Bairns Hoose funding

A NEW centre for child abuse victims is set to open in Dumfries next month — and social work chiefs are fighting to make it a permanent fixture in the region.

The Bairns Hoose facility, which will be only the third of its kind in Scotland, will bring together child protection, health, justice, and recovery services under one roof so that vulnerable children do not have to retell their traumatic experiences at multiple locations.

At Dumfries and Galloway Council’s latest social work committee, Castle Douglas and Crocketford Councillor John Young heaped praise on this “exciting initiative”.

He said: “I just wondered how the funding was being managed for this?

“Obviously, there’s a new government in place in Holyrood, but how long is the funding for the Bairns Hoose guaranteed?”

Charles Rocks, the council’s head of children, families and justice services, said the project was an area “of great pride for us in Dumfries and Galloway” and confirmed that a launch event is planned for next month, to which committee members will be invited.

Mr Rocks explained that the council had taken advantage of a Scottish Government Pathfinder scheme, initially securing affiliate status before successfully applying for annual grants covering both capital and revenue costs.

He confirmed that the current grant runs until March 31, 2027.

Mr Rocks said: “We’ve been successful again this year with our grant application. That grant runs until March 31, 2027, and we report back to government partners in terms of that funding in terms of the outcomes and the work that will be undertaken.”

However, the annual nature of the funding means there is no long-term guarantee.

Mr Rocks confirmed that he had contacted the Scottish Government on behalf of the Bairns Hoose partnership to press for the funding to be placed on a permanent footing.

He said: “I wrote to government last year on behalf of the Bairns Hoose partnership — to express our wish that funding continued on a permanent basis to allow us to continue to be ambitious in this area.”

This year’s focus within the Bairns Hoose programme will be on recovery work — tracking children’s experiences and journeys through to the point where they achieve a sense of justice and recovery.

Previous years’ investment has been focused on capital works, with the physical facility in Dumfries now ready to open.

The Bairns Hoose model has been developed as a multi-agency partnership involving the council, Police Scotland, NHS, and education colleagues.