Children North East Fathers Plus provides training, resources, networks, support and advice to organisations and agencies across the UK to support the inclusion of fathers and male carers in family services.

The Fathers Plus Service was set up in 1997 to improve outcomes for children and young people by working with local government and voluntary services to ensure that fathers and male carers are supported in their role as care givers and the service has now grown to be of national and international significance.

Including male carers has been shown to improve outcomes for children and young people and is an important element of the Every Child Matters and Think Family agendas.

The Fathers Plus Dad Test Audit gives practioners a structured, fast and cost effective way of ensuring that their organisation is inclusive of fathers and male carers and meets the demands of the DCSF Dad Test - try the free Dad Test Taster online.

Fathers Plus provides specialist support to Local Authority Children's Services and partner agencies and supports the development of father friendly policies and practice to include men in line with national policy.  The service aim is to ensure that men in caring roles are valued, supported and included in all approaches to work with children, families and young people.  Fathers Plus has helped men to make positive life changes for themselves and their families and access relevant support.

The Children North East Fathers Plus service aims to increase the engagement of men in children's services both as users and as workers and challenges inequality in services which limit support for fathers and male carers.

The service runs programmes with family men and their families to demonstrate effective inclusive practice in schools, children's centres, maternity services, prisons, youth services and other community settings.  Fathers Plus' work with family men in schools and children's centres has achieved national recognition and is cited as an example of good practice in the Sure Start Children's Centre Guidance.

Hundreds of workers who have arrtended the practioner networks we manage across the country say they are more likely to include men as a result, and staff in hundreds of settings who have benefitted from our training and resources now feel more able to engage positively with men. Visit the online knowledge bank at IncludingMen.com through which Fathers Plus continues to build capacity and support organisations to include men.

Key Services of Fathers Plus:

• Policy/Strategic Support
• Auditing Services
• Programme Development
• Workforce Reform: Training Services
• Workforce Reform: Developing Practioner Networks
• 'Men Friendly' Resources for workers and families
• Activities and events for families

Fathers Plus is headed by the Service Manager, David Van der Velde who works with a Project Manager and the Fathers Plus Team on a number of projects nationally.

Visit the Fathers Plus website to access more information on the work of the Fathers Plus Service, visit the online shop or contact the Fathers Plus Team.