1. Welcome

2. Speed Presentations
Best Practice & Innovative Work from across Scotland
NHS Ayrshire and Arran
Promoting Infant Mental Health - Engaging with New Dads
Laura Bedford
NHS Fife
Attachment, Bonding and Communication - Results of a Fife Study - Fiona Robertson
NHS Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire Parenting Support Strategy - Margaret Swan & Janine Ryan
NHS Health Scotland
Maternal & Infant Mental Well-being - Recommendations from a National Working Group - Ann Kerr

3. Promoting Infant Mental Health: Engaging with new fathers
Laura Bedford Trainee Health Psychologist 3

4. Why engage with new fathers?
“Early involvement of fathers has significant benefits for children’s social, emotional and intellectual development and wellbeing” (National Childbirth Trust, 2009).
Fathers are now much more actively involved in the care of their children. 4

5. Why engage with new fathers?
A number of policies and guides have emphasised the importance of engaging with and supporting new fathers, for example....
Refreshed Framework for Maternity Care in Scotland (2011)
Scottish Antenatal Parent Education Syllabus (2011)
Mental Health of Children and Young People: A Framework for Promotion, Prevention and Care (2005)
Infant Mental Health – a guide for practitioners (2007) 5

6. Method
A scoping exercise and literature review were undertaken to inform a more structured approach for how to effectively engage with fathers. 6

7. Findings – Literature Review
1) Barriers to father’s engagement
Although resources and services are labelled as being
for ‘parents,’ it has been found that fathers of new infants
do not tend to make use of the help that is available to
them (Fletcher et al., 2008)… 7

8. Findings – Literature Review
1. Knowledge regarding availability and usefulness of services
2. Advertising
3. Work commitments
4. Perception of ‘female orientated’ services
5. Levels of organizational support in engaging with fathers
6. Beliefs and values 8

9. Findings – Literature Review
2) Effective engagement strategies
1. Engage with fathers during appointments, at the birth of the baby, or during baby’s stay in hospital. This is the time when fathers are most receptive to information! 9

10. Findings – Literature Review
Interventions for fathers should….
2. Initially be offered as one session only rather than multiple sessions
3. Be father-focused and father-friendly
4. Involve active participation
5. If possible, run in the evenings and over weekends 10

11. Findings – Literature Review
6. Promotional material should contain the term ‘father’ or ‘dad’ and a photograph of father and baby. Messages should be clear and concise. Materials should be placed in venues frequently visited by fathers (Bayley et al., 2009). 11

12. Findings – Literature Review
7. Use of new technologies, such as the internet
8. Emphasize the value of fathers involvement to mothers
9. Work with fathers to design and deliver promotional material 12

13. Findings – Scoping Exercise
Play in Prison initiative & Storybook Dads (HMP Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire)
Consultation with fathers and grandfathers to inform the planning and development of play sessions in Kilmarnock
Young Parent Group (Largs, North Ayrshire)
‘A Baby is for Life’ programme (Hillbank Nursery & Family Centre, Northwest Area of Kilmarnock) 13

14. Findings – Scoping Exercise
The websites of the following organisations contain a number of useful resources and guides for engaging with, and working with, fathers:
The Fatherhood Institute -
Fathers Network Scotland -
Working with Men -
Young Fathers Initiative -
Understanding Childhood - 14

15. Findings – Scoping Exercise
Dads2b Resource (2011)
A tailored resource for antenatal educators who provide education and support to fathers.
(Jointly developed by Children in Scotland, NHS Lothian, National Childbirth Trust, West Lothian Sure Start and Fathers Network Scotland) 15

16. Conclusions
Engaging with fathers is vital in order to help them to develop a secure relationship and positive attachment with their infant.
A flexible and innovative approach is required in order to effectively engage with, and work with, fathers. 16

17. Thanks to….
Members of the NHS Ayrshire & Arran Infant Mental Health Group
Bernadette Henderson (NHS Ayrshire & Arran)
Tammy Devlin & Claire Booker (East Ayrshire Council)
Linda Stevely (Hillbank Nursery & Family Centre, Kilmarnock)
Michelle Davidson (NHS Lothian) 17

