National Bairns’ Hoose Standards must be Braver, Bolder and Clearer

The idea of bringing the European Barnahus best practice approach to Scotland, was rooted in the understanding that Scotland’s current system does not uphold children’s rights to care, justice, protection and recovery. The requirement for children to repeatedly tell the story of what happened to them (potentially up to 14 times), long delays and lack support to help children recover from their experiences is retraumatising for children. For many children the experience of trying to get justice can have a lifelong impact on their mental health, educational achievement and family relationships.

Based on campaigning with children and families over many years and our experience in leading the pilot to establish  Scotland’s first Bairns Hoose, Children 1st do not believe that the current draft Standards will meet their stated aim of :“providing a blueprint for delivery and support consistent national implementation of Bairns Hoose” in a way that will support the incorporation of the UN Convention on Children’s Rights (UNCRC), keep the Promise and Getting it Right For Every Child (GIRFEC).

In the simplest terms, the European Barnahus can be described as a child-friendly house with four rooms. This is a physical building where a child and family gets everything they need to support them through their journey from disclosure to recovery: criminal investigation, child protection, physical health (including non-acute forensic examination), mental health and recovery support. The draft National Bairns’ Hoose Standards do not make it clear that the Bairns’ Hoose is a physical building with co-located services under one roof. Nor do they make it clear that children must be able to give evidence in court proceedings from a Bairns’ Hoose. This is a fundamental principle of the Barnahus approach.

In the Scottish Court’s and Tribunal Service Evidence and Procedure Review of 2015 Lady Dorrian, Lord Chief Justice Clerk recognised:

“It is not merely a case of adapting the system we have, but of constructing a new approach, based on the wealth of scientific and experiential evidence available.”

 Instead of clearly putting children’s rights and needs at the centre of the Bairns’ Hoose model, based on the experiences of children and families who have been through the system, the draft Standards contain too many caveats and ‘where practical to do so’ statements. Given this lack of clarity, it is highly likely that children will not be put first and their rights will not be upheld as Bairns’ Hoose is rolled out across the country. Instead of bringing about the wholescale transformation, which Lady Dorrian alludes to, and which children so urgently need, the standards will only result in minor adaptions. Current systems, which are under considerable strain and are under resourced will continue to be the reality for most children, young people and their families.

One ten-year-old told us, when we asked her about her experience of going to court:

“Try to be brave… I would like more protecting.”

To transform the experiences of child victims and witnesses in Scotland the final National Bairns’ Hoose Standards must be braver, bolder and clearer. The Standards must set the gold standard for Bairns’ Hoose, so that children who have experienced violence, trauma and abuse get the justice, care, protection and recovery support which is their right.

Read Children 1st's response to the draft National Bairns' Hoose Standards

Read more about how we are developing Scotland's first Bairns Hoose.