Bairns' Hoose - Scottish Barnahus: vision, principles and approach

The Scottish approach to Barnahus

Based on the Icelandic model of ‘Barnahus’ meaning child’s house, Bairns’ Hoose for Scotland brings together services in a ‘four rooms’ approach with child protection, health, justice and recovery services available in one child-friendly setting. 

The Scottish approach to Barnahus is underpinned by national Bairns’ Hoose Standards, published in May 2023 and based on European Barnahus Quality Standards.

Working with key stakeholders, including children and young people, we are taking a rights-based approach in our development of the model, based on the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Founded on Scotland’s multi-agency approach to improving outcomes for children, young people and families - Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC), the Bairns’ Hoose model will reflect all relevant policy and legislative developments across children’s services, justice, health and social care in Scotland.

GIRFEC provides the consistent framework and shared language which puts rights and wellbeing at the heart of policies and services across all national and local public and third-sector organisations which provide support for children and families. Underpinning the delivery of holistic, coordinated universal and targeted support, GIRFEC recognises the importance of early and preventative support, so that children receive the right help, at the right time. 

The National Practice Model within the GIRFEC approach provides practitioners, together with children, young people and families, with a framework to structure and analyse information in a consistent way, holistically take account of a child or young person’s needs, identify their strengths and any challenges they face, and consider the most appropriate offer of timely support.

Scotland has paved the way in creating a vision of trauma informed and responsive organisations, systems and workforces, that can recognise where people are affected by trauma and adversity, and that respond in ways that prevent further harm, support recovery, address inequalities and improve life chances.

Bairns’ Hoose in Scotland will be developed and delivered in line with A Roadmap for Creating Trauma Informed and Responsive Change, designed to help organisations progress the necessary transformational change across their systems and workforces, aligned with current research and evidence. 

Local Bairns’ Hoose provision will fall within the definition of a children’s service, and will therefore be an integral part of planning and delivery of services set out in an area’s Children’s Services Plan (see Part 3 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014).  The aims of a Children’s Services Plan are that services in the area are provided under the GIRFEC approach, in the way which best safeguards, supports and promotes wellbeing (through the eight wellbeing indicators), and ensures families experience support as integrated and with a focus on early intervention and prevention and best use of resource.

The 2014 Act requires annual reporting on the Children’s Services Plan to demonstrate how outcomes have been improved for children and young people living in the area. In the context of Bairns’ Hoose, children’s services plans and the reports on these will consider the impact of local service provision in addressing the specific wellbeing needs, as identified by local joint strategic needs assessments, including of children in recovery from experiences of neglect, abuse, violence and psychological trauma.

This approach will ensure consistency in the experiences of children and their families, with flexibility for local delivery partners to adapt the model to suit local circumstances.