18. Thanks for listening
For more information about the work presented here, please contact me on: 18

19. Attachment, bonding and communication – results of a Fife study Fiona Robertson Health Visitor/Team Leader

20. Co-Authors
Melanie Gunning, Queen Margaret University
Karlen Lyons-Ruth, Harvard Medical School
Lynne Murray, University of Reading
Kristin Kelly, Pennsylavania State University
Family and Personal Relationships Lab

21. Partners & Students
Con Stough, Swinburne University, Australia
Steven Hughes, NHS Fife
Fiona Robertson, NHS Fife
Maxine Moy, NHS Fife
Rhona Brown, NHS Fife
Kimberly R. Johnson, Ph.D Student
Luke Downey, Ph.D Student
Harriet Waugh, Research Assistant
Charmaine Fraser, Research Assistant

22. Why is this important?
Unhealthy mother/infant relationships are a mental health risk
Healthy mother/infant relationships serve as a protective factor

24. Why is this important?
Unhealthy mother/infant relationships are a mental health risk
Healthy mother/infant relationships serve as a protective factor

25. Why is this important?
Developing a trust in self and others is at least partially a learned behaviour
Intergenerational transmission reel and needs to be broken (Holmes, Hill & Lyons-Ruth, 2006)

26. Fife Sample
65 mothers and their 4 month old infants
10% most income-deprived data-zones in D&WF
Low income; low educational levels
No prior psychiatric problems
Good diversity in age, first time mothers, relationship status, father involvement

28. Conclusions
Three independent measures link EI to mother/infant attachment
EI is a relatively stable construct so can be measured early; EI can be trained and improved
Follow up/new study was funded
Transition into practice

29. Presenters - Janine Ryan and Margaret Swan

30. Lanarkshire’s Parenting Support Strategy

31. Our vision for every child and young person in Lanarkshire is that they grow, develop and reach their full potential within strong, confident and resourceful families who are fully equipped to contribute to children’s well-being.

32. Commitment 1: We will ensure that the unique role of parents as the child’s most important resource is promoted, and in particular, will emphasise the role of the male carer

33. Commitment 2: We will ensure that the ambitions of the key policy documents and the early years agenda are at the heart of service delivery for communities, being vital in supporting parents to give our children the best start in life and be ready to succeed

34. Commitment 3: We will ensure that all staff working with children, parents, families and communities will be supported to develop culture, systems and practice change in line with the national GIRFEC practice model

35. Core Commitment 4: We will ensure that all interventions are underpinned by appropriate and timely assessment, planning, monitoring and evaluation which promotes decision making and actions to address parents’ needs

36. Commitment 5: We will ensure that staff will be encouraged to build on the capacities of our parents and families using the “strengths approach”

37. Core Commitment 6: We will ensure that the need to consult with parents and children is recognised throughout all aspects of work in developing and delivering support

38. Commitment 7: We will ensure that managers understand and commit to the need to work in partnership. Supporting and promoting: resources; time; content and delivery

39. Core Commitment 8: We will ensure a strategic and structured approach to the development of local practitioner networks.

40. Core Commitment 9: We will ensure that key messages around building positive relationships will be a foundation for practice, e.g. understanding the importance of attachment and maintaining good relationships throughout children’s lives.

41. Core Commitment 10: We will ensure that staff will share information and good practice with each other and parents on an ongoing basis and in particular, at key transition periods in their children’s lives

42. Core commitments
1dads group CLD
2Midwifery gestational wheel
3GIRFEC wellbeing height chart
4 child/young persons pathway
5Community Mothers , Grassroots,21century families
6investing In Infants Programme
7Mellow Babies/
8 nurturing touch /healthy reading/PTR
9First Steps
10Roots of Empathy

43. Thank you for listening and we look forward to meeting you in the workshops and the Marketplace