Chamber and committees

Incidentally, you mentioned virtual trials. I am very pleased about your plans for virtual domestic abuse trials. It is a huge step forward.

That is great. Do you have problems with RAAC—the reinforced concrete—in your buildings?

So we just need to wait and see.

Eric McQueen, can you say anything about capital funding predictions?

It is a supplementary to Russell’s line of questioning, and it is probably for Mr Page.

You talked about probationer recruitment numbers. What are the current recruitment numbers in the police, and how is that balanced against the number of police that you are predicted to lose?

I have a few more questions, but I will leave it there.

Well, I just wanted to ask Stephen McGowan about the part of the Crown Office submission that talks about

“the Appeal Court ... considering the scope of the law of evidence in sexual offences”,

and how that could lead to a significant increase. Are you saying that more staff will be needed for that?

Stephen, is that the same for you in relation to trainees and new skills?

I am sorry to interrupt—where are we with that, then? Ten years seems like a long time.

Members’ business debates often highlight crisis or serious issues that generate political division and rancour. I am therefore overjoyed and honoured to bring a genuine good-news story to the chamber, one of which Scotland, and Scotland’s Government and partner organisations, can be very proud.

The opening of Scotland’s first bairns’ hoose last month means that we can at last reform how children and young people are treated by the justice system. It is an enormous and joyous achievement, and marks a whole new way of supporting young people who find themselves in our justice system, which is traditionally designed for and by adults. That is because the bairns’ hoose has been designed in collaboration with children and young people for children and young people, and includes calming wall colours, soft and comfortable furnishings, and a safe and secure garden, which will offer breathing space for those who need it.

Before I go on to describe more about the background to the birth of the bairns’ hoose, I would like members to listen to a quote from Jasmin, who is now 18. When visiting Scotland’s first bairns’ hoose in north Strathclyde, she said:

“When I went to court, I had to sit in an empty box room with no windows, no sweets or anything and a few broken toys. I was 9 years old. If you’re coming from dealing with something terrible you don’t want to come to somewhere broken when you already feel broken. It’s good to know kids can come to the Bairns Hoose and it’s a safe place.”

There are so many people to thank for making this innovative project a reality. Huge congratulations must go to Children 1st and the many third sector organisations that led the way in this fantastic initiative, in conjunction with the Scottish Government. They were supported by Victim Support Scotland, the University of Edinburgh, Children England and £1.5 million from the Postcode Dream Fund, which is made possible by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.

In the previous session of Parliament, the former Justice Committee, of which I was a member—I am a member of the present Criminal Justice Committee—visited the barnahus in Norway. It is safe to say that all members were blown away by what we witnessed. This was a world away from an intimidating court room, full of scary adults and old stuff. All the care and support that a child and their family need is delivered under one roof in a welcoming and safe environment. Legal and medical professionals come to them, not the other way round.

I am delighted to say that the first bairns’ hoose will support children, young people and members of their family from my local authority area of East Dunbartonshire, as well as from the local authority areas of East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire.

On 1 November, the barnahus in Iceland will celebrate its 25th anniversary. Children 1st supported a delegation from Scotland to visit Iceland in 2017, which directly led to the bairns’ hoose opening, and the work of the European Promise Barnahus Network, which is a network that connects European practice to develop and commit to the barnahus quality standards.

For context, in the past year, the Children 1st bairns’ hoose recovery team has supported 104 children in 90 families going through the child protection and justice system in north Strathclyde. Now that the hoose is open, it will be used as the new centre for that work. Young people who experience abuse and violence will be able to get all the protection, care, justice and recovery support that they need under one roof. Crucially, they can avoid the need to repeatedly share their story.

At the moment, children who experience hurt and harm are processed through a complex system of care and justice, and are asked to retell and relive traumatic experiences—sometimes up to 14 times. The process creates stand-alone trauma. We cannot always stop bad things happening to children and young people, but we can do everything in our power to help them to recover and heal.

Why do we need a bairns’ hoose? It is a place where children and young people are interviewed and medically examined for forensic purposes, assessed and receive recovery services from the right people all in one place. It is a trauma-informed space, designed to reduce feelings of anxiousness, fear and a lack of support and control that are often associated with victims and witnesses’ experiences of the justice system.

Sadly, the scale of harm that children and young people in Scotland experience is significant. At least 37 per cent of the 14,602 sexual crimes that the police recorded in 2022-23 related to a victim under 18. Exhausting delays in cases mean that fear and anticipation surrounding going to court can last for years, and repeated adjournments mean that anxiety and stress build up repeatedly before a court date. Children and families tell us that court buildings feel unsafe and untrustworthy. Giving evidence in court can be brutal for adults—imagine what it is like for a child.

One of the major aims of the bairns’ hoose is to support the gathering of high-quality pre-recorded evidence that can be used in court, so that the number of times that children have to tell their story can be reduced as far as possible. It has advanced technical facilities, including space to record evidence and to deliver live links to court. The high-quality set-up should remove the need for children to attend court at all, which, of course, is the aim.

Children and young people have the right to recovery. Article 39 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children have this right, but it often gets lost in traditional child protection and justice processes.

The Scottish Government committed in the programme for government to launch bairns’ hoose pathfinders this autumn, which will support new work and partnerships to develop among agencies. There is a strong commitment across police, justice, health, social work and third sector leaders to deliver this transformation, which will realise children’s rights to justice and recovery. However, we must ensure that children have the option to pre-record evidence or have a live link to court.

The launch of bairns’ hoose is not just an event; it is a promise that we will treat children and young people who have been abused and traumatised with the respect and dignity that they deserve.

In conclusion, let us remember the words of Nelson Mandela, who said:

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”

I offer my congratulations to all those who have worked so hard to make the bairns’ hoose possible. Together, let us continue to nurture and protect our most precious asset: our children.