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Mancroft Advice Project (M.A.P.), Norwich -
Mixed Models of Working

M.A.P. currently works with young fathers through a mix of one-to-one work and group activities. It is a free independent information, advice, and counselling service for young people aged 11 to 25yrs. Provision includes a drop-in for young fathers, practical advice and information, skills development, and support for issues relating to being young men as well as young fathers. Other services include advice on housing, benefits and advocacy, a children and young peoples rights worker, a young fathers worker, free pregnancy testing, free condoms, a Connexions drop-in, and counselling service.

Learning Points

'Our work combines the informality of a drop-in with the formality of doing a focused group activity, it's all combined in one so that the boundaries between the one-to-one and group sessions become much more blurred.'

• Group work can mean it is difficult to meet individual needs. Whilst some young fathers may be involved with their children and want to work on practical aspects of parenting, others may have no contact and thus want to focus on very different issues. A mix of individual and group based approaches means workers are able to respond more flexibly to young fathers, by utilising the drop-in where one-to-one work can take place, but also conducting structured pieces of work with those that are in attendance (e.g. a group activity on parent craft or working on the production of a CD-ROM about being a father).
• The youth work model is an effective way of delivering support for some young fathers. Moving between informal and more formal styles of working seems to suit the young men as opposed to more single structured approaches (e.g. such as a 6 week course).
• M.A.P. has found that a mixed approach to young fathers work can help engage young fathers, as it is likely to be more suitable for greater numbers of young men. M.A.P currently works regularly with approximately 20 young fathers who attend the drop-in on a weekly basis.

Contact:
Andy Wood (Young Fathers Worker)
Tel: +44 (0)1603 766 994

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