Thanks to the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, we are now able to support Dads and male carers directly through Dad Matters Bradford. Mohammed Khan joined the team earlier this year and we now welcome Louise Gill as she joins Mohammed as a Dad Matters Coordinator.
The Dad Matters coordinator role at Home-Start Bradford District will support expectant Dads, Dads and male carers to have the best possible relationship with their children. They will work closely with other professionals within the Bradford District to collectively foster better support for Dads in their parenting journey.
The coordinator will be a friendly ear to listen to anxieties and stresses and they will work with Dads and male carers to access services and information to help them make sense of being a Dad.
We caught up with Louise to find out more about her hopes and vision for her new Dad Matters Coordinator role.
HSBD: Why did the Dad Matters Coordinator role appeal to you?
The role really appealed to me as I feel strongly about a dad’s involvement in a child’s life and the impact this has on their development. If a child has the presence of a dad or male carer in their life it can completely shape their future. Giving a dad the support they need through what can be a challenging time with a new child is something I feel I can help with and help build that bond with their child to help shape their future.
HSBD: What does your Dad Matters Coordinator role involve?
My role will involve providing support to Dad’s and helping them with building a strong bond and attachment with their child. Whether this is emotional or physical support, this can be tailored to the individual and what they feel they need.
HSBD: What is the first thing that you want to ‘hit the ground running’ with?
I really want to help get the Dad Matter’s ‘name’ out there more and build strong relationships with other services across Bradford so they we can offer the best support for Dad’s moving forward.
HSBD: What are you most looking forward to?
I am really looking forward to starting to work with Dads. I have a lot of experience in supporting families and I feel I’ve a lot to give to this role in helping dad’s build their confidence and bond with their little ones.
HSBD: What do you think you bring to the role?
For the last 18 months I have been working in Perinatal Care Family Support across Calderdale. I have loved this role in helping families as a whole and offering them the support they need to improve their mental and emotional health. My experience with working with families has given me the drive to focus this care on Dads as this is a huge area that has been missing for such a long time. I feel passionate about bringing the focus to Dad’s. I always feel that I’m easy to talk to, approachable and relatable.
HSBD: Have you ever been a volunteer?
I haven’t been a volunteer within Home-Start, but I regularly volunteer in scouting. I attend Beavers weekly as a leader, which I absolutely love where we focus on providing the children with new and fun experiences which they might not experience otherwise.
I also for the last few years have volunteered and then played within the local youth scout band Revolution where this year we won the National Championships. I support the band with catering events, creating props, helping to fit uniforms, face painting, helping to organise awards evenings etc. Music is a huge part of my life as is scouting. I love volunteering and giving back to the community I live in.
HSBD: As a parent, can you share some of your more challenging experiences that you think dads could identify with?
I am a parent to three wonderful boys who are not only lucky enough to have an amazing father but an amazing stepdad too. Being a mum doesn’t come without it’s challenges and I feel that my experience of being a parent and what we have been through as a family has given me a lot of not only parenting experience but a lot of life experience that a lot of families will relate to.
Me and the children’s dad experienced a lot of struggles with each of my pregnancies and we were fully aware of the challenges and effect this had on his mental health. I witnessed him struggle, especially with our last child who was in intensive care whilst I was also struggling with my heath as a result of the pregnancy. At the time, there was no support available for him. It is sometimes underestimated what Dads go through during this period and the effect it can have on their mental health whilst they are then trying to build that bond with their baby.
HSBD: We are currently celebrating our 25th year and we are asking people to choose a word that best describes us. Can you choose a word and tell us why? (The list can be found on Facebook here).
Passionate – in the short time I have been at Home Start Bradford I’ve witnessed the passion all the team and volunteers have for supporting families and giving back.
