Transcript Birth fathers - University of East Anglia

Birth fathers of children adopted
after care proceedings project
A small qualitative
pilot study by John
Clifton
Why this project? [1]
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Most children now adopted after
court proceedings
Social workers have difficulty
engaging parents especially
fathers
Some evidence fathers feel their
perspectives are not heard
Why this project? [2]
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Best practice to enhance child’s
identity is usually to work with
fathers
Adoption agencies have duty to
support for birth relatives
Local authorities now have a
“gender equality duty” to
consider the “equal but different”
needs of men and women
Why this project? [3]
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Children’s services typically
centred on the needs of women
and children
Deficit thinking common
regarding fathers [O’Brien 2004]
references
What clues do we have about
birth father perspectives?
Aim: benefiting their children
Origins of the project
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Portfolio for MA
Essay for International
Perspectives unit compared UK
and South African men
Reflection on previous practice
Parents attending panels
Own experience as a father
The literature [1]
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Comparatively few studies of
birth fathers of adopted children
Main UK studies [Clapton 2003;
Witney 2005] research fathers of
children relinquished in past
decades
Previous adoption paradigm
References
The literature [2]
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Samples through adoption
support voluntaries and
Adoption Contact Register
Show fathers’ ongoing distress
and concern for their children
similar to birth mothers’
Literature review
Assumptions about research
and practice [1]
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Men [even perpetrators of harm
to children] can be engaged with
purposefully
Central focus must be child’s
best interests
Safety of women partners and
workers important [Daniel and
Taylor 2001 p9]
References
Assumptions about research
and practice [2]
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Fathers matter to children in
various ways: e.g. carers,
providers, sources of identity
In adoption, identity often a
central issue for adopted people
Information about birth fathers
often missing
Records often do not contain
birth father’s part of adoption
narrative literature review
The research question
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What perspectives do birth
fathers of children adopted from
care have in relation to their
child’s adoption?
Definitions
Why qualitative approach
taken [1]
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Comparative paucity of
information
Unable to confidently predict
their key issues
Need to build rapport and trust
Approach needs to maximise
chances that they will consent
Why qualitative approach
taken [2]
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Openness to hearing their
perspectives
Quantitative approach
inappropriate:
Obtaining a large sample
impractical and..
Clear variables for hypothesis
construction cannot be identified
Project design
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“Grounded theory” [Strauss &
Corbin 1998] reference
Sample size of 3-5 subjects
Conduct in depth interviews with
mostly open questions flowing
from research question
Analyse by successive codings
to derive “middle range”
explanatory theory about
subject’s perspectives
Sample – child cohort [1]
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Fathers recruited from Suffolk
children looked after placed for
adoption or adopted between 1
April 2005 & 27 February 2007
n=162 children of which156 [96%] subject to care order/
freeing/ or placement order
6 [4%] relinquished for adoption
following accommodation
Sample – child cohort [2]
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Of the 156 children adopted or
placed after a court order
99 [63%] were adopted
57 [37%] were placed for
adoption
Identity of children and social
workers obtained from adoption
agency CHARMS database
Sample – father’s referral
process [1]
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Social workers asked to
consider all fathers on the list
Social worker/ manager must
agree approach to potential
subject
Initial approach by social worker,
manager or researcher
Then by researcher phone call &
letter
Sample – father’s referral
process [2]
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Subjects ruled out where there
was risk of violence or disruption
of child’s placement
Agreed subjects ruled out where
family in subsequent care
proceedings or in crisis
Pros and cons of relying on
“insider” access and making
contact through social workers
Sample - reasons for
exclusion
Father identity unknown
Father cannot be traced
Father deceased
Father imprisoned
Risk of violence or tracing
Father refused
No social worker
Current crisis/care proceedings
Other
n
12
12
4
5
4
2
7
6
3
Sample – father’s referral
process [3]
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Social workers mostly very
helpful and interested but some
too busy
Where high staff turnover
parents out of touch [especially
fathers] within 1-2 years
A few comments suggesting
negative stereotyping of fathers
or “gender blindness” [Daniel &
Taylor 2001 p 220] reference
Sample – Staff comments
Social work manager:
 I don’t agree with the basic
premise of your
research…fathers get exactly
the same treatment as everyone
else.
Social worker:
 I don’t know why you want to
talk to him - he’s a confirmed
drug addict.
Sample – obtaining subjects
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Great persistence and flexibility
needed to locate subjects and
encourage them to participate
Several “no shows” for agreed
interviews at social services
offices
Therefore, all but one subjects
interviewed in their own homes
Sample – profiles of subjects
[1]
