Dads needed for care role research

Thursday 12th April 2012

Dads who care for disabled children or adults are being asked to share their experiences as part of a new project.

Dad And Me is designed to lift the lid on male caring, looking at how dads feel about the role, how they cope and what challenges they face.

The project has been established by charities Scope and Netbuddy, which both support people caring for disabled relatives. Existing research often focusses on female roles.

Deborah Gundle, Netbuddy founder, said: "When it comes to caring, the male role can often be overlooked.

"We are calling on dads to speak out about how they care for their loved ones in order to ensure they are getting the support they need and help us build a stronger community where dads can work together, sharing advice and tips."

Questions will cover issues such as does their employer and colleagues know they care for a disabled child? Do they feel that they can talk to others easily if things are tough? What would make dads more confident as carers?

Ms Gundle said: "These are all questions we need to ask of dad carers to find out what can be done to help them, and the person they care for, live happy, fulfilled and safe lives.

"We all know dads are amazing when it comes to fixing broken toys or building tree houses, but caring for someone with a learning disability can be a whole new world.

"We hope this survey will show the breadth of their talents and caring nature when it comes to looking after children with challenging needs."

The survey is available at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/dadandme.

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