www.barnahus.eu – the new home of the PROMISE Barnahus Network

The website of the PROMISE Barnahus Network is the new home for PROMISE publications, webinars, and of course news about Barnahus throughout Europe. www.barnahus.eu

Legal briefing about the intersection of criminal justice and child protection proceedings involving child victims of violence

European law provisions relating to child victims in the criminal proceedings take the form of general obligations, leaving it to national measures to regulate in detail how safeguards for children should be implemented in national procedures. Although there are different models of criminal justice (and child protection) proceedings across Europe, they face common questions on how best to fulfill their obligations to children and can benefit from regional exchange and the experience of practitioners.

The launch of the PROMISE Barnahus Network

Barnahus colleagues and stakeholders from all over Europe gathered in Helsinki on 25th November 2019 to celebrate the first steps towards a more formal network of Barnahus and similar services in Europe: the signing of the statutes for the PROMISE Barnahus Network....

Introducing the updated short version of the PROMISE Barnahus Quality Standards

The 2019 release of the short version of the Barnahus Quality Standards is in A5 format. The PROMISE Vision has been added to the first pages, and some additional small updates to the text and links have been implemented. Spiral-bound printed copies in English are...

PROMISE Barnahus greater network

The founders of the PROMISE Barnahus Network, representing 13 countries, will sign the statutes formalising the network next week in Helsinki. Many additional countries have already expressed great interest to join. Since launching our work in 2015, PROMISE has been...

Barnahus roadmap guidance and template

The Barnahus roadmap guidance and template gives inspiration on how to document and communicate the vision and strategy towards establishing, operating and developing the Barnahus model in a simple and accessible format. Hot tip: aspiring PROMISE Barnahus Network...

Evaluation Framework & Impact Assessment Guidance and Template

The Evaluation Framework & Impact Assessment Guidance and Template provides inspiration and examples for both evaluation of a service against the Barnahus Quality Standards, and impact assessments of, for example, the recovery of the child, equal access to...

Factsheet: Considerations for evidence recording at the Barnahus

There is much more to recording interviews at a Barnahus than setting up a system and hitting record. To best perform its role, a Barnahus must comply with local/international rules and regulations of evidence recording, and be able to produce a recorded interview...

Rewatch the PROMISE Webinar Series

The PROMISE webinars are recorded so you can watch and re-watch when convenient for you. Find out more about each webinar here, or jump straight into watching one at the links below.

Interagency agreement template and guidance

Supporting Barnahus Quality Standard 2, the Interagency agreement template and guidance offers inspiration and guidance for drafting an interagency agreement which formalises multidisciplinary and interagency (MDIA) team collaboration between agencies involved in...

Child participation tool

Supporting Barnahus Quality Standard 1.2, the Child participation tool provides sample questionnaires that can be used to gather children’s views on their Barnahus experience, including their satisfaction with the services and potential ideas on how Barnahus can...

From PROMISE Tracking Tool to PROMISE Hub: online case management system

The PROMISE Tracking Tool is a way for our stakeholders to monitor their progress towards meeting the PROMISE Barnahus Quality Standards. The current Tracking Tool is now evolving into into an even more conveninent online case management tool – PROMISE Hub – that will...

The European Barnahus Movement – showcasing 4 years of network and partner progress

In this webinar, we will feature some of the most notable achievements within the European Barnahus Movement thus far, including highlighting unique experiences, approaches and solutions as developed by the PROMISE 2 partners. This webinar will also showcase the PROMISE tools and future plans which are supporting the continued harmonisation and consolidation of good Barnahus practice across Europe.

Advocacy Guidance

Promoting Progress on Barnahus in Europe – Advocacy Guidance This Guidance aims to help you develop national and regional advocacy strategies to promote progress on Barnahus. Such advocacy can play a vital role in encouraging improvements to responses concerning child...

Enabling Child-Sensitive Justice

Enabling Child-Sensitive Justice – The Success Story of the Barnahus Model and its Expansion in Europe This report provides an overview of how the Barnahus model has emerged and gradually expanded in Europe. It documents how government officials, practitioners,...

Barnahus as the standard practice

The PROMISE partners and experts formally launched this journey 3 years ago. In 2015, only about 6 countries in Europe had Barnahus or similar setup. We now anticipate that 20 countries in Europe will have Barnahus or similar setups by the end of 2019, with at least 6 more actively working towards launching multi-disciplinary interagency services for child victims and witness of violence.

