What about Dad? Father Inclusive Practice Meets DigitalMe

Our innovative DigitalMe approach gives a voice to people who often find themselves voiceless, allowing them to share their stories, with the added protection of anonymity. When an organisation creates a DigitalMe with us, it works differently, but no less effectively.  By using an avatar to talk about aspects of their work, the organisation has a face and can be more approachable. It can be a very useful tool by conveying an important message in a friendly and accessible way.

Our recent work with Barnardo’s is a great example of how DigitalMe can be used in this way. 

Barnardo’s have developed a toolkit for engaging with dads and male carers called Father Inclusive Practice. This important work aims to break down some of the barriers between services for families and dads, recognising that the majority of messaging and communication is with mothers, meaning that the weight of responsibility lands largely on women but also that this can feel alienating for men. Barnardo’s wanted to share their findings and ideas for best practice with services across Newcastle; their ultimate aim being for fathers to be supported to take full and active parts in their children’s lives: 

“Fathers and male carers have a vital role in their children’s lives. Statistically we know that babies, children and young people have better outcomes when they have a positive male role model in their lives: they are able to learn different ways to communicate, play and learn, and are emotionally better equipped for building positive relationships as they grow.”

Barnardo’s approached Digital Voice to create a user-friendly introduction to the toolkit, aimed at services in Newcastle who work with children and families. The brief was that the DigitalMe should feature feedback from dads and male carers, key facts and statistics and an introduction to the toolkit. The Digital Voice team got to work.

The process was very collaborative. Artist and illustrator Laura Crow worked on collage style animation to show the various scenarios a dad might face; film-maker Ronnie Johnston created the avatar who would be the narrator; writer Susan Mulholland worked closely with Sarah Robson from Barnado’s to ensure the right balance of information and lived experience in the script. Everything from colour scheme to the choice of accent for the voice over was discussed to ensure that the film met the brief.

“Working with the DigitalMe team really helped to bring to life the potential of this resource. All of the subject areas we were keen to cover were considered in the context of how they were delivered, and through the creative mix of narrative, visuals, and characters it really did deliver beyond our expectations. The video is now embedded in the Professionals Resource section of the Newcastle Dads website that sits with Children and Families Newcastle, so is easily accessible to all. Fathers and Male Carers will also be able to access the film to see how we are working collaboratively in Newcastle to make things ‘better’ for Dads in response to the challenges they have shared with us. The video will also be used in Workforce Enhancement Deliveries to teams of Professionals and the link shared widely for anyone who would like to revisit the content.” 

Sarah Robson, Fathers and Male Carers Enhanced Service Coordinator

You can watch the film here:

If your organisation would like to work with us in this way, we’d love to hear from you.

We’d love to hear from you

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Jan Debognies