Publication - Strategy/plan

Bairns' Hoose: project plan

Published: 28 February 2022
Directorate: Children and Families Directorate, +2 more … Chief Medical Officer Directorate, Justice Directorate
Topic: Children and families, Equality and rights, Programme for Government, +1 more … Public sector
ISBN: 9781804350966

This project plan sets out the steps we will take to meet our Programme for Government Commitment which aims to ensure that all eligible children in Scotland will have access to a ‘Bairns’ Hoose’ by 2025.

Supporting documents

Ministerial Foreword

We have made a clear commitment to deliver an ambitious programme which aims to ensure that all eligible children in Scotland will have access to a 'Bairns' Hoose' by 2025.

This provides Scotland with an opportunity to provide a child-centred approach to delivering justice, care and recovery for children who have experienced trauma. Children who have been victims or witnesses of abuse or violence, as well as those under the age of criminal responsibility whose behaviour has caused harm, will have access to Bairns' Hoose services. The services they need will all be available through a coordinated approach designed to minimise the number of times children have to recount their experiences to different professionals. This will contribute, for example, to a range of other improvements being made to reduce the need for children to give evidence in court in the most serious of cases, and so reduce the potential of further trauma for child victims and witnesses.

This project plan will help further develop a rights-based Scottish approach to establishing a national Bairns' Hoose model which will be based on the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The model will also be aligned with the Scottish Government's policy programmes of Keep The Promise and Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC), which seek to recognise that all children must receive the right help at the right time.

We are committed to a partnership approach in the design, delivery, implementation and improvement of the Bairns' Hoose Model recognising that much of the dialogue around design and delivery will be between partners at a local level and through local structures. Strong and effective leadership will be critical, maximising collaboration and establishing trust, as we jointly respond to the complexities of system change in an already uncertain operating environment.

We very much welcome this project plan, which provides the next steps for future work in Scotland to ensure that every child victim/witness will have access to a Bairns' Hoose to receive the support that they need.