Scotland’s Bairns’ Hooses will be supported with multi-year funding from the next year to help them better plan for the future and ensure that every child who needs its services can access those by 2031.
Bairns’ Hooses bring together essential services such as health, justice and social work and recovery around a child in a trauma-informed approach.
They provide better support for children who have been victims or witnesses of abuse or violence that has caused or is likely to cause significant harm. This ensures children do not have to repeatedly recount their experiences while accessing the support they need.
By providing multi-year funding certainty, the Scottish Government is enabling partners to plan for the long-term and recruit key practitioners more easily. The multi-year funding will cover financial years 2027-28 to 2029-30, with the level of funding being set out in next year’s Budget.
Children and Young People Minister Siobhian Brown said: “No child should have to face the aftermath of abuse or trauma alone, or be made to tell their story over and over again to different people, at what is already one of the most difficult times in their life. Bairns’ Hoose exists to wrap support around children when they need it most, bringing together the people who can help.
“The proposed multi-year investment, covering financial years 2027-28 to 2029-30, would build on more than £30 million already invested in the programme. Nine Bairns’ Hooses are currently operational across Scotland, providing trauma-informed, child-centred support to children who have experienced abuse or violence – and with a tenth site in Fife expected to be up and running soon.
“Local partnerships are at the heart of delivering of Bairns’ Hoose, bringing key statutory partners across justice, health and recovery support services together around the child.
“We have listened to feedback from partnerships who asked for multi-year funding to give the certainty needed to plan, recruit and scale up services effectively, supporting the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensure every child who needs it has access to a Bairns’ Hoose by May 2031.”
Fife Bairns’ Hoose Partnership said: “Multi-year funding provides partnerships like ours with the stability needed to embed services, strengthen collaboration across agencies and focus on delivering lasting change for children and families. A
” longer-term funding commitment would also support the development of a sustainable and committed workforce and effective commissioning arrangements, creating the conditions for successful implementation and continuous improvement.
“This approach would enable our Bairns’ Hoose to fulfil its vision and purpose for children and young people across Fife, ensuring they benefit from a coordinated, trauma-informed response that delivers positive outcomes over the long term.”
Children First, Scotland’s national children’s charity, has responded to news that Scotland’s Bairns Hooses will be supported with multi-year funding from next year.
In response to the Scottish Government’s announcement of multi-year funding for Scotland’s Bairns Hooses, Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive of Children First said: “The guarantee of multi-year funding for the Bairns Hoose model is a vital investment in the future of children who have experienced violence and abuse.
“Every child has a right to get all the trauma-informed care, justice, protection, advocacy and recovery support they need through Bairns Hoose to move on with their lives, without delay.
“While Scotland has made significant progress since Children First opened the first Bairns Hoose in 2023, there must now be a greater focus on funding the therapeutic recovery, advocacy and participation which lie at the core of the model. Without it, Bairns Hoose will not deliver the transformation in systems that children need and which the Scottish Government aspires to.
“The roll out of Bairns Hoose is a wider step to ensuring that no child is asked to go to court unless it is absolutely and unavoidably necessary.
“Alongside today’s commitment and the funding that will be required to fully deliver the Bairns Hoose model, the principle that court is no place for children needs to be enshrined in legislation to give child victims confidence that their wellbeing and recovery is the priority.”
