Bairns' Hoose - pathfinder phase: delivery plan 2025 to 2027

4. What has been achieved (2023 to spring 2025)

This section highlights our key achievements, demonstrating the progress and traction we’ve achieved in developing and testing the Bairns' Hoose Standards, strengthening our governance structures, and gathering learning to inform future development ahead of incremental national rollout from 2027.

These achievements reflect the collaborative effort of partners across justice, police, health, social work, and the third sector, working together to improve outcomes for children and young people.

From establishing new partnerships and Bairns’ Hoose facilities to receiving international recognition of our approach, these milestones mark significant steps towards our vision of providing trauma-informed recovery, support and justice for all children who need this support.

4.1 Key achievements

• Secured financial funding - Bairns’ Hoose has been supported with an investment of almost £10 million from Scottish Government during 2023 to 2025, and up to £10.5 million invested towards the programme during 2025-2026.
• Further support for the nationwide implementation of the Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM), investing over £3 million in SCIM and video recorded interview equipment between 2021 and spring of 2025.
• Established ten partnership areas; six Pathfinder and four Affiliate partnerships covering diverse geographical contexts across Scotland. Remaining partnerships across Scotland are being supported through the Bairns’ Hoose Development Fund to support their early journey towards Bairns’ Hoose development, and build momentum in these areas to pave the way for incremental rollout of Bairns’ Hoose.
• Supported the opening of Bairns' Hooses, including North Strathclyde Bairns' Hoose, Sycamore Partnership's two Children’s Houses in Edinburgh (Rowan and Aspen), and Highland's facilities in Wick and Inverness.
• Enhanced participation of children and young people - Implemented the link worker model to ensure children's voices are central to service design.
• Gathered and shared evidence and learning:
  • Developed and implemented the Standards Self-Assessment and Readiness Tool (StART) for Pathfinders.
  • Shared the StART1 findings report and published a literature review through Children and Young People's Centre for Justice (CYCJ).
  • Commissioned Ipsos Scotland to conduct in-depth qualitative research with key professionals and analyse funding reports and the second round of StART submissions.
• Strengthened governance structures:
  • Established the National Bairns' Hoose Implementation Group to reflect the Pathfinder phase of the programme.
  • Created specialised working groups, including the Indicators Working Group, and Children and Young People Engagement Working Group.
  • Maintained and strengthened robust oversight and programme management across Scottish Government Justice, Health and Children and Families portfolios.
• Delivered comprehensive Knowledge Exchange programme:
  • Hosted the inaugural Collaborative Learning Event in November 2023 and follow-up events in April and October 2024.
  • Established regular knowledge exchange webinars and seminars with Bairns’ Hoose partnerships to share learning and strengthen delivery.
  • Facilitated international learning through webinars featuring expertise from Hungary, Norway, Finland and USA.
  • Hosted a visit by Bragi Gudbrandsson, founder of the Barnahus model, who praised Scotland's "remarkable progress" during his October 2024 tour of seven partnerships.
• Commissioned research on the Scottish Child Interview Model - Completed evaluation to understand the efficacy of the new model for Joint Investigative Interviewing, which will help to inform Bairns' Hoose justice processes and in the court context.
• Delivered ministerial engagement - Multiple ministerial visits to partnerships showcasing government commitment, including launches at North Strathclyde, Highland and Sycamore partnerships.
• Implemented quality improvement support - Provided dedicated improvement advice and support to each partnership.

4.2 Progress across Bairns’ Hoose partnerships

Following the launch of the Pathfinder phase, Bairns’ Hoose partnerships have been making impressive progress towards testing the Bairns’ Hoose Standards in a range of diverse contexts. The progress made is testament to the hard work and dedication of partners and willingness to work collaboratively and in new, multi-disciplinary ways to deliver for children and young people.

The following section highlights progress shared by Bairns’ Hoose partnerships, reflecting their ongoing commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people.

