WHAT IS DAD MATTERS?

Dad Matters: Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre exists to support dads to have the best possible relationship with their families.

We aim to:

• Help dads have positive relationships with their families
• Support dads with their wellbeing and mental health
• Encourage dad’s participation in services that have traditionally been targeted for mums
• Provide peer support for dads

The support is led by a Dad Matters Coordinator and volunteers known as “Dad Champions”. We are part of Dad Matters UK and belong to a large network that is successfully supporting dads within other local Home-Starts across the UK.

Dad Matters: Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre will recruit and train other dads to work as our volunteer Dad Champions to help support other dads throughout the County. We will also work closely with other professionals within Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre and Nationally to better support dads in the first 1001 days of their parenting journey.

We provide this through a “Universal Offer” that supports dads to access the following:

• Antenatal and postnatal classes/groups for dads
• Outreach services/drop ins at maternity centres and community venues
• Provide 1:1 peer support to dads
• Signpost and support dads to access services and information to help make sense of being a dad
• Support dads with anxiety, stress and mental health awareness

Eric Lee is our Dad Matters Coordinator for Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre. As this is a new, developing service within the County, we are in the early stages of the roll out.

Please note that due to the impact of Covid-19 and National lockdown restrictions, the services currently on offer are virtual, and as restrictions ease we will be developing our offer to see more dads face to face.

SUPPORT CURRENTLY OFFERED

Perinatal Mental Health: Dad Wellbeing Group (Zoom)

Dad Matters offers Dad Chats that are specifically designed to allow dads to talk about all aspects of their experience, mental health awareness, how to support their partner, awareness of conditions such as post-natal depression/post-partum psychosis etc. The sessions are led by our trained coordinators and we often have peer support volunteers with lived experience of perinatal ill health that support us. The sessions are virtual and use a group format via Zoom.

The aim is to provide dads with a forum to share their experiences, have those experiences validated and receive guidance and support on how to navigate this crucial period of their life, as well as signposting to organisations and services that can best support them. The sessions are approximately 90 minutes long.

These sessions are designed to support dads who are supporting partners engaged in local Perinatal Mental Health Teams, or who are seeking support for themselves. It is not a public group, and access is by invitation only. Perinatal Teams can distribute the details as invitations, but all other services should speak to us directly with any queries. The best way to get the link to the zoom call is by joining our mailing list, whereby you will receive the link weekly in our newsletter.

One-to-One Support

The project accepts referrals for one to one support of dads. This will be a blended offer of virtual and face to face, and will take the form of an initial telephone discussion to collect information on the current situation of the dad and then to assess the support that can be offered. This can be via on-going contact for a specific period of time and may also include advice on coping strategies, how to access mental health and other support services, as well as signposting to additional organisations and services, some of which may be local, whilst others are national.

New Dad’s Workshops

Dad Matters New Dad Workshops can be booked onto directly here:

Dad Matters New Dad Workshops

The sessions are approx. 90 minutes, accessed via Zoom and free to all participants.

They run on the third Tuesday at 7pm and on the third Saturday at 11am.

Self-Referrals or enquiries can be made via telephone on 01253 728615 or emailed to: enquiries@homestartbfw.org.uk

You can also contact Eric Lee our Dad Matters Coordinator directly on his mobile number 07515678454

Professionals can find our flyers, resources and referral forms here: dadmatters.org.uk/bfw/bfw-downloads