Training
The Fatherhood Institute is the UK’s leading provider of father-inclusion training, parent interventions and consultancy.
Since we launched in 1999, we’ve trained thousands of practitioners in Sure Start centres and Family Hubs; maternity and health visiting services; early years settings and schools; and children’s social care services.
Many have gone on to develop or create new father-inclusive services and approaches in their local areas, as well as improving their own daily practice. Some have taken up roles advocating for father-inclusion at regional or national level.
All our training packages are regularly updated with the best quality academic research from the UK and overseas - meaning your staff will gain the most rigorous, in-depth understanding of fathers’ impacts, their diverse lived experiences, and ‘what works’ in father-inclusive health, family support, education and safeguarding provision.
Our carefully selected team of trainers, all experts in their particular field of family practice, take great care to create learning experiences that will inspire and upskill your workforce. They can also prepare you to deliver our life-changing programmes for parents - like Becoming Dad, Family Foundations and FRED (Fathers Reading Every Day).
So don’t just ‘tick the dad box’ – transform outcomes for the whole family with the Fatherhood Institute.
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Train your workforce
Awareness raising seminars for practitioners who work with families
Introductory courses providing a grounding in evidence about fathers' roles, impact, and best practice
Our 3-day training equips practitioners with knowledge and skills to champion father-inclusive approaches within their local services and beyond
In the last two years we’ve trained +225 Fatherhood Champions across 14 local authorities. Our Champions undertake three days’ training, getting a thorough grounding in the UK evidence base about fathers and fatherhood, going on a ‘deep dive’ to explore and unpick their own attitudes and beliefs, delivering a presentation to their fellow trainees, and developing an action plan for transforming practice in their local service. After completing their training, the Champions join our national network, with access to their own private website and Linkedin group
Fatherhood Champion testimonials
Practitioner
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"I feel equipped with knowledge to help colleagues and others to work together to ensure we are including fathers in our practice. This training has left a mark on me that I feel will impact my practice whatever role I do in the future"
Practitioner
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"This training brought to life the impact we can have on the ground for fathers and ultimately the whole family and it is apparent that everyone who attended the training captured your passion and will take this forward"
Practitioner
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"I connected so well with the course content and I feel totally inspired to act on my training and share the information with everyone I can. Hands down the best training I have ever been on!"
Transformation Lead, Family Hubs - North West
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"FI have a wealth of knowledge and research on the topic of developing father-inclusive practice and can provide a thorough analysis of how to effectively make systemic changes"
Workforce development courses
All the options below are available as a seminar or one-day course:
Working with fathers in the early years
Working with fathers in the transition to parenthood
Working with resistant fathers
What we think about fathers (and why we might think that)
Working with fathers to safeguard children
Engaging fathers in health visiting & family services
Working with parent-couple dynamics
Managers' roundtable: supporting father-inclusion through supportive systems
For more info: click on 'Seminars', 'One-day courses' or 'Fatherhood Champions' above, or email our training department
Train to deliver our programmes
Train to deliver our ground-breaking antenatal peer-support programme for expectant and new fathers
Our highly evidenced parenting programme for expectant couples, focusing on preparing and supporting the co-parent couple relationship
Our simple, exciting and transformative reading-for- pleasure programme for dads and their young children
Enquire about our training for early years organisations wanting to improve the gender diversity of their workforce
Become a delivery partner
Find out more via the links above, or email our training department
Commission a workplace seminar
We provide a range of workplace seminars that translate key research findings about UK fathers and fatherhood, into
accessible, actionable messages of interest to all working parents, their managers, and organisational leaders.
The 60 to 90-minute seminars are suitable for groups of fathers, mothers, or mixed groups – and for managers and/or leaders to attend. Our highly effective trainers can address a wide range of parenting and fatherhood-related issues, including:
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Managing the transition to parenthood
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Avoiding the mum-default
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The impact fathers have on children
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Juggling bonding and breadwinning
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Overcoming fatherhood forfeits
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Successful co-parenting across households
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We can also create a bespoke programme tailored to your specific needs. Email us for details.
Testimonials
Team Leader, North East
"Fabulous bespoke training that has been long overdue within the NHS.
New research, knowledge, and framework for service development was evident throughout the training. Very knowledgeable trainer with great passion and patience. Will help service embed recommendations from the Myth of Invisible Men report.
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I have already recommended the training to the local authority."
Parent Support Team Manager - Wales
"Practitioners felt that the training was pitched at the right pace and level, was interactive, informative, and gave the group confidence in being able to engage fathers in this initiative.
The FRED course is a really nice addition [to our existing work engaging fathers], and complements our 1-1 work with fathers, Early Years drop in and more formal group"
Senior Learning & Development Officer - West Midlands
"For two years we have worked closely with the Fatherhood institute. We have had a range of professionals (who support a variety of different needs) give positive feedback regarding the learning they received. We are planning the next steps to build on our existing offer for Year three.
The FI team have a specialist knowledge base, underpinned by their research. They have helped to empower participants to look at ways they can identify ‘gaps’ and strengthen/ improve the way in which we work with fathers to help all, especially the child.
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I would highly recommend this provider to others."
Reducing Parental Conflict Officer - East of England
“I can’t emphasise enough how beneficial the suite of Engaging Fathers Training has been to promote a father-inclusive philosophy amongst our internal staff and external partners.
The Fatherhood Institute trainers are inspiring and sincere in their desire to support local authorities to challenge stereotypes and categorically embed a father-inclusive service”.