Building capacity for Barnahus Ireland: Development of trauma-informed care, child advocacy and participation training for professionals

Barnahus Ireland (BI), a multidisciplinary interagency initiative, supported by the European Commission and the Council of Europe (CoE), and implemented by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCED), is currently being established across three sites in Ireland. BI aims to provide child protection, criminal justice, medical and therapeutic interventions for children where there is a concern of sexual abuse, in a single geographical location. In Ireland, a recent training needs analysis identified the need for training in trauma - informed care for professionals working within a Barnahus service and those working alongside a Barnahus service. This paper describes the development of a bespoke training programme in trauma -informed care that integrates principles of child advocacy, children’s rights and participation, an in-depth knowledge of child sexual abuse and its impact, and an understanding of the Barnahus Quality Standards for Europe, for staff working in and alongside Barnahus services in Ireland. The paper describes the context, the methodology and process used in developing two training programmes, a foundation level and an advanced level programme, and key learnings from the experience of developing these programmes and conducting an initial pilot evaluation. • Barnahus Ireland is leading systemic change in child-friendly justice and support. • Workforce capacity-building is central to Barnahus implementation. • Research-based, trauma-informed training aligns well with Barnahus needs. • Bespoke training was strengthened by multi-agency and lived-experience input. • Academic–practice collaboration enhanced programme development.