The Barnahus Network is supporting work to develop an evaluation framework for Barnahus to drive excellence in practice, ensure accountability, and improve outcomes for children.

Advancing Barnahus through research, evidence, and practice

The Barnahus Evaluation Project aims to develop and test a common evaluation framework for Barnahus, adaptable to different legal, policy, and service contexts. The project focuses on strengthening evidence on what works by examining children’s experiences, the quality of multi-agency collaboration, and the structural factors that influence outcomes. It also seeks to establish ethical, trauma-informed approaches to gathering feedback from children to support continuous improvement in practice. The project further supports a systematic review of the Barnahus Quality Standards as a basis for continuous improvement in practice.

Advancing Barnahus through international collaboration

Led by the Australian Centre for Child Protection and supported by Oak Foundation, the project brings together an international research team alongside the Barnahus Network, national experts, and a scientific committee to ensure both methodological rigour and practical relevance.

The Barnahus Network plays a convening role in the project, facilitating international exchange and supporting dissemination. The Barnahus Network will further support the pilot of the evaluation framework, and promote its uptake across Barnahus. In parallel, the Network is developing a practical tool to operationalise the framework in close collaboration with Bonigi. The project forms an important element of the Barnahus Network continuous review of the Barnahus Quality Standards based on emerging evidence, research and promising practice.

The Scientific Committee

The Barnahus Network convenes a Scientific Committee, which gathers international experts who provide feedback and advice on the direction, methodology and findings of the project. They provide insights from their work, and ensure that diverse national considerations are integrated in the outputs of the project. The Scientific Committee members are regularly consulted and meets face-to-face twice per year.

Scientific committee members

If you have questions about the Barnahus Evaluation Project, please contact  james.herbert@adelaide.edu.au or olivia.lind.haldorsson@barnahus.eu

Initiated by the Barnahus Network in close collaboration with Oak Foundation and Adelaide University, the project will support the network’s ongoing efforts to ensure quality, accountability and impact for children.

About the project