Barnahus Forum 2025

This interactive workshop invites participants to take part in a collaborative review of the final draft of Barnahus Quality Standard 11 on Child Protection. Developed through extensive consultation with practitioners and experts across Europe, this standard sets out principles and expectations for how child protection agencies work in and with Barnahus.

Participants will work in small groups to explore key questions that remain open in the draft—such as the order of application of the standards, the inclusion of siblings, the role of formal vs. statutory coordination, and how to reflect diverse national contexts. Your insights will directly shape the final text of the standard.

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Understand the proposed content and scope of Standard 11 on Child Protection
• Contribute feedback and recommendations to shape the final version
• Share examples from practice to support practical implementation
• Strengthen shared understanding of child protection roles in Barnahus

Moderator: Eimear TIMMONS, The Lighthouse, London

This session brings together practitioners and policy experts to explore how child protection operates in and with Barnahus across Europe. It begins with a presentation of new findings from a mapping of child protection roles and tasks in Barnahus, followed by an introduction to a newly developed checklist designed to complement the forthcoming Standard 11 on Child Protection.

Ireland’s Tusla Child and Family Agency will present their work to establish a national standard operating procedure to support coordinated action between Barnahus staff and child protection services. Participants will share how child protection is practiced in their own context, highlighting models, challenges, and success stories that could support implementation of the new standard.

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Learn about the diversity of child protection practices in Barnahus across Europe
• Gain access to new tools, including a practical checklist and protocol guidance
• Share examples from their own work that may inform the finalisation of the forthcoming standard on child protection
• Reflect on strategies to improve coordination between Barnahus and child protection agencies

Moderator: Fiona GERAGHTY – Tusla, Ireland and Barnahus Network Steering Group member

Speakers:

• Linda JONSSON, Marie Cederschiöld University
• Julie O’DONNELL, Tusla, Ireland
• Sven WILSON, Council of the Baltic Sea States

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured, time-limited psychotherapy developed specifically for trauma treatment. Endorsed by the WHO and numerous national guidelines, it is considered one of the most effective treatments for PTSD in both adults and children.

This session introduces EMDR therapy in detail, and explores its potential integration into Barnahus as a trauma-focused mental health intervention aligned with justice, protection, and recovery goals.

Dr. Kerstin Stellermann-Strehlow will introduce EMDR as a therapeutic method in childhood and adolescence, including the current state of research and clinical outcomes. She will walk participants through both the standard and age-adapted EMDR protocols, using clinical case examples to illustrate how EMDR can be used even when children cannot verbalise their trauma or speak the same language fluently. Particular attention will be given to the suitability of EMDR for children with high levels of shame, limited cognitive or language capacity, and those for whom traditional talk therapies may be less effective.

Paola Cardenas will contribute insights from using EMDR at Barnahus Iceland. She will share lessons on clinician training, integration within the multidisciplinary response, and the importance of timing and readiness for EMDR within broader therapeutic engagement.

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Understand the theoretical basis, structure, and core mechanisms of EMDR therapy
• Become familiar with the evidence for EMDR’s use in child trauma and PTSD treatment
• Reflect on how EMDR could be introduced or expanded in Barnahus
• Explore clinical and organisational considerations, including integration into case planning in Barnahus
• Be informed about upcoming EMDR training opportunities

Reading material: Psychological interventions implementation manual: integrating evidence-based psychological interventions into existing services – WHO

Moderator: Andrej DEL FABRO, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Slovenia, and Barnahus Network steering group member

Speakers:

• Kerstin STELLERMANN-STREHLOW, Kst-traumahilfe / Charité, Germany
• Paola CARDENAS, Barnahus Iceland

This session aims to provide participants with tools, examples, and perspectives to ensure that their services can meet the needs of all children, regardless of ability. It will highlight practical and policy-based approaches for making Barnahus more accessible and inclusive for children with disabilities. It will include contributions from projects working directly on access to justice and participation for children with disabilities, as well as national practice examples from Sweden.

Children with disabilities are at higher risk of experiencing violence and abuse, but often face significant barriers in accessing justice and protection services, including Barnahus. These barriers may include communication challenges, lack of accessible environments, assumptions about credibility or capacity, and limited training for professionals.

A contributor from INSIDE EU will share tools and recommendations for any professional on how to promote meaningful participation of children with disabilities and fewer opportunities in justice and recovery settings—tailored to the Barnahus context.

Barnahus Linköping, Sweden will present a trauma screening toolbox developed for use with children in social services, with a focus on how it is applied in practice with children with disabilities. The presentation will give recommendations on how to adapt the approach in your service, alongside information about the effort by THL in Finland to adapt and evaluate this approach.

