Children's views about Bairns Hoose
This page of the practical guide shares the many different ways that we have worked with children, young people and families to support them to share their views about Bairns Hoose. Please share them widely to inform the continued development of Bairns Hoose across Scotland.
Children First's approach to participation is based on the Lundy model. For more information about this approach please visit the participation page of this practical guide
Bairns Hoose Thematic Impacts
Sequin's story
Sequin shared the story of her experience and what professionals need to do to make things better for young people who are victims or witnesses in a Tedtalk style animation
Josie's story
Josie felt that the adults that should have been there to support her didn't consider her rights. She shared her story, in this poster, which she designed to look like a series of photos. She also shared her advice to adults about how to help children and young people feel safe, seen and heard.
Places and spaces
Children and young people in Ayrshire created this animation to explain what they want decision-makers to consider when thinking about what would be a good place and space for a Bairns Hoose.
Sharing Stories for Change
“Just because we’re children, doesn’t mean we don’t have strong feelings and don’t understand things.”
Girl, aged 8.
Children First's 2021 report ‘Sharing Stories for Change’ brings together the experiences and views of children and young people who have been victims of crime and tells their thoughts and opinions of how they felt after the crime was reported, including as they went through the justice process.
Views about the Bairns' Hoose standards for Scotland
The Changemakers, in partnership with Children First, developed this video to advise and share their views with professionals and adults about what should be the Bairns' Hoose standards for Scotland. While developing the video they learnt new skills like how to use a camera and microphone.
Sophie's song
One young person, supported by our Bairns Hoose children and family recovery support team, wanted to share her experience of the justice system in a song. She wanted to share her views but she wanted someone else to take her core feelings, turn them into lyrics and sing the song. The young person identified the core themes of her story, which were feeling strong, brave, wanting people to listen to her, and wanting to be in a place that was safe and warm and felt like home. The young person then made the decision to step out of the next phase of the song’s development and another young person became involved, who developed the themes into profound and deeply moving lyrics. A third person became involved, and these two young people formed a duo. They decided to call themselves Fusion, as they felt this reflected the three young people involved being a fusion of talent. Fusion worked hard to develop Sophie’s Song and, thanks to the generous support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery, the song was professionally recorded at Chem19 Recording studio.
To celebrate the creativity and empathy towards Sophie’s experience of the justice system, Fusion was nominated for the Arts Award at the 2022 Young Scot Awards, which they went on to win. Read more about Fusion’s award.
Lydia's Poem
Lydia identified what parts of her story she would like to share to illustrate the importance of change for children and young people. She wrote a poem to highlight her experience of the Joint Investigative Interview process and awaiting court to share with police officers, social workers and court officials. You can listen to a recording of her poem opposite and download the poem below, to view it in full.
Creative workshops
To help us design and develop the Children First North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose and influence change at a national level, we designed and facilitated eight creative workshops across Scotland to explore what matters to children, young people and their families in a Bairns Hoose.
The workshop that we designed and facilitated focused on key rights-based themes:
- Right place and space
- Right people and support
- Right to be heard
- Right information
In the creative workshops, we invited families to share their ideas, views, feedback and wishes on what a Bairns Hoose should look like, feel like, who would work there and how children’s human rights should be upheld. At each session we used a 3D cardboard house, which symbolised the Bairns Hoose and on which the children, young people and families could describe their thoughts. After each session we reflected on the key themes that emerged from the conversations. These were included in a feedback newsletter, which was shared back to the service, families and with the Bairns Hoose leadership team.