Tender: Fathers Programme – Perinatal and Early Years Support for Fathers and Male Identifying Co-parents in Barking and Dagenham

About

The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (LBBD) is seeking a supplier for a comprehensive Fathers Programme that supports fathers and male identifying co-parents throughout the perinatal period and the early years of a child’s life. The commissioned service will provide targeted support for fathers experiencing mild to moderate perinatal mental health difficulties from pregnancy until a child reaches two years of age, focusing on promoting emotional wellbeing, building resilience, increasing parenting confidence and preventing escalation through timely, accessible and evidence-informed interventions. The service must also include parenting support to strengthen parent–infant relationships, improve understanding of child development and build skills for healthy child and family outcomes, delivered through a strengths-based approach that recognises the role of fathers and co-parents. Peer support should be embedded across the model and, where appropriate, continue beyond targeted intervention with opportunities available until the child’s fifth birthday to reduce social isolation and sustain engagement, and the overall model should follow a proportionate universalistic approach providing a universal gateway into more targeted support while remaining accessible, welcoming and non-stigmatising.