The Validity Foundation will present results from the Link project, which developed guidance for legal professionals in adapting court procedures and environments to meet the needs of children with disabilities. She will also discuss the importance of adapting the traditional professional frameworks to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities.

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Be informed about common barriers children with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities face in accessing justice
• Gain practical ideas for adapting procedures, communication, and environments for this target group
• Learn about tools for trauma screening and participation that can be adapted and adopted
• Reflect on how to strengthen your own Barnahus team and practice

Moderator: Emilie Rivas, Save the Children, Spain

Speakers:

• Anna ARGANASHVILI, Validity Foundation, Hungary
• Christian SWEENEY, Inside EU, Ireland
• Helena ASPLUND CARLQVIST,Barnahus Linköping, Sweden
• Ingrid ARKEHED, Barnahus Linköping, Sweden

The inclusion of children displaying harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) within Barnahus remains a complex and sensitive issue. Yet across Europe, some Barnahus and partner services are beginning to develop practices to assess, support, and include this group within a multidisciplinary, child-centred response.

This panel discussion will explore what it means to welcome and work within the Barnahus context with children who have displayed HSB. Panellists from Denmark, Estonia, Norway, and Scotland will share early experiences from sites that have begun to adapt their services to meet the needs of these children— through assessment and therapeutic support, family intervention, or coordinated case planning.

The session will also consider legal and ethical concerns, including risk management, child protection, and the rights of all involved children.

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Be informed about how some Barnahus have begun to include children displaying harmful sexual behaviour in their target group
• Hear about models of care, assessment, and intervention used in various countries
• Reflect on challenges and opportunities for integrating this group into the Barnahus response
• Consider implications for policy, capacity, and multidisciplinary collaboration

Moderator: Emma HAREWOOD, Bluestar Pre-trial Support, England

Panellists:

• Kim RISOM RASMUSSEN, Barnahus Zealand, Denmark
• Hele-Riin REBASE, Barnahus, Estonia
• Anne-Lise Farstad, Barnahus Kristiansand, Norway
• Anna O’RIELLY, Children First, Scottland

Online sexual violence against children is rising rapidly, yet many children affected by this form of abuse remain underserved. This session explores what Barnahus teams need to know—and do differently—to meet the needs of these children and support their recovery and access to justice.

Linda Jonsson will set the scene about the unique challenges presented by online sexual violence against children, including the persistent perception among many professionals that it has a lesser impact on children compared to conventional forms of violence. She will further present recent findings from Sweden, including the new Childhood Foundation report “Sprickor i systemet,” (Cracks in the System) which highlights gaps in interagency coordination and systemic barriers children face after online abuse.

The voices of children will feature centrally through insights gathered by Children First, reflecting what young people want and need from professionals after online harm. Themes include the importance of being believed, going at the child’s pace, having support from a trusted adult or organisation, and careful coordination between Barnahus, police, and other actors.

Protect Children, Finland will present selected insights from their work supporting non-offending caregivers of children affected by online sexual violence. Drawing from their peer support group model “You Are Enough,” and an accompanying caregiver guide developed with European partners, the presentation will explore how caregivers process complex emotions such as guilt, grief, and helplessness, and how professionals can support them in turn. Topics will include how to help caregivers respond constructively to disclosure, manage feelings of failure and shame, and rebuild trust with their children.

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Be informed about the specific challenges and misconceptions that limit effective responses to online sexual violence against children
• Gain insights into what children and young people say they need from professionals after online harm, including key relational and procedural factor
• Understand how to support non-offending caregivers through trauma, disclosure, and family healing processes
• Reflect on practical ways Barnahus teams and their interagency partners can adapt case management and service delivery to meet the needs of this group

Moderator: Anette BIRGERSSON, Marie Cederschiöld University, Sweden

Speakers:

• Katariina LEIVO, Protect Children, Finland
• Mary GLASGOW, Children First, Scotland
• Linda JONSSON, Marie Cederschiöld University, Sweden

This session explores how Barnahus can meaningfully involve children in shaping, evaluating, and improving the support they receive. It will discuss not only how to collect meaningful feedback, but also how to effectively ensure the feedback is given space, audience, and influence —particularly in the context of evaluating Barnahus.

