Bairns' Hoose: Youngsters with experience of abuse to help shape criminal justice initiative

Children and young people who have experienced abuse are being asked to help shape the standards that will govern the running of the Bairns’ Hoose initiative.

Modelled on the Scandinavian barnahus – a  child-friendly, one-stop-shop to support children who have committed or who are victims or witnesses of crime – the Bairns’ Hoose concept was unveiled by the SNP government last year, with further details of the project being published in February.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Care Inspectorate have today published draft standards for the project, which is expected to be up and running across Scotland by 2025.

The standards, which outline what victims and their families can expect from a Bairns’ Hoose, are being put out for pubic consultation, with young people in particular being encouraged to participate.

Mary Glasgow, chief executive of the charity Children 1st, which will run the west of Scotland Bairns’ Hoose, said: “This is an incredibly important step in the long overdue transformation of support for children in need of protection and justice.

“The commitment that no child victim or witness should have to go to court, or experience harm from the systems that should be there to help them, has been hard fought for and the final version of these standards will be key to realising that ambition.

“Children 1st urge all of the children, families, professionals and campaigners who have worked so hard to get to this stage to respond to the consultation to make sure these standards provide the strongest possible foundation for rolling Bairns’ Hoose out for every child that needs it.

“We look forward to continuing to share the learning from our work to develop the country’s first Bairns' Hoose, bringing together protection, justice, care and support under one roof, to wrap around the needs of children and families who have experienced trauma, violence and abuse and to make sure children get everything they need to recover and thrive.”

Justice secretary Keith Brown encouraged “everyone with an interest in children’s rights to protection, justice and recovery” to take part in the consultation process to ensure each Bairns’ Hoose is “the best they can be for the children who will access their services”.