NEYDL-Annual-Rep-2023.indd

‘Honestly, without the support from the guys here (NEYDL) I don’t want to knowwhere I probably would’ve ended up.’ (Young Dad) ‘Hey Doug, hope all is well...I wanted to say a massive thank you! When I was living up north, honestly if it wasn’t for you, I know genuinely I would have committed suicide…You was the only person who never judge me…You truly are an amazing person! An amazing dad and I never grew up with a dad myself, but you are what dads should inspire to be!’ (Young Dad) 7 North East Young Lads & Dads | ANNUAL REPORT 2023 TEEN DADS By Doug Laidlaw Thanks to a 3-year continuation grant from BBC Children in Need, the Teen Dads Project remains a vital part of our service offer in support of young men aged 19 and under in Tyne & Wear and Tees Valley. This is reflected by the marked increase in total young dads supported in both Middlesbrough (rising from 0 in 2022 to 18 in 2023) and Newcastle upon Tyne (rising from 7 in 2022 to 57 in 2023) over a 12-month period. Bespoke and intensive 1:1 support is still at the core of our service offer to teen dads. In addition to help and support to understand, attend and contribute positively to complex and emotionally challenging proceedings (including children’s social care, family mediation and private family court meetings), over the last year I have seen an increase in teen dads reporting poor mental health including anxiety, depression, and low mood. My support for these dads has included help to register with and access support via GP’s and talking therapies. All the teen dads we have supported are now registered on and actively using our DigiDAD e-learning platform, which demonstrates their willingness to improve their parenting knowledge and skills to be the best dads they can be for their children. I have also continued to work closely with maternal and paternal families including grandparents and the mother of the child(ren) so that a ‘whole family’ support approach is taken to ensure the best possible outcomes for all involved with the child(ren). Peer supported group work and learning opportunities are also a key feature of the Teen Dads Project, and this year has been no different, with teen dads supported to attend Stay and Play sessions with their children, family outings, go-karting, gym sessions and bike rides. In addition, I have supported teen dads to become AmbassaDADS as part of the charity’s Regional Young Dads Council. It has been a joy and a privilege to work with so many amazing teenage dads who have often overcome significant adversity to play an active, attentive, and loving part in their children’s lives and I deeply look forward to another great year in their company. EVALUATING THE TEEN DADS PROJECT By Dr Michael J Richardson I was asked to independently evaluate the final two years of North East Young Dads and Lads (NEYDL’s) Teen Dads Project (Year 2 covering June 2020 – July 2021 and Year 3 covering July 2021 – June 2022), funded by BBC Children in Need. Dominating the timeframe of this project were the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects this has had on the ability for NEYDL to conduct their work during these times. I have continued to work with NEYDL in the months since the evaluation window had closed, through an Innovation and Knowledge Exchange Sabbatical (between September 2022 and February 2023) at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art (supported by the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology and the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty at Newcastle University). This has given me unique insight to the legacies of the Teen Dads Project, especially through the development of the Regional Young Dads Council and the emergence of the AmdassaDADS (see article entitled AmbassaDADS Assemble!). Readers of this annual report will know that at entry point to NEYDL, teen dads and expectant dads are often identified as socially isolated and severely marginalised. That they often lack access to professional parenting support due to their age and gender, experience social isolation from their immediate peer group and a loss of friendship networks often follows, due to changes in their circumstances. As a result, young dads often reported poor mental health, which is exacerbated by the lack of available support services. The different sections of this Annual Report are testament to the outstanding work NEYDL does to redress the balance. Throughout my time working with NEYDL I have always been impressed by the ‘revolving door’ policy that enables young men to return time and again for help, assistance, and friendship. Some young men who were service beneficiaries at the beginning of my working relationship with NEYDL, were absent for a period of time and then made a return when it suited them. This return was for different reasons, and what is impressive about the work of NEYDL is their lifelong commitment to supporting young dads. Some of these ‘young’ men are no longer teens. Some are no longer even classed as ‘young men’ at all (i.e., they are over the age of 25). However, due to the continued working relationships, NEYDL now has a better and longer standing knowledge of the difficulties facing young men who are fathers across different life course stages. Key learning points from this work are as follows: 1. The value of a flexible support offer (being responsive to participants’ needs and not assuming any particular method of communication will be desired). 2. There is a clear need for early intervention (due to the isolating factors brought about by young fatherhood). 3. The value of DigiDAD as an online resource. 4. Continued value placed on face-to-face contact (running concurrently alongside the increased demand for digital resources).