The creation of Bairns’ Hoose test sites aims to ensure a range of trauma-informed support is available to child victims and witnesses, aiming to improve their experience of the justice system and reduce stress when recounting their experiences.

Healthcare including therapeutic support, child protection, recovery and justice services will be available at Bairns’ Hoose such as:

• assessment of protection needs and involving the child in decisions that affect them
• police and social work led joint investigative interviews, including deployment of the new Scottish Child Interview Model, to ensure vulnerable children are able to share evidence at the earliest opportunity and minimising the risk of further trauma
• health and wellbeing assessments
• counselling services that provide support for both the child and wider family
• Children below the age of criminal responsibility, whose behaviour has caused harm, will also have access to Bairns’ Hoose.

Local authorities, health boards, police and third sector organisations will be required to partner together to apply for a share of the £6m fund in 2023-24 – with further investment proposed in the future. Five multi-agency test sites are expected to be created with learning from the sites providing a blueprint for a full pilot of Bairns’ Hoose in 2025.

Children’s minister Natalie Don said: “The creation of Bairns’ Hoose is a key action in Keeping the Promise and I would like to pay tribute to the determination and resilience to everyone who has contributed their expertise and time to help bring the Barnahus model to Scotland.

“The experiences of the children who will access Bairns’ Hoose are in many cases absolutely appalling and ones which nobody, let alone a child, should have to go through.

“We want to prevent children being retraumatised and to improve the experience of the justice and care processes for children and families. These test sites will trial what a Bairns’ Hoose could mean in reality for children and their families, as well as for the professionals who will work to support with them. This funding marks a significant step in the development of Bairns’ Hoose in Scotland, and offers us a chance to provide wrap around care, recovery and justice for children in a way which best responds to their trauma, needs and circumstances.”