Issue - meetings

(i)       to note Aberdeen City’s successful Bairns Hoose Pathfinder application;

(ii)       to note the award of £281,875 for the year 2023/24 to support Aberdeen City’s delivery of a Bairns Hoose and to note a further round of funding will be made available for 2024/25 with a bid being required to be submitted by 21 February 2024;

(iii)      to request that the Chief Social Work Officer provides Members with an update on progress to deliver a Bairns Hoose within the Annual Child Protection Committee Report and within the annual update to Aberdeen City’s Children’s Services Plan;

(iv)      to thank officers for the immense amount of work undertaken so far to ensure a successful Pathfinder application for Aberdeen City; and note the ongoing work to deliver this transformative service for vulnerable children and young people across Aberdeen City and further;

(v)      to understand that a Bairns Hoose was a transformative way of working with vulnerable children, minimising trauma and increasing wrap around support for children and young people within the justice system;

(vi)      to reaffirm the Council’s long-term commitment to a Bairns Hoose in Aberdeen as part of the Promise; and

(vii)     to instruct the Chief Officer – Integrated Children’s and Family Services to organise a return visit of the Committee to the Bairns Hoose, once construction of the facility is finished.

The Committee had before it a report by the Interim Director – Children’s and Family Services which provided an update on the outcome of Aberdeen City’s Bairns Hoose Pathfinder application and the subsequent “bid” application.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note Aberdeen City’s successful Bairns Hoose Pathfinder application;

(b)      note the award of £281,875 for the year 2023/24 to support Aberdeen City’s delivery of a Bairns Hoose and to note a further round of funding would be made available for 2024/25 with a bid being required to be submitted by 21 February 2024; and

(c)      request that the Chief Social Work Officer provides Members with an update on progress to deliver a Bairns Hoose within the Annual Child Protection Committee Report and within the annual update to Aberdeen City’s Children’s Services Plan.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to thank officers for the immense amount of work undertaken so far to ensure a successful Pathfinder application for Aberdeen City; and note the ongoing work to deliver this transformative service for vulnerable children and young people across Aberdeen City and further;

(ii)       to understand that a Bairns Hoose was a transformative way of working with vulnerable children, minimising trauma and increasing wrap around support for children and young people within the justice system;

(iii)      to reaffirm the Council’s long-term commitment to a Bairns Hoose in Aberdeen as part of the Promise;

(iv)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Integrated Children’s and Family Services to organise a return visit of the Committee to the Bairns Hoose, once construction of the facility was finished; and

(v)      to approve the recommendations contained in the report.