Trust for the Study of Adolescence

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'It is about listening to what they want... If something doesn't work, don't flog it to death!'

• Who will you consult with? Young fathers, young mothers, practitioners (which ones?), colleagues?
• What methods will you use in the consultation process?
• How might you develop a gender differentiated approach? What works with young mothers may not necessarily work with young fathers.

• Consider youth-work style approaches that take the young person's agenda as the starting point, rather than imposing a definition of what 'fathers work' entails at the outset.
• Work with young people to maximise ownership: ask them what they want, again and again, and act on what they say.
• Think carefully about venue and access: Drop-ins are particularly appealing to young people but should be located in a central community setting. The location should be 'young-father-friendly', have good transport links, and preferably under the same roof or nearby to a service that young people are already accessing for another service.