A Shetland Islands Council-owned building in Lerwick will be adapted to provide a dedicated Bairns’ Hoose, a multi-agency facility intended to offer a single, child-focused environment for youngsters who have suffered harm. Councillors have approved the preferred option following a report presented to members last month.
Local hub for coordinated child-centred support
The Bairns’ Hoose model, Scotland’s version of the Barnahus approach, is designed to bring key services together in one suitable location to reduce the need for children and families to attend multiple settings. The adaptation is expected to create space for joint investigative interviews, health assessments and recovery support under one roof.
“a co-ordinated, trauma-informed and child-centred response for children and young people who have experienced harm”
Davie Sandison, Shetland Central councillor and chair of the council’s education and families committee, is named in the council paper accompanying the proposal. The business case prepared for members identified weaknesses in the existing arrangements locally, noting that geographic isolation and the dynamics of small communities sometimes require families to navigate several locations and repeat their accounts to different professionals.
Funding, timeline and practical details
The anticipated cost of the refurbishment is estimated at £150,000. The report says this sum will be met by external funding rather than the council’s own capital programme. A condition of that funding requires the project to be completed by March 2027.
- Purpose: single-site, trauma-aware support for children and young people who have experienced harm
- Estimated refurbishment cost: £150,000
- Funding: expected to be provided externally
- Deadline for completion: March 2027
The council report states the selected option was considered deliverable within a realistic timeframe in line with those funding requirements. It also emphasises that a bespoke building design will help staff provide integrated, trauma-informed practice locally.
Why a Bairns’ Hoose matters in Shetland
For island communities, distance from specialist services and the familiarity of small populations can increase the risk of re-traumatisation and complicate engagement with support services. The proposed facility aims to reduce those pressures by giving families a purpose-built setting where multiple professionals can work together, limiting the need for repeated interviews and separate appointments in different locations.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Lerwick (council-owned building) |
| Estimated cost | £150,000 |
| Funding | External (conditioned on March 2027 completion) |
| Services to be co-located | Social work, police, health, third sector partners |
Councillors approved the adaptation at a full council meeting a few weeks ago after considering the business case. The decision commits the council to proceed with the option judged most likely to meet funding conditions and local needs.
As project development continues, residents and partner organisations will expect clarity on the timetable for works, arrangements for service relocation during refurbishment, and how local stakeholders will be involved in the delivery and future oversight of the facility.
The Bairns’ Hoose scheme is being rolled out nationally in Scotland as part of efforts to improve responses for children who have experienced harm. For Shetland, proponents say a locally based unit should help reduce travel and repetition for families while creating a consistent, trauma-aware pathway through investigation and recovery.
