About:
In 2020, PROMISE launched its third phase of activities promoting the adoption and expansion of Barnahus throughout Europe. It was designed to kickstart the activities planned in the 2020-2025 strategy of the Barnahus Network. PROMISE has expanded on the activities from the previous waves of funding to include university training, case management tools, the establishment of a European Competence Centre for Barnahus, and has laid the groundwork for an accreditation system for Barnahus.
In November 2022, we organised the very first Barnahus Forum – a gathering of 170+ Barnahus professionals and stakeholders from 23 countries. The Forum had 17 working sessions divided into four thematic themes covered by this year’s Forum: multidisciplinary, criminal investigation, emerging challenges, and promising practices. Several sessions put the ideas and inspiration from the day into action by gathering feedback on the Barnahus Quality Standards. The day featured demonstrations of technical tools. Some participants joined study visits to Barnahus Stockholm and Linköping the following day. Read more…
Background:
Promise 3 was the third PROMISE project, to be concluded in March 2023.
The first PROMISE project (2015-2017) engaged with 12+ pilot countries to set European standards and to engage a broad network of professionals. The final conference of this phase launched the European Barnahus Movement.
The second PROMISE project (2017-2019) partnered directly with several pilot countries to use the standard-setting publications developed in the first phase to promote national-level progress towards meeting the PROMISE Barnahus Quality Standards. This project phase formalised the PROMISE Barnahus Network.
Vision:
PROMISE is supporting Europe in adopting Barnahus 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 all children enjoy their right to be protected from violence.
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 realisation of the vision of a Europe where all children enjoy their right to be protected from violence would mean:
- States implement legislative, administrative, health, social and educational measures to prevent and address violence against children.
- Effective, comprehensive and sustainable procedures and services are in place to ensure identification, reporting, referral, investigation and treatment.
- Child victims and witnesses of violence receive support and assistance through timely access to evidence-based and multidisciplinary interventions in a safe environment.
- Child-friendly criminal and pre-trial investigations help produce admissible evidence of high evidential value.
- The child does not have to appear in Court.
- The procedural safeguards of both the alleged victim and perpetrator are protected.
Partners:
CBSS Children at Risk (Lead partner)
AvBIT
BarnahusTusla Galway, Ireland
Bonigi
Child Circle
Empowering Children Foundation, Poland
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
HOPE FOR CHILDREN, Cyprus
Terre des hommes, Hungary
Stiftelsen Allmänna Barnhuset, Sweden
Social activity and practice institute (SAPI), Bulgaria
Slovenian Ministry of Justice
Contact:
Olivia Lind Haldorsson, Senior Adviser and Head of the CBSS Children at Risk Unit,
Phone: +46 73 056 45 92,
Email: [email protected]
PROMISE has received several rounds of co-funding from the European Union through the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020) of the European Union. PROMISE, including the relevant partners and/or members, are responsible for the content of this website, which can in no way be taken to reflect to reflect the views of the European Commission.
