MENSCAPE Fatherhood & Parenting Programme

Specialist Parenting Support for Men and Fathers

SPECIALIST PARENTING SUPPORT FOR FATHERS

The MENSCAPE Fatherhood & Parenting Programme (FAPP) provides structured, evidence-informed parenting support specifically designed for fathers.

Fatherhood can bring significant rewards alongside challenges, pressures and uncertainty. MENSCAPE provides a supportive and non-judgemental space for fathers to reflect on their parenting, understand their children better and develop practical skills for building safe, consistent and emotionally connected relationships.

The programme combines child development, emotional regulation, attachment-informed parenting, positive parenting approaches, boundaries, behaviour management and relational repair.

A central framework runs throughout the programme:

REGULATE → UNDERSTAND → CONNECT → GUIDE → REPAIR

The programme is available through two pathways: individual 1:1 support and the FAPP online group programme.

Choosing the Right Pathway

1:1 FATHERHOOD & PARENTING PROGRAMME: Individual, Tailored Parenting Support

The 1:1 Fatherhood & Parenting Programme provides individual support for fathers who would benefit from a programme tailored specifically to their child, family circumstances and parenting goals.

The programme consists of 12 structured individual sessions following an initial assessment.

Working individually allows the facilitator to apply each session directly to the father's experiences and the developmental needs of his child or children.

1:1 FAPP may be particularly helpful for fathers who:

  • Have specific parenting concerns they want to address.

  • Want support tailored to the age and needs of their child.

  • Find group settings difficult or prefer individual work.

  • Are experiencing particular difficulties around boundaries, communication or emotional regulation.

  • Are navigating separation, co-parenting or changes within the family.

  • Have been recommended to undertake parenting work by another professional or service.

  • Require a more individualised pace or approach.

What We Work On

The 12 sessions cover:

  1. My Role as a Father

  2. Understanding Your Child's Development

  3. Understanding My Emotions as a Dad

  4. Staying Calm When Parenting Gets Hard

  5. Understanding My Child's Emotions

  6. Being a Safe Base as My Child Grows

  7. Warmth and Boundaries

  8. Understanding Behaviour

  9. Positive Discipline, Consequences and Responsibility

  10. Co-parenting and Putting My Child First

  11. When Things Go Wrong: Repair

  12. My Fatherhood Plan

Structure

Initial assessment: Individual assessment prior to starting
Programme: 12 individual sessions
Session length: Approximately 60 minutes
Delivery: Online
Approach: Tailored to the father, child and family circumstances

FATHERS & PARENTING PROGRAMME: Online Group Pathway for Fathers

The MENSCAPE Fathers & Parenting Programme (FAPP) is our structured 12-week online group parenting programme for fathers.

FAPP brings fathers together in a supportive male-focused environment to learn, reflect and develop parenting skills alongside other dads.

The group combines facilitator-led learning with realistic parenting scenarios, group discussion, interactive exercises, private reflection and practical strategies to try between sessions.

Participants are encouraged to contribute while maintaining control over how much personal information they choose to share with the group.

Why Group Work?

Parenting can sometimes feel isolating.

Group work gives fathers an opportunity to recognise that many parenting challenges are shared while also hearing different perspectives and approaches from other dads.

The group provides opportunities to:

  • Learn from other fathers.

  • Discuss common parenting challenges.

  • Practise responding to realistic parenting situations.

  • Consider different perspectives.

  • Develop practical strategies.

  • Reflect privately on your own parenting.

  • Build confidence through shared learning.

What Does FAPP Group Pathway Cover?