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Late 20’s. White British. Living
with partner [mother of child
adopted] at parents’ home.
Employment scheme. No further
children
Early 30’s. Mixed heritage.
Living in temporary
accommodation. Separated
from child’s mother. Not
working. No other children.
Problematic history of adoption.
Sample – profiles of subjects
[2]
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Mid 30’s. White British. Living
with new partner and her
children and their child. Full time
work.
Late 40’s. White British. Living
with wife [mother of children
adopted]. Full time work. All their
children either adopted or
permanently fostered.
Sample – profiles of subjects
[3]
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Early 60’s. White British. Living
with wife [mother of children
adopted]. Disabled by serious
stroke. All their children either
adopted or permanently
fostered.
Data collection [1]
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In depth interviews of about 1
hour
Opening question:
When you look back now about
your child’s adoption what things
come to mind?
Informant encouraged to
develop and expand answers &
open new areas
Data collection [2]
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Subsidiary questions as prompts
Topics: Involvement in decision
making
Fairness issues
Effects on father of child’s
adoption
Possibility of future contact
Adoption support
Questions
Data collection [3]
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Interviews audiotaped
Transcribed verbatim
Imported into qualitative
research programme Nvivo for
analysis
Data analysis
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Each script “open coded”
Open codes defined
Possible categories identified
through “axial coding”
Develop key categories from
which theory may be developed
Interim results [1]
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All data [5 scripts] open coded
using Nvivo example
302 open codes identified list
Codes organised in trees for
ease of access
Selected open codes defined
example
Memos and diagrams to
develop categories memo
Interim results [2]
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Insufficient time to complete
formal category development
Interim findings based upon:
Some category development
Summarising and selecting
themes frequently mentioned or
given emphasis by subjects &..
informed by research question
Interim results [3]
Perspectives related to father attributes
Fathers in family during care proceedings [3]
Father in forced accommodation case [1]
Father out of family during care proceedings [1]
Interim findings on fathers’
perspectives
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Feelings of loss
Experience of exclusion
Focus on possible future
meeting
Rationalisations
Coping strategies
Is support acceptable?
The delight and pain of letterbox
contact
Feelings of loss [1]
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Acute sense of loss anger and
distress
Two considered suicide
Double loss of child and partner
Ongoing yearning for the child
Comparisons with bereavement
Feelings of loss [2]
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Acute distress, anger and
sadness
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Yes, it's all sort of come at... collapsed
together. It's like a balloon. You can't -if you pop a balloon, it all pops and
goes down, not just half of it. The lot
goes down together -- collapsed
together. When I eventually realised
that I haven't got my children to m -- me
my life was just finished....
more
Feelings of loss [3]
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Two considered suicide
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I really felt like killing myself to be
honest with you. And I never
would, but that’s how I felt.
more
Feelings of loss [4]
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The possible “double whammy”
of losing partner and child
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...I was so distraught when I lost
the both of them.
Feelings of loss [5]
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Continual yearning and concern
for adopted child
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I think about him every day.
…I've got a son out there
somewhere. That’s all I know. I've
got one out there somewhere. He
could be…three streets away; he
could be miles away. I just don’t
know where he is.
Feelings of loss [6]
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Compared to bereavement
Worse for some…
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To--- to realise that you've lost a part of
your life. Your children are parts of your
life. By taking a child they gently
they've.. well...em... what do you call it,
tightening the n- round your throat...
…the way I was thinking about it since
my dad died: that was painful, but losing
my son was even worse.
Feelings of loss [7]
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…than for others:
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It’s not as extreme as if you lose
someone through death. But then,
in a way, if you think of it along
them terms, it’s a fact. I wouldn’t
say it’s a bereavement but it’s a
bereavement of a s-sort.
Feelings of loss [8]
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Feelings may change over time
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That’s like when my dad died, I
talk about how I felt then; how I
feel now about it. Same as S: how
I felt then; how I feel now; how I
might feel in the future.
Feelings of loss [9]
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For some, pain diminishes:
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Most of the pain has gone and
that but I'll still-I'll always have a
bit there
Feelings of loss [10]
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Strongest sense of loss & guilt
for father out of family
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I blame myself every day [unclear].
That-that-that is my fault. He's not here.