The session begins with insights from Charité Berlin on their translation and validation of the Child Participation Tool to the German context, demonstrating how structured feedback from children can be embedded into quality assurance processes and recognised as credible across systems. The Lighthouse in London will share how they gather and apply feedback from children and young people throughout the criminal justice process, including around the Video Recorded Interview, and how this has led to a new feedback tool co-developed with youth. The University of Bedfordshire will present learning from the North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose evaluation, and introduce plans to embed children’s voices in the development of a European evaluation framework for Barnahus.

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Hear about how other countries have involved children in their Barnahus evaluation work
• Understand the role of validated tools and youth-designed methods for collecting and using feedback
• Reflect on key principles and practical strategies for embedding participation in Barnahus evaluations
• Consider how children’s voices can meaningfully influence service quality and systemic change

Moderator: Sven WILSON, Council of the Baltic Sea States

Speakers:

• Camille WARRINGTON, University of Bedfordshire, England
• Clementine ANDERSON, The Lighthouse, London, England
• Gina-Melissa SEMRAU, Childhood Haus Berlin, Charité University Hospital

As Barnahus become more established, national efforts to evaluate these multidisciplinary responses are increasingly important. This session brings together researchers and practitioners who have led or are currently working on evaluations of interagency services for children victims and witness of violence.

Panellists from Finland, Spain, the UK, and the United States will share how their work on evaluations were initiated, funded, and designed. They will explore methodological choices, ethical considerations, engagement with children and professionals, and what their evaluations revealed—about achievements, gaps, and the reality of implementing recommendations.

Participants will gain insight into what it takes to evaluate complex systems like Barnahus, how national contexts shape evaluation goals and outcomes, and what we are learning collectively about impact, accountability, and quality improvement.

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Learn how national and regional evaluations of Barnahus and similar services are being carried out
• Hear about key findings, including both progress and persistent challenges
• Reflect on the practical and political factors that influence how evaluations are used
• Consider how future evaluations can be more participatory, meaningful, and aligned with quality standards

Moderator: Merit KORBE, Barnahus Estonia

Panellists:

• Camille WARRINGTON, University of Bedfordshire, England
• Miia STÅHLBERG, THL Finland, representing a project consortium with partners from Sweden and Germany
• Núria TORRES-ROSELL, University Rovira i Virgili, Spain
• Erin CASEY, National Children’s Alliance, USA

As Barnahus continues to grow across Europe, so too does the need to understand, evaluate, and communicate its impact. But with national models evolving in different directions, how can we ensure quality and accountability while embracing diversity?

This session will introduce the work to develop common evaluation framework for Barnahus in Europe, focusing on how to measure quality, assess cross-agency collaboration, and capture outcomes for children. James Herbert will lead the session, beginning with an overview of the proposed framework and its focus on shared standards, essential functions, and contextual flexibility.

The Council of Europe will present their ongoing work examining how differences in legal, institutional, and procedural structures across countries affect the implementation of the Barnahus model, and what this means for safeguarding children’s rights and ensuring quality in diverse contexts.

The session will conclude with an overview of evaluation approaches across Barnahus. An interactive discussion will invite Barnahus professionals to share their own approaches to quality assurance and evaluation, and to reflect on what’s needed to build a collective evidence base for impact.

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Be informed about the purpose, methods, and process to develop a European framework for evaluation of Barnahus
• Be informed about the Council of Europe’s work to develop recommendations
• Reflect on how legal, institutional, and procedural diversity influences implementation and quality
• Reflect on how network members, together and separately, can work to ensure quality and accountability
• Contribute perspectives on what a meaningful and adaptable evaluation framework should include

Moderator and keynote speaker: James HERBERT, University of South Australia, lead researcher developing the Barnahus evaluation framework

Contributor: Zaruhi GASPARYAN, Council of Europe

This session aims to support interviewers and multidisciplinary teams to make the most of their work together. Experience across Europe shows that collaboration within Barnahus has led to improved, individualised planning and execution of forensic interviews with children, resulting in better outcomes. Embedding evidence-based interviewing protocols into multidisciplinary teams not only strengthens the quality of evidence, but also enhances the child’s experience of justice.

This session explores how forensic interviewing protocols can be effectively embedded within multidisciplinary child protection teams—particularly in Barnahus—while respecting the rights of the child as a victim of crime. It looks at how inputs from other professionals before, during and after —such as family history, communication assessments, and emotional support— can improve both the interview process and lead to more, higher quality evidence. It examines how trauma-sensitive approaches before, during, and after interviews can improve the child’s capacity to share their experiences, while ensuring their rights are respected under the Victims’ Rights Directive.

