Children First North Strathclyde Evaluation

A core component of the development of the Children First North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose has been the commitment to a culture of learning, including evaluating the development and implementation of the model. The North Strathclyde evaluation has been undertaken by the University of Edinburgh and was funded thanks to the generous support of players of People's Postcode Lottery.

The evaluation of the initial stage of establishing and operating the Bairns Hoose has had two distinct but interconnected elements:

Phase one (November 2021- March 2023)

The phase one evaluation included:

  • Scoping of the international research evidence on the Barnahus model and other similar multi-disciplinary and co-located models of responding to the holistic needs of children who have experienced abuse or neglect.
  • An overview of the ‘system as is’, drawing out the complexity for children and professionals of how current arrangements for protecting and supporting children work together and identifying where the system is not child centred, and may even be re-traumatising.
  • Development of a programme theory (a form of theory of change) to clearly articulate what difference a Bairns Hoose should make and how for children their families, professionals working with the child and the wider justice, child protection and health systems.

The conclusion of this first phase of the evaluation is available as a report here

Cover of the North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose Evaluation, phase one report

Phase two (April 2023- September 2024)

The phase two evaluation sought to understand the initial operation of the new Bairns Hoose since its opening in August 2023. It included:

  • Interviews with children and family members about their experiences of the child protection investigation, subsequent support provided through the Bairns Hoose and related justice experiences.
  • Interviews with front-line staff and senior managers in North Strathclyde and other relevant sectors about the inception and initial operation of the Children First North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose.
  • An initial exploration of the impact and use of the Bairns Hoose building and how space is experienced and conceptualised within the Children First North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose.
  • A focus on the model of recovery used in the Children First North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose.
  • A refinement of the programme theory developed in phase one of this work.
  • An understanding of how the development of the Children First North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose has also informed the Scottish Bairns Hoose standards (Health Improvement Scotland, 2023) and the rapid roll-out of Bairns Hoose development across Scotland through the Scottish Government led Bairns’ Hoose Pathfinder Phase.

The phase two report, the story so far is available here

An accessible version of the phase two report was produced for families involved in the research and published in March 2025. The learning summary is available here

Cover of the publication: North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose Evaluation, phase two report

Cover of the publication: A learning summary about the first year of the North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose

PhD Study

The University and Edinburgh and Children First have partnered for a SGSSS Collaborative PhD Study entitled ‘Creating Space for children who are victims and witnesses of violence to be heard and supported: Exploration of the multi-dimensional use of space in Scotland’s first Barnahus (2021-2025)’. This PhD is being undertaken by Eilidh Lam

Learning from the development and implementation of Scotland’s first Bairns Hoose is playing a pivotal role in helping to resource the expansion of the Bairns Hoose model and support its successful implementation across Scotland.