Purpose of the Job
The Dad Matters coordinators deliver a range of universal and targeted interventions aimed at male parents in the First 1001 Days. They support dads and other male carers with attachment and bonding, mental health and access to service. They also work with professionals and perinatal services to ensure dads and male carers are engaged, supported and heard within clinical pathways.
The post holder will:
- Build on the Home-Start Haringey, Hackney and Waltham Forest foundation of peer support by engaging and supporting dads in one to one and group situations.
- Ensure that parent – infant relationships are a thread through every relationship and conversation with dads.
- Raise awareness of the risks of poor mental health for fathers and their families during the perinatal period
- Raise awareness of the impact on fathers of caring for a partner affected by perinatal mental health issues
- Develop the Dad Matters volunteer role
- Develop close links with other health and voluntary agencies
- Facilitate regular consultation with fathers through outreach and focus groups
Main Responsibilities
Support to Dads
The post holder will provide individual and group support to dads during the perinatal period. This will involve the following:
- Meeting dads at ante-natal clinics
- Facilitating or co-facilitating ante-natal Dad Chats in person and online
- Supporting the developments of support offered to dads with children on NICU and those with partners in receipt of care from Perinatal Mental Health teams, Adult Mental Health, IAPT and Parent Infant Mental Health teams
- Signposting and supporting access to other services as appropriate
- Undertake designated responsibilities to safeguard and promote children’s welfare
- Ensure equality of opportunity, fairness and diversity in all aspects of work
- Facilitate regular consultation with fathers in order to ensure that all resources are targeted appropriately
Promotion & Awareness Raising:
- Maintain up-to-date information for dads and make this available through the Dad Matters website and a range of social media
- Engage dads through social media, self-referral and email.
- Ensure the integrity of the Dad Matters Brand when engaging dads and professionals.
Recruiting & Managing Volunteers – this will involve:
- Promoting, developing and delivering volunteer recruitment campaigns
- Recruiting, selecting and preparing suitable volunteers
- Arranging and co-ordinating volunteer activity in person and online
- Providing support and supervision for volunteers engaged in working with dads
- To provide further training for Home-Start Haringey, Hackney and Waltham Forest home visiting volunteers as appropriate
Monitoring & Evaluation:
- Support the evaluation of the impact of Dad Matters
- Ensure accurate and relevant record keeping and data collection
Working in Partnership
- Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with key health partners, including those from Parent Infant Mental Health teams, Midwifery, IAPT, Perinatal Teams, Adult Mental Health, Health Visiting and other VCSE groups
- Networking appropriately within the community
- Delivering/co-delivering training to multi-agency colleagues as appropriate
The post holder may be required to undertake any other duties that fall within the nature of the role and responsibilities of the post as detailed above