Dad Matters Merseyside exists to support dads to have the best possible relationship with their families. We work closely with other professionals within Merseyside and nationally to better support dads in the first 1001 days of their parenting journey.
We offer outreach services/drop-ins at maternity centres, and community venues, provide 1:1 peer support to dads through the Silverbirch Hubs team, signpost and support dads to access services and information to help make sense of being a dad and supporting dads with anxiety, stress and mental health awareness
Ways we are supporting dads
Meet the team
Joining our team
Home-Start Knowsley
Dad Matters Merseyside is part of Home-Start Knowsley, a charity that provide emotional and practical support to parents with at least one child under five years old.
We now run different types of support as well as home visiting. Please see list below:
- Time for Me Mindfulness and Wellbeing sessions for adults. example of sessions. wreath making, aromatherapy, baking, cooking, introduction to hypnotherapy.
- Parent and Toddler Group every Thursday morning during term time
- Jigsaw Tots every Tuesday morning during term time. (Parent and Toddler Group for children with complex needs, no diagnosis needed)
- Baby Yoga – 5 weekly sessions of Mother and Baby yoga for babies up to 4 months old.
- Baby Massage – 5 weekly sessions of baby massage from 6 weeks old.
- Bump and Baby – Supporting Knowsley Parents from pregnancy – 2 years throughout Knowsley – See timetable for times and venues.
- Counselling Service – We now have our own Counsellor that we can refer the families we are working with to.
- Holiday Allsorts – Family fun activities during school holidays.
- Jigsaw Families – Family fun activities for parents/carers with children with complex needs
- Jigsaw Coffee Mornings – Adults only support group for parents/carers with children with complex needs, no diagnosis needed.
- Home-Start Cook-A-long – A 4 week cooking course for parents/carer. Cooking easy, nutritious and affordable meals using slow cookers. Slow cooker will be provided.
- Dolly Parton Library Service – Sign up to receive a free book every month for Knowsley children 0-5 years (Working in partnership with Hope for Children)
- Parenting Course – Occasionally we will run a 6 week course with a creche facility, for parents who want to explore and enhance their parenting skills.
- Fit 4 Life – Occassionally we will run a 7 week course on Health and Wellbeing for parents/carers with a creche facility.
Maternal Mental Health Service (Silverbirch Hubs)
Dad Matters are working in collaboration with the Improving Me, Local Maternity System in Cheshire and Merseyside and Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to deliver the Maternal Mental Health Service. The service supports local communities to access treatment and care if they’ve experienced loss, distress or trauma during pregnancy and birth.
Silverbirch Hubs are service that is made up of therapists, psychologists, assistant psychologists, specialist midwives and peer support workers. Their role is to identify distress that has come from your maternity, neonatal or reproductive journey. They work to support trauma, loss and fear around pregnancy and the maternity setting for those experiencing moderate to severe mental health.
There is ‘no wrong door’ approach when people are referred to Silverbirch Hubs and they work with other professionals to provide high quality personalised care. The service takes a multi-agency approach to supporting women and birthing people, with professionals from mental health and midwifery working in collaboration to provide a holistic offer to service users.