4.2.1 Bairns’ Hoose Pathfinder partnerships

North Strathclyde

North Strathclyde partnership launched Scotland’s first operational Bairns’ Hoose in 2023 and has already seen 80% of joint investigative interviews conducted on-site in a trauma-informed setting. The partnership integrates the Joint Investigative Interview, a purpose-built court suite, and a recovery service. In 2024-2025 North Strathclyde partnership provided recovery support to 209 children and 154 adults. All interviews are carried out using the Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM). A shared office space enables collaboration between police, social work, and recovery teams. Ongoing work focuses on increasing justice system integration, enhancing data collection, and expanding access to live link technology for evidence by commissioner. While barriers persist, such as around linking Bairns’ Hoose and court processes, the partnership has laid a robust foundation for child-centred support and engagement with children and young people. Ten young people have used the court suite in the Bairns’ Hoose instead of attending court to give evidence.

Tayside

The Tayside Bairns’ Hoose partnership operates across Dundee, Angus, and Perth and Kinross using a hub-and-spoke model. Seymour House in Dundee provides forensic facilities as well as a site for SCIM interviews, and there are additional SCIM interview and support sites in Belleview House, Arbroath and Almondbank House, Perth. Significant progress has been made in upgrading facilities, implementing SCIM, embedding speech and language supports, and enhancing trauma-informed health and recovery services. Families are supported from inter-agency referral discussion onward, with feedback shaping service development. Despite geographic and funding challenges, the team’s shared commitment and integrated leadership approach continue to drive high-impact, child-focused, family inclusive change across the region.

Fife

The Fife Bairns’ Hoose Pathfinder partnership continues to make strong progress in aligning with the national Bairns’ Hoose Standards. The team has completed a readiness self-assessment and mapped the current journey of children through services to identify gaps and reduce the risk of re-traumatisation. A Project Working Group has been established to coordinate development activity, and a co-production participation and engagement framework is advancing well. This work is being carried out in close collaboration with third-sector partners to ensure that the voices of children, young people, and families are central to the design and delivery of services. Support workers have been introduced to enhance direct support for children and families, and recruitment is underway for a dedicated Bairns’ Hoose Coordinator and a Health and Wellbeing Specialist to strengthen leadership and embed trauma-informed, holistic care. In parallel, Fife is about to complete a comprehensive options appraisal to identify a suitable property to become the Fife Bairns’ Hoose. Looking ahead, the partnership’s priorities include implementing these new roles, enhancing recovery pathways, and continuing to integrate third-sector support, particularly in the areas of participation and engagement. While challenges remain around capital investment and staffing delays, the partnership remains committed to delivering a responsive, child-centred model that meets the needs of children and families across the region.

Outer Hebrides

The Outer Hebrides partnership has fully implemented the SCIM model and is developing its Bairns’ Hoose, An Taigh-Sholas, in Stornoway for which building works will commence shortly. With oversight from a cross-agency implementation group and long-standing local relationships, the team has conducted a self-assessment and prioritised areas for development. A central strength lies in the collaboration between small, well-connected agencies, helping drive progress despite island-specific challenges like travel logistics and recruitment. An Taigh-Sholas will offer trauma-informed services for children on Lewis and Harris, with fixed interview facilities planned for the Southern Isles which will be more accessible for families living in this area. The partnership’s child-centred vision is underpinned by strong local leadership and engagement with national improvement support.

Aberdeenshire

The Aberdeenshire Bairns’ Hoose aims to provide trauma-informed recovery, support, and justice for all children impacted by abuse or harmful behaviour. Recognising the challenges of geography, the partnership is piloting a hub-and-spoke model with Kemnay Family Centre as a test site, complemented by six funded family centres. Their work is grounded in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, using realist evaluation to assess how multidisciplinary models improve outcomes for children and families. Aberdeenshire is trialling the inclusion of a health co-ordinator to ensure a single point of contact can be realised which will create greater focus on trauma-informed, timely, needs led access to appropriate support around child's health and wellbeing. Also speech and language alignment to ensure accessibility for all children through tailored support plans ensuring their needs are understood and strategies implemented by all professionals aligned to Bairns’ Hoose to promote inclusion. Development of a mechanism for inviting children and families to share their views around their experiences within all areas of protection, health, justice and recovery. Future plans include testing a court link at the hub and enhancing information sharing with COPFS to reduce the burden on children navigating the justice system.

