Barnahus project

The objective of the Barnahus project is to mainstream practices compliant with the Barnahus standards in investigation processes of suspected cases of violence against children as well as in support and treatment provided for children who have encountered violence.

Objectives

• Developing the coordination and content of support and treatment needed by children and families who have experienced violence
• Ensuring child-friendly encounters and facilities for all children heard in a legal context
• Building up interprofessional cooperation (police, prosecutor, forensic psychology units, child welfare, somatic and psychiatric medical care, schools, early childhood education and care, child health clinics) and implementing models in practice
• Influencing the delay between making a report of an offence and sentencing by means of inter-authority cooperation
• Creating free, evidence-based e-learning programmes and making them available for professionals who come across suspicions of violence against children

Implementation

• The models for interprofessional cooperation and information sharing between authorities already developed at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (the LASTA model and form) will be introduced nationwide as well as regionally in university hospitals’ forensic psychology/psychiatry units in cooperation with other actors. Project coordinators in the participating hospital districts (special catchment areas) will be responsible for implementing activities in line with the objectives in their regions.
• Coordination of support and treatment will be developed by modelling, providing training on and mainstreaming evidence-based support and treatment methods and by building up existing competence.
• A free e-learning programme will be created to promote early recognition and support with such target groups as early childhood education and care, schools, social services and health care. The numbers and geographic coverage of those who complete the training will be monitored systematically.
• The project will engage in broad-based cooperation with different actors whose area of responsibility includes recognising violence against children, investigating suspected cases of violence and supporting and treating children who have experienced violence, including the police, the prosecutor, child welfare, somatic and psychiatric medical care, early childhood education and care, schools and child health clinics. 

Partners

The project will be carried out in broad-based cooperation with the catchment areas for highly specialised medical care and coordinated by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. The project will also work together with the police and prosecutor organisation, universities and higher education institutions, NGOs and the future Centres of Expertise and Support. 

Funding

The project will be funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. 

Contact information

Sini Stolt
Chief Specialist
tel. +358 (0)29 524 8193
[email protected]

Rika Rajala
Coordinator
tel. +358 (0)29 524 7408
[email protected]

Miia Ståhlberg
Senior Specialist
tel. +358 (0)29 524 7210
[email protected]

Matleena Huittinen
Planning Officer
tel. +358 (0)29 524 7112
[email protected]