20 years of Barnahus – Featuring Bragi Gudbrandsson

Bragi Guðbrandsson, head of the Icelandic Government Agency for Child Protection, is the initiator and purveyor of the Barnahus model. If you’re not sure what a Barnahus is, why your country needs one, or if the model will work in your country, then look no further. In this webinar, Mr. Guðbrandsson will reflect on the why, the how, and the “what’s next?” of the establishment of the Icelandic Barnahus 20 years ago and its expansion throughout Europe and beyond – a process in which he himself has played an instrumental role.

Webinar series: From 0 to Barnahus

The PROMISE webinars are recorded so you can watch them when convenient for you. Keep scrolling to find out more about each webinar, or jump straight into watching one at the links below. The Lighthouse: A safe space for child sexual abuse victims in the UK The...

Introducing the new PROMISE logo and relaunched publications

  The refreshed identity embodies the essential characteristics of the Barnahus model: friendly and strong, dynamic and inclusive. The M in PROMISE becomes a symbol for the project and the movement. It becomes a B to symbolise the Barnahus. The symbol transforms...

Welcome to PROMISE 2

The PROMISE 2 partnership is proud to announce the work to promote progress in establishing and operating Barnahus, or similar models, at national level in several European countries has begun. We met in Stockholm in January to plan the core tasks: gaining commitment...

About PROMISE

PROMISE is supporting Europe to adopt the Barnahus model as a standard practice for providing child victims and witnesses of violence rapid access to justice and care. We undertake this work to fulfil the PROMISE vision: a Europe where the human rights of children to protection from violence, support and to be heard are fulfilled.

With the launch of the PROMISE Barnahus Network came a new website at www.barnahus.eu, where you can access the PROMISE tools and learn much more about the Barnahus model.

A Barnahus provides multi-disciplinary and interagency collaboration to ensure that child victims and witnesses of violence benefit from a child-friendly, professional and effective response in a safe environment which prevents (re)traumatisation. With the formal support from national authorities, PROMISE provides opportunities to translate national commitment into action and engage internationally in the process. In addition, regular networking and strategic communications continually activate our growing network of professionals and stakeholders who are committed to introducing and expanding Barnahus services nationally.

The first PROMISE project (2015-2017) set European standards and engaged a broad network of professionals. The second PROMISE project (2017-2019) promoted national level progress towards meeting the standards and formalised the PROMISE Barnahus Network. The current project (2020-2022) is expand these activities to include University training, case management tools, with a view to establishing a European Competence Centre for Barnahus and laying the groundwork for an accreditation system for Barnhaus.

With the launch of the PROMISE Barnahus Network came a new website at www.barnahus.eu, where you can access the PROMISE tools and learn much more about the Barnahus model.

PROMISE is managed by the Children at Risk Unit at the Council of the Baltic Sea States Secretariat.

News and updates

Legal briefing about the intersection of criminal justice and child protection proceedings involving child victims of violence

Legal briefing about the intersection of criminal justice and child protection proceedings involving child victims of violence

European law provisions relating to child victims in the criminal proceedings take the form of general obligations, leaving it to national measures to regulate in detail how safeguards for children should be implemented in national procedures. Although there are different models of criminal justice (and child protection) proceedings across Europe, they face common questions on how best to fulfill their obligations to children and can benefit from regional exchange and the experience of practitioners.

read more
The launch of the PROMISE Barnahus Network

The launch of the PROMISE Barnahus Network

Barnahus colleagues and stakeholders from all over Europe gathered in Helsinki on 25th November 2019 to celebrate the first steps towards a more formal network of Barnahus and similar services in Europe: the signing of the statutes for the PROMISE Barnahus Network....

read more
PROMISE Barnahus greater network

PROMISE Barnahus greater network

The founders of the PROMISE Barnahus Network, representing 13 countries, will sign the statutes formalising the network next week in Helsinki. Many additional countries have already expressed great interest to join. Since launching our work in 2015, PROMISE has been...

read more
Barnahus roadmap guidance and template

Barnahus roadmap guidance and template

The Barnahus roadmap guidance and template gives inspiration on how to document and communicate the vision and strategy towards establishing, operating and developing the Barnahus model in a simple and accessible format. Hot tip: aspiring PROMISE Barnahus Network...

read more
Rewatch the PROMISE Webinar Series

Rewatch the PROMISE Webinar Series

The PROMISE webinars are recorded so you can watch and re-watch when convenient for you. Find out more about each webinar here, or jump straight into watching one at the links below.

read more
Interagency agreement template and guidance

Interagency agreement template and guidance

Supporting Barnahus Quality Standard 2, the Interagency agreement template and guidance offers inspiration and guidance for drafting an interagency agreement which formalises multidisciplinary and interagency (MDIA) team collaboration between agencies involved in...

read more