Aberdeen City

Aberdeen City’s Bairns’ Hoose is progressing rapidly, driven by a committed multi-agency Delivery Group and early identification of a building now under renovation. Achievements include the development of operational guidance, recruitment of Advocacy, Rights and Recovery Workers, and mapping of children’s experiences to improve support pathways. Children have actively contributed to shaping the environment and staff recruitment. A strong focus on refining recovery processes and integrating feedback underpins ongoing development, with this stage focused on renovations, setting local data indicators, and evaluating progress against the Bairns’ Hoose Standards. The partnership initially made use of a dedicated officer to strengthen participation, and have now embedded this lens within each of their working groups – Capital, Recovery, Systems and Processes, Justice, Health and Voice of the Child. There is also a steering group focusing on Recovery – which is supported by Scottish Government. More recently core funding is being utilised to recruit an NHS coordinator within the Bairns’ Hoose to strengthen pathways to ensure the holistic health needs of this group of children are met.

4.2.2 Bairns’ Hoose Affiliate partnerships

Dumfries and Galloway

Dumfries and Galloway’s Bairns’ Hoose development has taken promising first steps, with the former magnetic resonance imaging suite at Mountainhall Treatment Centre identified as the preferred site for redevelopment. The partnership is actively scoping how to adapt this NHS facility into a trauma-informed space suitable for child-centred support and recovery. While challenges around staffing and short-term contracts have slowed initial progress, plans are being shaped to address these gaps in the year ahead. The oversight group remains committed to the vision, with future focus on building momentum through infrastructure planning and refining the delivery model to meet local needs.

Ayrshire

Ayrshire is building strong participatory foundations through Children First workshops and youth-led design. Strategic subgroups support work, quality assurance and improvement around joint investigative interviews, recovery and support for children and families going through the justice process, spaces and places design for Bairns Hoose, in collaboration with our participation group, and data gathering and analysis. The partnership has two satellite interview spaces and is progressing plans for a third site in East Ayrshire. Training in trauma-informed practice aligns with wider regional strategies.

Sycamore Centre (Edinburgh, Midlothian and East Lothian)

The Sycamore Centre Bairns’ Hoose is well-established and routinely used by children and young people across East Lothian, Midlothian and Edinburgh, with strong partnership cohesion and third-sector delivery of recovery services for young people aged 12–16. The two Sycamore houses each have two private floors, enabling four Bairns’ Hoose services to be provided simultaneously. A Ministerial official opening in November 2024 affirmed progress, and evaluation work with the University of Edinburgh is ongoing. Live court link installation is planned, though dependent on IT infrastructure and work is ongoing to scope for the expansion of recovery support.

Highlands

Highland’s Bairns’ Hoose hub in Inverness is operating with SCIM interviews underway, and design choices reflect a Scandinavian influence to create calm, welcoming spaces. Forensic medicals remain at Raigmore Hospital, and future plans include installing a multi-agency office and opening new spokes to address the region’s rural spread. Strong third-sector relationships and a supportive community structure are aiding progress.

4.3 Programme structures aligned with Pathfinder phase

To better reflect the delivery-focus of the Pathfinder phase, we have established the National Bairns' Hoose Implementation Group bringing together key delivery partners (including Pathfinder and Affiliate partnerships) in the work of the programme to inform the future development and plans for implementing Bairns’ Hoose in Scotland. The National Bairns' Hoose Implementation Group is designed as an advisory body which provides strategic advice, operational input and guidance to partnerships in resolving challenges as the programme develops.

The National Bairns' Hoose Implementation Group’s workplan has been developed in line with the Scottish Government’s vision for Bairns’ Hoose and to align with this Delivery Plan. The inaugural meeting of the Group was held on 24 September 2024, and the Group will meet at least three times a year going forward.

To support the work of the Group and wider implementation, we have established several specialised working groups, including the Indicators Working Group and Children and Young People Engagement Working Group. Additional working groups are being scoped in collaboration with the National Bairns' Hoose Implementation Group membership and other key stakeholders.