I could’ve-I could’ve made the decision
for him to stay here. But would he have
been happy? I know he's happy where
he is. That’s not very sort of-that’s not
very good for me …but…I'm happydeep down I'm happy because… he's
happy…
Experience of exclusion [1]
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Deficit thinking
Assessment a closed process
Being subordinated
Disadvantaged in meetings
Fathers unequal to mothers
Odds against in care
proceedings
Exception: out of family father
Experience of exclusion [2]
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Deficit thinking
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…all they did really was ignore
most of the good and take the bad
which – that's not the way to do it.
We barely did a bad thing wrong
but they accused us that we did.
Experience of exclusion [3]
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Assessment a closed process
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I wanted to see him as much as I
could 'cos basically we knew the
circumstances and what was
going to happen.
Experience of exclusion [4]
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Being subordinated to social
services
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And each parent has their own
way of bring up a kid but-we had
to do it their way, which, anyone
knows that's not going to work.
You have your own techniques
but nah! You had to use their
rules. We couldn't. Basically, it
was their rules or fail straight
away.
Experience of exclusion [5]
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Disadvantaged in meetings
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Then, they go round, say things and
that like: what could be done and that
and how you felt and the-they asked me
and that-pfff!-that 's when I kicked off
'cos… that's the only time they really
wanted me to talk…is when they ask
my point of it. And it's like, well…I'm
blatantly-I'm the kid's dad, yeah. I'm
involved in this kind of stuff. But they
made me not… involved with it. More
Experience of exclusion [6]
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The odds stacked against the
birth father in care proceedings
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When they-not in these words-but
they basically said "go to court,
fight a losing battle or sign the
papers". Not them sort of words
and that but that was the worst
moment that... signing the papers
for adoption and that. I cried all
day believe it or not. more
Focus on possible future
meeting [1]
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A longed-for future event
Preparing for it
Wanting to set the record
straight
Worry about how the meeting
will go
Will child reject father?
Hedging bets
Focus on possible future
meeting [2]
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A longed-for future event
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I'm wishing my life away to the
day he comes…and he knocks at
the door…… all I'm hoping for
is…the day he knocks on the
door. That’s all I'm aiming for in
life.
More
Focus on possible future
meeting [3]
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Preparing for it
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But I've just got to work through it
and that’s my aim. Then I can
express my feelings to people and
that and then they should
understand them and give me
advice: like, what I could have
done; what I could do in the future
if he comes knocking and
everything.
Focus on possible future
meeting [4]
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Wanting to set the record
straight
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But I'm hoping he'll sit down and
let me explain it, and then, take
him for a beer or whatever, go for
a kick about-do the stuff I couldn't
do.
More
Focus on possible future
meeting [5]
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Worry about how the meeting
will go
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I don’t know how I'm going to react if T
ever knocks on the door…you know. I
know what I want to do. I wanna,
y’know… bring him in give him a
cuddle…tell him how much I love him.
But when I see him, I don’t know what
I'm going to do. I might-for all I know I
could slam the door in his face and go:
“who are you? What are you doing?”
Focus on possible future
meeting [6]
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Will child reject father?
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I don’t know. I don’t know. I
honestly don’t know. I just-there’s
something there where…he's just
not going to want to come and
see me 'cos of what I've done
more
Focus on possible future
meeting [7]
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Hedging bets
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We haven’t given it any thought. I
mean obviously we do the
letterbox contact and whatnot and
then if they decide “yes, we want
to…meet…mum and dad”, then
that’s a decision they have got to
make when they [emphasis] are
18.
Rationalisations [1]
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My children weren’t really
abused...not like some
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It’s best for the child not to fight
Bargaining
Refusing to say goodbye
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Rationalisations [2]
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My children weren’t really
abused...not like some
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Er...its ... allright for the children
that have been abused by their
parents and been...em... battered
by their parents but otherwise the
adoptions business is a very bad
thing for the fathers who hasn't
abused their children.
Rationalisations [3]
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There's worse off children out
there and the social services don’t
even get involved.
Then you get good people like me
and L [partner's name] whichyeah we've had bad stuff happen,
[unclear] done some stupid stuff...
