We want Hackney to be a place where fathers and father figures are supported to be part of their child’s journey from day one.
Our 'Hackney Fathers Perinatal Mental Health and Parent-Infant Relationship Needs Assessment' is a deep dive into the experiences of more than 700 fathers in Hackney.
We wanted to understand the barriers fathers face during the early years of their child’s life, and how services could better support and include them.
You can also read the accessible version.
Key findings
What we did
- Designed the survey with local fathers
- Over 748 fathers took part
- Ran 30 interviews, 14 focus groups and 618 surveys
Who we heard from
- 38% Black African/Black Caribbean
- 28% White British
- 14% Jewish/Charedi Orthodox
- 11% Turkish/Kurdish
- 5% Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups
- 4% Small Asian and other groups
Characteristics
- 30% lived in the most deprived areas (IMD Deciles 1–2)
- 12% were non-resident
- 4.5% were unemployed, compared to Hackney’s 6% unemployment rate
- 1.2% were stay at home dads
- 34% earned £20,000 or less
What fathers told us
78%
wanted more father-specific services
80%
wanted increased awareness of services for fathers
55%
felt services did not cater for or explicitly include them
12%
had accessed mental health support
72%
wanted flexible/weekend provision
38%
attended perinatal classes
What fathers want
- Father-only spaces and peer-led support
- Better communication and clearer signposting
- Services that explicitly welcome fathers
- Flexible evenings and weekends
- Culturally sensitive and inclusive practice
What happens next?
The research identifies four key areas for development.
1. A father-inclusive toolkit for family services to adopt
We are developing a toolkit to guide services into becoming more inclusive of fathers. If your organisation works with local families, please help us understand how fathers are currently included in their child’s care and support.
2. More father-led peer support
- Explore activities just for dads
- Express interest in co-designing services or hosting meet-ups with other dads
3. Father-inclusive workforce training
We can help your organisation to become more welcoming and inclusive for fathers.
4. Communications and awareness
We want to make sure fathers are aware of the support that’s available.
- Sign up to our monthly newsletter for updates on activities and ways to get involved
- Share your father-friendly events and activities with georgia.davidson@hackney.gov.uk for support with promotion