Rebecca O’Donnell will provide updates on the progress to revise the Victims’ Rights Directive. Niamh O’Loughlin will share practical experience and approaches from Barnahus West to embed evidence-based interviewing in their multidisciplinary team. Maria Keller-Hamela will reflect on how similar principles have informed practice in Poland. Relevant tools from recent EU-funded projects will be highlighted.

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Reflect on their progress to embed forensic interviews into a robust multidisciplinary practice
• Explore how to convince different professionals about how their inputs improve the quality and child-friendliness of interviews
• Be updated on the evolving legal framework under the Victims’ Rights Directive
• Have information and inspiration upon which to continue to make progress

Moderator: Rebecca O’DONNELL, Child Circle and Barnahus Network Steering Group member

Panellists:

• Niamh O’LOUGHLIN, Barnahus West in Galway, Ireland
• Maria KELLER-HAMELA, Empowering Children Foundation, Poland, and Barnahus Network Steering Group member

This session presents the latest recommendations for forensic child interviewing, published in 2024 by the European Association of Psychology and Law. These evidence-based guidelines offer practical, research-informed recommendations for one of the most sensitive and crucial functions in Barnahus: helping children safely tell about their experiences in a way that is both trauma-informed and legally sound.

Liisa Järvilehto will outline the paper’s findings and explain how they support Barnahus Quality Standard 6, including that they are: conducted by specially trained professionals; based on evidence-based protocols; undertaken in a child-friendly environment; minimally invasive, ideally involving one interview; recorded and admissible in court; coordinated with legal proceedings to avoid repeated questioning. She will also discuss the recommendations regarding: interviewer mindset and hypothesis testing; avoiding non-evidence-based techniques such as body diagrams and dolls; cultural sensitivity and interpreters; online interviewing; and interviewing about repeated events.

Laura Lediņa and Lauris Neikens from Latvia will share how their country is working to apply the recommendations of the white paper. This work notably includes supporting developments in a national approach to interviewer training and supervision that emphasises practical skills, structured feedback, and interagency collaboration.

The session will welcome participants to reflect on their own practice, and to ask questions and share experience on the practical implementation of these recommendations on interviews in Barnahus.

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Be familiar with the latest evidence-based recommendations on forensic child interviewing
• Learn how these principles align with standards and legal frameworks
• Hear from Latvia’s experience of promoting progress based on the whitepaper’s recommendations
• Reflect on and gain examples of how to apply these insights to improve practice in your own settings

Reading material: The whitepaper

Moderator and keynote – Liisa JÄRVILEHTO, Helsinki University Hospital / THL, co-author of the whitepaper, Barnahus Network Steering Group Member

Contributors

• Laura LEDIŅA, Barnahus Latvia

Lauris NEIKENS, Ministry of Welfare, Latvia

This session aims to support participants in advocating for the routine inclusion of medical staff on multidisciplinary teams, and the consistent provision of medical evaluations in Barnahus.

Barnahus are uniquely positioned to identify and respond to the full spectrum of needs of child victims and witnesses of violence. Medical evaluations are not only essential for identifying, documenting, and addressing physical signs of abuse, but also for recognising broader physical, psychological, and functional symptoms that may impact the child’s recovery and participation in justice processes.

Integrating medical evaluations as a core part of Barnahus ensures a holistic approach that provides a more complete understanding of each child. This, in turn, enhances multidisciplinary collaboration and supports evidence-based care that meets both therapeutic and justice-related needs.

This session presents recent data and practice insights from England. Briony Arrowsmith will share findings from The Havens on patterns of allegations, medical findings, and the role of medical assessments in the broader Barnahus response. Through the use of case vignettes, Dr Anna Uwagboe will examine the impact of functional symptoms—such as pain, fatigue, and dissociation—on children’s well-being, autonomy, and their capacity to engage in interviews, therapy, and daily life. Together, these perspectives offer a joint framework for strengthening multidisciplinary practice in Barnahus.

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Have information and inspiration to convince colleagues to include medical staff on multidisciplinary teams, and to include routine medical and functional symptom assessments in Barnahus
• Understand how findings from medical evaluations can inform legal, therapeutic, and protection decisions
• Explore how multidisciplinary teams can use medical input to deliver more coordinated and individualised care

Note: This session will discuss real case examples. The purpose is to illustrate the real-world impact of whole of body evaluations and the role in supporting the investigations and interventions that Barnahus provide.

Moderator: Briony ARROWSMITH, The Havens, England and Barnahus Network Steering Group member

Speakers:

• Briony ARROWSMITH, The Havens, England and Barnahus Network Steering Group member
• Dr Anna UWAGBOE, The Lighthouse, England