Journeys - Safe and Informed Journeys through Barnahus
Photographer: Gary John Norman
The overall objective of the JOURNEYS project is to contribute to improved access to child-friendly justice, protection and recovery for child victims and their families. The project will seek to improve practice through the provision of a safe, informed and participatory pathway through Barnahus with a focus on advocacy for the individual child.
Worldwide children are exposed to a number of crimes. As much as half of all children globally experience violence each year. The Barnahus model offers a multidisciplinary and integrated approach for authorities and services to respond to child victims. There is a need, however, to strengthen individual advocacy to ensure safeguarding of the child’s rights and its’ access to child-friendly information and participation in the process, from initial report to long-term recovery.
The efforts to improve practice will be based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the EU Charter, the EU strategy on victims’ rights and of the rights of the child, the Victims’ Rights Directive and the Barnahus Quality Standards.
The overall objective of the Journeys project is to contribute to improved access to child-friendly justice, protection and recovery for child victims and their families through the provision of a safe, informed and participatory pathway through Barnahus from initial report to long-term recovery, with a focus on advocacy for the individual child.
The long-term effect of the project is expected to be the full realization of the rights of children who are victims of crime, with special attention to rights related to information, participation, recovery and support.
Target groups
Children (0-17 yrs), primarily those victims of crime
Authorities, practitioners and civil society organisations involved at Barnahus
Decision makers
Politicians
The wider public
Activities
Working method child liaison
App for children visiting barnahus
Child log
Engage children in child advisory board
Increase awareness of children's rights as victims of crime and Barnahu's role at all levels
Engage practitioners in transnational learning activities to achieve Barnahus quality throughout the EU
European end conference
Welcome to the Journeys end conference
Professor Lundy's expertise is international children's rights with a particular focus on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in law and policy, education rights and children's right to participate in decision-making.
Ensuring children's right to information and participation at Barnahus
The Journeys' end conference will be a hybrid event taking place in Linköping, Sweden. We are happy to announce that Professor Laura Lundy at Queen's University of Belfast will join as keynote speaker at the conference.
Pilot study of involving child liaisons at Barnahus
Barnahus needs to continue working on child participation. The Journeys project has piloted whether a child liaison could be a solution, so that children who come into contact with Barnahus feel more heard, seen and listened to.
Two child liaisons linked to Barnahus in Ireland and Sweden took part in the pilot project. The liaison in Ireland was recruited through the Accompaniment Support Service for Children (ASSC) and in Sweden by Save the Children. Both countries piloted a model where the child liaison was employed to fulfil the rights of the child and be part of the multidisciplinary team at the Barnahus.
Toolbox on Child Advisory Boards in the Barnahus context
Terre des Hommes has developed a toolbox with a specific focus on establishing, supporting and developing Child Advisory Boards in the context of Barnahus. Child protection practitioners from all walks of professional lives can also benefit from it in their commitment to engage child advisors in decision-making processes.
The toolbox pays particular attention to engaging children as active agents of positive social change rather than passive objects of assistance.
Mapping report supporting a safe and informed journey through Barnahus
As part of the Journeys project researchers at Marie Cederschiöld University has focused on mapping, designing, and piloting a working method, that ensures that child victims are heard, feel comfortable and safe to participate effectively at barnahus. The mapping report builds on interviews with stakeholders, such as professionals working at Barnahus (co-ordinators) and professionals involved in the development of the Barnahus model.
Webinar series on the child's right to participate and be informed at Barnhus
Photographer: Child Hub
Working together on case management in Barnahus
Interagency case management is a central aspect of collaboration in Barnahus and similar services. However, it is not always friction free and simple! It is therefore important to structure and organise the collaboration in the best possible way. Barnahus Quality Standard 5, includes specific practice that guide interagency case management. The webinar takes a closer look at some of this practice and discuss challenges and potential solutions.
Photographer: Child Hub
Toolbox on children's advisory boards in the Barnahus context
Child Advisory Boards (CABs) is one of the mechanisms used for promoting participation of children as a collective. These boards are set up in such a way that they provide safe spaces for children to express their voices on matters affecting them, their lives or the lives of their peers, increase their knowledge and skills, and to meaningfully contribute to decision-making processes within projects or initiatives at various levels. This webinar aims to present a methodological toolbox for establishing, supporting and developing Children & Youth Advisory Boards in the context of Barnahus.
Photographer: Child Hub
Children's voice in Barnahus
All children who are involved with a Barnahus have the right to express their views and have them given due weight at an individual and collective level. The right to participation in Article 12 of the CRC, along with the child’s right to receive information in Article 13, is set out explicitly in Barnahus Quality Standard 1.2. It applies across all aspects of the Barnahus model. This webinar introduces the application of the Laura Lundy model for child participation, to support implementation of the CRC and the Barnahus quality standards pertaining to child participation.
Photographer: Child Hub
Child Liaison in Barnahus
The Barnahus services are oriented at the needs of the individual child, with a strong focus on avoiding (re-)traumatisation and preventing further victimization. Recommendations from an evaluation of the "Lighthouse project" in the UK has suggested including a liaison/support role for children and non-offending caregivers within the Barnahus framework, which has been implemented in Irish and Swedish Barnahus within the JOURNEYS Project. This webinar focuses on the function of a child liaison in Barnahus, and to share the experiences gained so far.
Save the Children volunteer training on preventing violence against children
One important part of the Journeys project is to enhance knowledge about violence against children and spread different ways of working to prevent violence to Save the Children's member organisations. The ambition is to reach as many children as possible with prevention work. To reach its members on a geographically broad front, Save the Children offers training around the country. Among the first to participate were the local chapters in Sundsvall and Alvesta.
The training day includes different themes, such as the definition of violence, children as victims and their rights, the extent of violence against children and the consequences of violence. The contents also cover information on the role of Barnahus and how the civil society can build resilience in children. In the second half of the training, participants are introduced to a toolbox. It describes how local Save the Children chapters can work on issues such as awareness raising, in direct support activities and in advocacy.
‘I take with me that Save the Children is doing a lot of good preventive work around the country, that contributes to fewer children being exposed to violence. That in itself is fantastic, even though we cannot prevent all violence against children. After the training, there will be even more of us who can work with our material on preventing violence and reach even more children. It feels good in my heart’ , says Karin Svensson, one of the trainers.
Save the Children Sweden training day in Alvesta dealt with preventing violence against children based on the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child's slogan ‘No violence against children is justified, and all violence against children can be prevented’.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Justice Program. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
