about this campaign
To help raise awareness of the group and key messages, SENDS 4 Dad carried out extensive work on a campaign with Rhian Williams ,from Be Better Known (www.bebetterknown.co.uk/)
SENDS 4 Dad warned that new Department of Education figures released on the 8th June 2023 signal a deepening of the current mental health crisis among dads and male carers of young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SENDS).
National figures show a 9% increase in the number of young people with EHC plans (education, health and care plan) in 2021/2022 which has increased year-on-year since 2010.
In Northamptonshire, there are currently over 4000 young people with an EHC plan - a more formal diagnosis of special educational needs (SEN) but thousands more access some kind of SEN support in educational settings alone.
Paul Meadows, founder of SENDS 4 Dad, said:
"The male parents and carers of young people with SENDS are often forgotten about, something to reflect on as Father's Day approaches. But they carry a particularly heavy burden - emotional, physical and financial - that puts untold pressure on them. Families with children with SEND often break apart and the effect on dads' mental health is often devastating as financial and emotional worries deepen.
In the UK, men are already three times as likely to die of suicide than women and the highest suicide rate is amongst men aged between 45 to 49. This is before you add the all-round challenges they face of having a child with SEND.
The new Department for Education figures illustrate how more dads than ever need extra support and although the budget announced £10 million for suicide prevention work, this funding is not trickling down to grassroots, front-line, organisations."
SENDS 4 Dad launched the local awareness campaign and event, #DadStock, on Tuesday 13 June in the run-up to Father's day:
1. To increase the visibility of dads and male carers of children with SENDS as they are often forgotten.
2. To reduce the stigma of asking for help and increase awareness of the SENDS 4 Dad support group and how it can help.
3. To highlight the current mental health crisis within this group of dads and to appeal for more mental health support and funding.
The event will be the first #DadStock gig on 15th July 2023 at the Charles Bradlaugh in Northampton as part of a campaign to reach more dads who might need their support.
Four local bands are playing #DadStock, opening with Northampton indie favourites, The Barratts, playing a rare acoustic set, followed by original indie music from The Good Fridays and two rock covers bands, The Helix and The Daze. The event is free and open to anyone, and young people with SENDS are welcome to come along.
SENDS 4 Dad founder and lead singer of The Daze Band, Paul Meadows, said: "As we approach Father's Day, this is a great time to highlight the real difficulties dads and male carers face when their child has SENDS even before an official diagnosis. We want to use this campaign and the #DadStock event to encourage dads in a similar situation to reach out for help, come along, and speak to other dads. Don't suffer in silence."
Paul continued: "With thousands of young people across Northamptonshire receiving SEN support of some kind, there must be hundreds of Dads out there potentially needing our help. We know we are currently only helping the tip of the iceberg, but the personal experiences of the dads in the support group can help support others."
James Faulkner, lead singer of The Barratts, said: “We’re really excited to support this amazing cause – music brings people together like nothing else. So, get your dad dancing shoes on and give your support to this wonderful local night!
Lead singer, songwriter, and local teacher from The Good Fridays, James Carroll, said: "As a teacher and a dad, I can really appreciate how it feels when dads need extra support coping with the challenges of having a child with additional needs. We hope lots of people will come along and enjoy some great music in a friendly atmosphere and connect with other dads in a similar situation."
The Department of Education data referenced in the above was from the new national data updated 8 June 2023: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/education-health-and-care-plans-england-2023
Data for West Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire for 2021-2022: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/special-educational-needs-in-england