and we go through hell basically
which I really think that is unfair
'cos you get people out there what
batter their kids and they still get
to keep them
Rationalisations [4]
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It’s best for the child not to fight
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Y'know: Why did it happen? Why didn’t
you fight it? Was-would be the u-the
usual-well: Why didn’t you let it go to
court? Why didn’t you fight it? So,
what’s the point of that
because…they're going to win and what
are you doing? You thinking of yourself
[emphasis] or you thinking of the kids.
And…if the children sense there's a
problem they're gonna-they're gonna
pick up-it’s going to affect them
[emphasis].
Rationalisations [5]
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Bargaining
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One-one of the key stipulations
we had with this was, was 'cos
there was two had been fostered;
two been adopted: that they must
have sibling contact.
Rationalisations [6]
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Refusing to say goodbye
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It took one signature and for E just
to give Up on A and I said: “no, I'm
not going to, because I'm not
going to say goodbye to her”.
Y'know, I didn’t meet the familythe adoptive parents for that very
reason-I didn’t want to say
goodbye to her.
Coping strategies [1]
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To withdraw from the fight
Just get on with it
Blocking out the memories
Making changes for the child’s
sake
Knuckling down to work
Managing feelings differently
Coping strategies [2]
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To withdraw from the fight
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[Unclear] I'm glad... well I'm not
glad.....glad I don't have to deal
with them no more. It could have
got dragged through the court that
I said "no, I've had too much pain.
I'm not having more". Um.... I can't
think of anything else. Just, how
much it hurt.
Coping strategies [3]
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Just get on with it
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So I just live day by day; take what
comes and thank the Lord that I still am
here that day.
Just get on with it. [unclear] I go to
work; I've got me kids here; got me
girlfriend: Get on with it. If I keep myself
busy…em…I don’t-I don’t sort of-I don’t
get into the point where I'm thinking
about him-ah, I'm thinking about him all
the time but I don’t get to the point
where I'm getting depressed about
it…but I do miss him.
Coping strategies [4]
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Blocking out the memories
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Q: Was there anything that helps you to
think positively about your children? Is
there anything that helps you get
through, get through the day?
A: I blank -- blank it out my mind....... I
very rarely look up there [looks up at
pictures of adopted children] I very
rarely set up on that -- look up on that
wall. I block it out.. [Long pause]...
Coping strategies [5]
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Making changes for the child’s
sake
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All I think about is what would it be like
if he was here. What would we be
doing? Where would we be and what
job would I have? I just-makes me want
to change like-do it all [emphasis]-but
without him. You just get upset most of
the time about it. I think I …can’t be
getting upset. I need to be strong-I need
to…look to the future…and that’s what I
do. More
Coping strategies [6]
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Knuckling down to work
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I've knuckled down, trying to get a
job now but at first I wouldn't….. I
think that was just down to being
lazy… and now I realise that I've
got to get a job, get some income
and that, get my own house,
provide for we'll have more
children. More
Coping strategies [7]
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Managing feelings differently
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I wish I could “blah blah”. I'm not
sounding girly but I wish I could
and that….. But it’s something I've
got to work on as…myself and
that. I've got to conquer that fear
of talking about me emotions and
stuff.
Coping strategies [8]
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Managing feelings differently
contd
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I'm not a very open person.
Em…oh, I'd rather keep things
bottled up. Then when they do
sort of come out, it comes out the
wrong way. I get angry [emphasis]
…and it’s not with anyone- it’s
with myself.
Is support acceptable? [1]
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Thoughts about accepting help
Counselling an unacceptable
model
Wanting to meet other birth
fathers
Is support acceptable? [2]
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Thoughts about accepting help
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I'm always getting told off for it by-by my
girlfriend, she's always saying: “ask for
help; ask for something; do something;
get something done about it”. I just can't
ask for help. I don’t-I don’t mean to do it
but I push people away when I'm doing
something because… that’s mine-it’s
my thing; I'm doing it and I want to do it
right… em…and I just get angry.
More
Is support acceptable? [3]
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Counselling an unacceptable
model
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I don’t…em... have experience with
counselling [unclear] I got the blame for
everything that happened to me and I
weren’t happy. I thought well was it my
fault? [unclear] but I'm supposed to talk.
I know it wasn’t my fault but then get the
blame for it. Why do I want to go back
and go for more counselling?
Is support acceptable? [4]
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Wanting to meet other birth
fathers

