As part of the first ever Year of the Dad in 2016, Fathers Network Scotland in collaboration with the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships are hosting a conference on Friday 12th February 2016.

The conference aims to be a day of reflection, dialogue and stimulation for academics, policy-makers, diversity and inclusion leaders and practitioners. The day will highlight the positive contribution fathers make to children, families, communities and society as a whole.

After an overview of families and fathers in Britain, there will be four simultaneous streams of conversations: ‘what children need from fathers’, ‘what mothers want from fathers’, ‘what fathers need at work’ and ‘what fathers need in adversity’. The afternoon session will reflect on these streams and their recommendations. This will then feed into Year of the Dad activities in 2016.

There will also be time to relax and have discussions at stands and posters presented by students researching fathers in Scotland along with music and creative contributions from local communities.

I you require accommodation, please make your reservation under

 http://www.edinburghfirst.co.uk/for-accommodation-internal/

Outline Agenda

09:00     Registration

09.30     Welcome

David Drysdale (CEO of Fathers Network Scotland)

Aileen Campbell (Minister for Children and Young People)

09.45     Families in Scotland

Lynn Jamieson (Professor of Sociology, Families and Relationships, The University of Edinburgh / Co-Director of CRFR)

10:00     The changing role of fatherhood in Britain – Margaret O’Brien (Director of the Thomas Coram Research Unit, UCL)

10.45     Conversation Streams

What do mothers want from fathers? Chaired by Stuart Valentine (Relationships Scotland)

• Negotiating the domestic contract – how to make your partner an equal partner – Tina Miller (Professor of Sociology Oxford Brookes)
• Men can do it – Gideon Burrows (Author and dad)
• More TBC

What do fathers need at work? Chaired by Sarah Jackson (CEO of Working families)

• Parental leave in Iceland – how does it work – Ingolfur Gislason (Professor in Sociology at the School of Social Sciences University of Iceland)
• The Price of Love – Caroline Gatrell (Professor of Management Studies Lancaster University Management School)
• Employers and new fathers: the role of extra-statutory occupational benefits in enabling shared parenting in the UK – Alison Koslowski (Senior Lecturer in Social Policy University of Edinburgh)

What do children need from fathers? Chaired by Dr. Sarah Morton (Co-Director CRFR)

• What do children say they want – Colin Morrison (Co-Director Children’s Parliament)
• Engaging dads in education Preston Pans School case study – Tim Porteus (Sure Start)
• Gary Clapton (Lecturer in Social Work University of Edinburgh)

What do fathers in adversity need? Chaired by Paul Bradshaw (Director of ScotCEN)

• In work poverty – Ann Henderson (Assistant Secretary STUC)
• More TBC

12.45     Lunch

13.45     What’s good for families?

Feedback on discussions from each stream. (Stuart Valentine, Sarah Jackson and Sarah Morton)

14.30     Reply from key notes

(Margaret O’Brien, David Drysdale and Lynn Jamieson)

14:45     Now what? – Sam Pringle (CEO Fathers Network Scotland)

Comments from the audience

15:00     Close 

This is funded by the Scottish Government