Aberdeen has successfully bid to become one of only six locations that will become home to Scotland’s first Bairns’ Hoose test sites.
The Bairns’ Hoose vision is to bring different disciplines together in supporting children and young people who are victims of abuse or witnesses to it.
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Fife, North Strathclyde, the Outer Hebrides and Tayside will become local Pathfinder Partnerships, sharing a £6million Scottish Government fund to connect services across the justice system.
Aberdeen City Council, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership, Police Scotland, the Third Sector and other partners will deliver the project, drawing on existing resources.
Councillor Martin Greig, Convener of the Education and Children’s Services committee, Aberdeen City Council, said: “The Bairns’ Hoose will look to transform the lives of children and young people through protection, recovery, healthcare, therapeutic support and justice.
"Importantly, our successful application for such an innovative facility in Aberdeen means that vulnerable young people will be respected and heard. This is a welcome step forward in children’s rights.”
Councillor Jessica Mennie, Vice-Convener of the Education and Children’s Services committee, said: “Aberdeen City Council staff and our partners have done a great job in bringing a Bairns’ Hoose pilot to Aberdeen. This testament to our work in putting children’s rights at the centre of everything we do.
“The application feedback recognised our existing work in meeting the needs of children and their families. This will provide an excellent platform for the full Bairns’ Hoose vision over time.”
The results of the pathfinder phase will inform the development of a national ‘Bairns’ Hoose Blueprint’ and provide the basis for a full pilot in 2025.
Further information on Bairns’ Hoose.