A bid to turn A-listed Capelrig House in Newton Mearns into a centre of excellence to help children recover from traumatic experiences faces an uncertain future due to rising costs.
Charity Children 1st has been working with East Renfrewshire Council to develop a facility to support child victims and witnesses in Newton Mearns.
It was billed as Scotland’s first Barnahus — an internationally recognised approach, first developed in Iceland, to protect children’s rights to justice and recovery — when plans were revealed in March 2021.
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A “smaller” Barnahus — or Bairns Hoose — is expected to open in the west of Scotland later this year, but the “viability” of the centre of excellence is being reviewed.
At a health meeting earlier this month, council leader Owen O’Donnell said the Capelrig House plan was being “looked at again” and the costs were “likely to be considerably higher.”
A council spokesman confirmed work is ongoing with Children 1st to “explore the viability of taking this project forward.”
In March 2021, councillors agreed to rent the vacant Capelrig House, last used as council offices, to the charity for 25 years at a minimal rent. The council also granted £444,000 to the project after £1.5 million had been provided by the People’s Postcode Lottery.
Plans included offering a place for youngsters to recover from traumatic experiences and give statements to specially-trained staff.
The centre was also expected to be a learning hub, providing a centre for professionals and researchers to develop and share the best approaches to helping children get justice and recover.
Mary Glasgow, chief executive of Children 1st, said: “We are continuing to work with East Renfrewshire Council to explore the potential to use Capelrig House as a Bairns Hoose centre for excellence.
“At the same time, we are working with all of our partners to open a Bairns Hoose for child victims and witnesses in the west of Scotland later this year.”
In December, the charity said it was on track to deliver Scotland’s first ‘Barnahus’ — a single location alternative to courts, social work offices and police stations — in spring this year.
The charity’s “immediate focus” is on developing a “gold standard” Bairns Hoose to be rolled out across Scotland, it said, but it is also “exploring the possibility” of using Capelrig House as a centre of excellence to share learning.
Staff members had visited Sweden to learn more about the model, which “puts the needs of children at its heart.”
A key aim of the scheme is to reduce the number of times a child has to retell the story of what has happened to them.
During a discussion at East Renfrewshire’s Integration Joint Board meeting earlier this month, Councillor Caroline Bamforth asked whether “the Barnahus is off the table now in terms of cost?”
An official said there needed to be clarification on “where the resource and what the resource would look like in relation to the Barnahus model.”
He added: “There is work ongoing with ourselves within the council in relation to taking that forward.”
Asked for timescales, he said the Capelrig House project was a “larger and prolonged piece of work that has been delayed for some time.”
“There isn’t an approximate timescale on that,” he added. “We need to get back round the table with all partners to see the viability and if that’s something we can pursue.
“There is a smaller Barnahus model that we’ve got, work is ongoing in relation to that.”
The official added the smaller premises could be open by “late spring, early summer.”
Council leader Owen O’Donnell said there are “cost issues” with the Capelrig House plan. “It’s definitely being looked at again,” he added.
“It will require budget approval for changes to the capital plan, because it’s likely to be considerably higher than what was previously agreed.”
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