…they're going through it. Like I
said, learning from their mistakes;
give advice what to do if they’ve
done something wrong. And that’s
basically it: just have support from
other dads what’s had it done.
Is support acceptable? [5]
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Wanting to meet other birth
fathers [continued]
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The way you do it! Sitting down,
getting the information, speaking
to two or three different people
and as-as-if you had four people
sitting round this table and we all
discuss it.
The delight and pain of
letterbox contact [1]
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Letters and photos much
valued- photos particularly
Some suspicion of adopters
Reply letters agonisingly difficult
to write
Longing for live interaction
The delight and pain of
letterbox contact [2]
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Letters and photos much
valued- photos particularly

We read the letter and that and
pulled out the picture. L started
crying. Just… the pure shock of
knowing he's-he looked totally
different. He looked a lot-he
looked a lot happier…having the
time of his life and the best life
possible
The delight and pain of
letterbox contact [3]
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Some suspicion of adopters

I think what happens a lot, happens like
my children (the little boys there) [points
at photo of his children who were
adopted] . They'd been adopted, they
are C and L [names his children]. I've
got a feeling the same thing' s happens
now that they washed, yes
brainwashed to make other people -the other people -- are its parents and
not.. not us sort of thing.
The delight and pain of
letterbox contact [4]
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Reply letters agonisingly difficult
to write

…I find it hard [emphasis] writing
back, it is… I can talk [emphasis]
…em…having a conversation, but
writing it down-I know what I want
to say up here [points to head].
Soon as I write it down on paperthat doesn’t-it’s exactly the same
as what was in my head but it
doesn’t look or sound right.
The delight and pain of
letterbox contact [5]
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Longing for live interaction
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All I've seen is a picture that catches
that one moment but… what led up to
it? What happened afterwards? That’sthat’s-that’s what's not fair….. I'd like to
sort of have it on the web cam. If I could
get their email address-I-if it was
allowed [emphasis], I'd have their email
address and say right, OK, can we
speak to him today, 'cos then…em...
the other kids could see him and they
can see-they ca- see and I can see-with
a picture you catch that one moment.
Subjects’ “offline” comments
[1]
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One subject sought advice on
tracing his own adoptive mother
One discussed difficulty
explaining feelings to partner
One expressed isolation and
desire to meet other fathers
Subjects’ “offline” comments
[2]
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One offered support to other
fathers
All wanted feedback on results
4/5 said they would like to hear
feedback as a group
All but one wanted transcript
Discussion – feelings of loss
[1]
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Echoes previous findings:
Birth mothers (Bouchier et al
1991)
Birth fathers of relinquished
children (Clapton 2003; Witney
2005)
Birth parents have profound and
continuing grief reactions and
continue to worry about their
children
Discussion - feelings of loss
[2]
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Differences in circumstances:
Care proceedings &
Closeness to separation don’t
seem to make much difference
Questions: does anger/
contention change grieving?
Does modern relinquishment
make parting harder to bear?
Discussion – experience of
exclusion [1]
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Parallels with Mason and
Selman [1997] More
Birth fathers involved in care
proceedings feel overwhelmed
by powerful forces
Some hints about improving that
experience at the marginsempowerment at meetings;
status respect; more men in
workforce
Discussion – focus on possible
future meeting
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
Hugely important issue for these
fathers and preoccupies them
Men and adoption contact –
historical comparisons
Now, most adoptions have a
letterbox arrangement
Living parallel lives
Living “on hold”
Fluctuating expectations
Discussion – is support
acceptable?





Will talk about feelings in the
right context
Counselling model not
acceptable
Fathers need highly proactive
outreach
They stress advice giving and
receiving- helping others!
Want to meet other fathers
Discussion – Letterbox





Fathers want more interactive
forms of contact
Photos much valued….
Then news
Return letters agonisingly
difficult to write
Consider innovation using
technologies? DVDs/webcams
etc
Discussion – beyond
description to explanation [1]



Grounded theory is meant to
move beyond description to
explanation - predictive
Use of literature, memoing, for
constant comparison
Suggesting areas for category
development & theoretical
sampling
Discussion – beyond
description to explanation [2]




Comparison from chronically ill
men study by Charmaz [1994]
Similarities in the men and the
challenge faced
How do these men cope with life
changing crises
Crises threaten “men’s taken for
granted masculine identities”
Discussion – beyond
description to explanation [3]





Identity dilemmas:
Risking activity vs. forced
passivity
Remaining independent vs.
becoming dependent
Maintaining dominance vs.
becoming subordinate
Preserving a public persona vs.
acknowledging private feelings
Discussion – beyond
description to explanation [4]





Questioning masculine identity
Connell [1995]: decline of
“hegemonic masculinity”
Many “masculinities” instead
Where are our birth fathers in
spectrum? Informs key responses?
Consider data re expression of
feelings/ partner empathy/ “kicking
off”/ being absent/ “children weren’t
really abused” etc
Discussion- typologies [5]




