New Multi-Year Funding to Expand Scotland’s Bairns’ Hoose Model

beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-21 10:41 2 min read

A child running through a vast green Scottish landscape with mountains in the background.

The Scottish Government has announced a strategic shift toward multi-year funding for the Bairns’ Hoose programme, a move designed to provide the financial stability necessary to ensure nationwide access for child victims by May 2031. By moving away from short-term financial cycles, the government aims to enable local partnerships to recruit specialist staff and plan service delivery with greater long-term certainty.

A Trauma-Informed Approach to Child Protection

Bairns’ Hooses serve as integrated hubs for children who have been victims or witnesses of abuse or violence. The model is based on the Icelandic Barnahus approach, which consolidates health, justice, and social work services into a single, child-friendly environment. This structure is specifically designed to eliminate the repetitive trauma often caused by requiring children to recount their experiences multiple times to different agencies. By providing forensic interviews, health assessments, and recovery support under one roof, the model ensures that the child’s wellbeing remains the primary focus throughout the investigative process.

Scaling Services and Operational Impact

There are currently nine operational Bairns’ Hooses across Scotland, with a tenth site in Fife expected to open in the near future. To date, the Scottish Government has invested more than £30 million into the initiative. However, local partnerships have reported that previous short-term funding cycles created barriers to scaling services and maintaining consistent staffing levels.

New Multi-Year Funding to Expand Scotland’s Bairns’ Hoose Model

This new commitment, which will cover the financial years 2027-28 to 2029-30, is intended to address these operational challenges. According to the Fife Bairns’ Hoose Partnership, this stability is essential for strengthening agency collaboration, improving commissioning arrangements, and fostering a sustainable workforce capable of delivering long-term positive outcomes for vulnerable families.

Main Takeaways and Implementation Timeline

Feature	Detail
Funding Period	2027-28 to 2029-30
Primary Objective	Nationwide access by May 2031
Current Status	9 operational sites; 1 in development (Fife)
Funding Announcement	Detailed allocations expected in early 2025 Budget

Children and Young People Minister Siobhian Brown stated that the policy is rooted in the belief that no child should face the aftermath of abuse alone. The specific financial allocation for this multi-year commitment remains subject to the formal budget process, with further details expected to be confirmed in the Scottish Government’s Budget announcement early next year. As partnerships prepare for this long-term support, the focus remains on embedding high-quality, trauma-informed services to meet the 2031 national target.

Source: Scottish Government News

Context & actions About this article

Source check Government Policy Update

This report is based on the official announcement from the Scottish Government regarding the Bairns' Hoose funding expansion.

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