If it is in speaking their word that people, by naming the world, transform it, dialogue imposes itself as the way by which they achieve significance as human beings. Dialogue cannot exist, however, in the absence of a profound love for the world and its people. (Paulo Freire, 1990)
I have been working for some time alongside a group of Dad’s, for the United Youth Alliance and BetterStart Blackpool to co-produce and co-design of a training programme for professionals. This was piloted recently for feedback before a full roll out of training in subsequent months to a wide range of practitioners in health, social care and allied professions. The project raised many questions and as a clear outcome for myself, was not have i listened, but have i listened for long enough?
The pilot review participants, made up of service leaders and senior professionals engaged in an exploration through activities of how the lived experiences of Dad’s and parenting can be further enhanced in relation to practice and policy. Keeping Dads' voices present in the developmental activities, the learning and alignment of thinking was astonishing, and the value of listening to the experiences has opened up the potential of clear enhancements of enabling and empowering fathers and challenging some existing practice norms.
The interesting dynamic of raising the voice of men in a contemporary sense was a valuable and challenging discussion with both Dads' and professional colleagues regarding importance of establishing an assets balance in relation to all voices having equal presence in discussions that affect them. The overall project explored the dynamics of defining Dad and re-defining the nature of voice and agency in an inclusive and yet shared way to incorporate the often dismissed and lost voice due to an equally important narrative of children and Mum. Trans Fathers were included in the ongoing project analysis and incorporated into the consideration and yet key themes emerged that in principle were universal and therefore created connection.
Power, Values, Relationship, Trust, Time, Accessibility and Community/Environment as universal concepts give access to consider agency in an equitable way and it was a clear outcome that equality can only be sought through understanding the shared experience to gain and learn the unique experiences and value the as oppose to raise one principle over another - this is a pertinent transferable feature in a range of topics.
Colleagues involved in the training event were given opportunity to discuss self, organisation and practice to detail the potential of change to impressive results regarding a much more inclusive and valuable approaches that consider family, parenting and the benefit to children in an enhanced way.
As a side note, in each discussion regarding parenting with Dads' it was noted that the reference to Mum was present throughout and the value that fathers' hold of the role of Mum is clear and well regarded.
The feedback from the pilot was positive and raised practice and policy developments for colleagues present and i look forward to the main delivery tranche of training that will see co-delivery with the Dads' involved to secure the project as a valid co-produced and participative method.
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