Papering over the Cracks or Rebuilding the System: Opportunities and Challenges for the Barnahus Model in the United Kingdom

Part of the complexity of responding to child maltreatment lies within the intersection of the child welfare and criminal justice systems. Drawing upon learning from two separate research studies in the United Kingdom, we identify several key considerations for the introduction of the Barnahus model into a new context. We argue that the Barnahus model may positively disrupt how we conceive of the role and interaction of the child welfare and criminal justice systems. Such a disruption will involve moving away from a discourse that prioritises criminal justice processes and outcomes and the rights of people who have been accused of causing harm to children over those focused on upholding children’s rights, promoting child safety, and supporting children in recovering from their maltreatment.