FAPP follows the same core developmental journey:

DAD → CHILD → RELATIONSHIP → PARENTING → REPAIR

The 12 group sessions are:

  1. The Father I Want to Be

  2. Understanding Children as They Grow

  3. What Happens to Me Under Stress?

  4. Staying Calm When Parenting Gets Hard

  5. Understanding My Child's Emotions

  6. Being a Safe Base

  7. Connection AND Boundaries

  8. Understanding Behaviour

  9. Positive Discipline, Consequences and Responsibility

  10. Co-parenting and Putting Children First

  11. When Things Go Wrong: Repair

  12. The Father I Want to Keep Becoming

Structure

Pre-group meeting: Individual suitability assessment
Programme: 12 weekly group sessions
Session length: Approximately 90 minutes
Delivery: Live online
Group size: Small-group format
Completion: Individual end-of-programme review

WHICH OPTION IS RIGHT FOR ME?

Both pathways cover the core MENSCAPE parenting principles, but the experience is different.

1:1 PROGRAMME

Choose individual delivery if you want:

  • Greater privacy.

  • More individual discussion.

  • Sessions tailored closely to your family circumstances.

  • More time to explore specific parenting difficulties.

  • Individual pacing and support.

FAPP GROUP PATHWAY

Group delivery may suit you if you want:

  • To learn alongside other fathers.

  • Shared discussion and different perspectives.

  • Interactive scenarios and group activities.

  • To hear how other dads approach parenting challenges.

  • A structured male-focused group environment.

An initial discussion or assessment can help determine which pathway is most appropriate.

WHO CAN ACCESS THE PROGRAMME?

The MENSCAPE Fatherhood & Parenting Programme can support fathers at different stages of parenting, including:

  • Fathers of younger children.

  • Fathers of school-age children.

  • Fathers of teenagers.

  • Young fathers.

  • Fathers navigating separation or co-parenting.

  • Fathers experiencing parenting stress or emotional overwhelm.

  • Fathers wanting to strengthen their relationship with their children.

  • Fathers who want greater confidence in setting boundaries.

  • Fathers referred or signposted by professionals.

The programme is designed to be responsive to different family structures, backgrounds and lived experiences.

DEVELOPMENTALLY INFORMED PARENTING

Children need different things from their fathers as they grow.

A young child may need significant reassurance, play, supervision and simple boundaries.

A school-age child may need encouragement, listening, guidance and increasing responsibility.

A teenager may need greater privacy and independence while continuing to need connection, guidance and appropriate boundaries.

MENSCAPE therefore does not promote a single parenting approach for every child.

Instead, fathers are encouraged to ask:

"What does my child need from me at their age and stage of development?"

WHAT DOES FAPP AIM TO SUPPORT?

The programmes aim to help fathers develop:

  • Greater understanding of their child's developmental and emotional needs.

  • Increased confidence in their parenting role.

  • Greater awareness of their own parenting triggers and responses.

  • More consistent and age-appropriate boundaries.

  • Improved communication and emotional connection.

  • More reflective approaches to discipline and consequences.

  • Greater capacity to repair relationships following difficult interactions.

  • Clearer parenting goals for the future.

Individual outcomes will vary according to the participant's circumstances, engagement and needs.

IMPORTANT: FAPP AND DOMESTIC ABUSE WORK

The Fatherhood & Parenting Programme is a parenting intervention. It is not a Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme (DAPP).

Where domestic abuse or harmful behaviour within an intimate or family relationship is the primary identified concern, MENSCAPE will consider whether the MENSCAPE DAPP or another specialist intervention is more appropriate.

In some circumstances, parenting work may form part of wider intervention planning, subject to assessment.

PROFESSIONAL AND SELF-REFERRALS

Referrals and enquiries are welcomed from:

  • Fathers themselves.

  • Early Help and Family Hubs.

  • Children's Social Care.

  • CAMHS and other health professionals.

  • Schools and education services.

  • Family support services.

  • Solicitors and other professionals where appropriate.

  • Voluntary and community organisations.

Where a professional is involved, the purpose of the referral and expected outcomes can be discussed as part of the assessment process.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

Whether you are looking for individual parenting support or would prefer to learn alongside other fathers through FAPP Group Pathway, the first step is to contact MENSCAPE.

We can discuss your circumstances, what you would like help with and which programme pathway may be most appropriate.