www.modernfatherhood.org/.

• SMART, C. & NEALE, B. 1999. Family Fragments, Cambridge, Polity Press.• STORHAUG, A. S. 2013. Fathers involvement with the Child Welfare Services. Children and Youth Services Review, 35, 1751-1759• TROILO, J. & COLEMAN, M. 2013. "I Dont Know How Much More I Can Take" How Divorced Nonresidential Fathers Manage

Barriers to Involvement. Fathering, 11, 159-17• WILSON, G., GILLIES, J. & MAYES, G. 2004. Fathers as Co-Parents: How Non-Resident Fathers Construe Family Situations.

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2004/09/19967/43311.