“Typologies” of birth fathers
would help commissioning
Trial of practice initiatives aimed
at particular sub groups
Starting with most accessible
and moving out
Evolving practice knowledge
and skills
How to take the study forward
[1]





More formal category
development
Sensitisation to new issues
Describe findings to existing
subjects and obtain feedback
Increase sample quantity
Sample “theoretically” to test
emerging theory
How to take the study forward
[2]



Seek fathers with particular
attributes: e.g. ethnic minorities;
prisoners
Sample through other sources:
via media advertising; prison
service; voluntary organisations;
etc
Develop typologies
Practice & policy pointers [1]




Much more care is taken to
identify and engage fathers
Where teams are in flux
knowledge of and contact with
fathers disappears quickly
Databases and records don’t
always capture precious father
information
Still significant minority of
children “lose” birth fathers
Practice & policy pointers [2]



Few social workers/ managers
are openly dismissive of birth
fathers
But…little evidence of a
“gendered approach” to
safeguarding or adoption issues
Additional training for social
workers/ managers to equip
them for their key role
Practice & policy pointers [3]




No adoption support services there
which make sense to fathers CSCI
Fathers profoundly affected by their
child’s adoption
Fathers deserve a service in their
own right and for children’s sake
Traditional counselling model
inappropriate (counselling skills still
apply)
Practice & policy pointers [4]




Need to provide tailored
adoption support for fathers
Approach must be highly
proactive- outreach not in-drag
Look at father-inclusive practice
across the board top 10 tips
New “Gender Equality Duty”
requires action more
Recommendations [1]




Audit services for “father
friendliness”
Workshops to support better
practice with fathers
Appoint birth family workers
More relevant regional
adoption support
Recommendations [2]




Capture key information
about each father early
Adapt databases to aid
service planning for fathers
Improve the gender equality
plan to include fathers
More research into fathers’
perspectives
References – working with
fathers in practice





Burgess, A and Bartlett, D Working with
fathers Fathers Direct
Daniel, B & Taylor, J Engaging with
fathers Jessica Kingsley 2001
Equal Opportunities Commission website
http://www.eoc.org.uk/
Fathers Direct website –
www.fathersdirect.com
Featherstone, Brid; Rivett, Mark; and
Scourfield, Jonathan (2007) Working with
men in health and social care Sage
London.
References – research






Charmaz, Kathy Identity dilemmas of chronically ill
men in Strauss, A & Corbin, J [eds] Grounded
theory in practice Thousand Oaks CA: Sage
Clapton, Gary (2003) Birth Fathers and their
Adoption Experiences Jessica Kingsley, London.
Clapton, Gary (2007) The experiences and needs
of birth fathers in adoption: what we know now and
some practice implications Practice 19 (1) March
2007 pages 61-71.
CSCI (2006)Adoption: messages from inspections
of adoption agencies
Flouri, E (2005) Fathering and child outcomes
John Wiley and Son, Chichester.
Haralambos, M & Holborn, M (2004) Sociology:
themes and perspectives HarperCollins London.
References – research





Mason, Kathy & Selman, Peter (1997) Birth
parents’ experience of contested adoption
Adoption and Fostering 21 (1) 21-28.
Melrose, M (2000) Fixing it: young people drugs
and disadvantage Russell House Publishing Lyme
Regis.
Melrose M and Dean H (1996) Unravelling
citizenship: the significance of social security
benefit fraud Critical Social Policy 16 (3).
Strauss, A and Corbin, J (1998) Basics of
Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures
for Developing Grounded Theory Sage, London.
Witney, Celia (2005) Over half a million fathers: An
exploration into the experiences of fathers involved
in adoption in the mid 20th century in England and
Wales Journal of Social Work 5 (1) 83-99.
Contents
Why this project
Interim results
Origins of project
Interim findings summary
Literature
Feelings of loss
Assumptions
Experience of exclusion
Research question
Why Qualitative approach
Focus on possible future
meeting
Project design
Rationalisations
Sample - child cohort
Coping strategies
Sample - fathers’ referral
process
Is support acceptable?
Sample - reasons for
exclusion
Subjects’ offline comments
Sample – staff comments
Sample – getting subjects
Profiles of subjects
Data collection
Data analysis
Letterbox contact
Discussion
How to take study forward
Practice and policy pointers
Recommendations
References