HORSES, dogs and cats are to be used to help children come to terms with severe trauma.

A pioneering Scottish initiative will also harness outdoor play and risk-taking to allow pupils aged between five and 12 to put painful childhood experiences behind them.

If it gets the go-ahead the project will be run by the Kibble Group charity from a former residential care home on the outskirts of Lochwinnoch, in Renfrewshire.

A planning proposal to the council seeks to turn existing buildings into a primary school campus with residential accommodation for up to 30 pupils.

Horses, chickens, dogs, cats sheep and goats will be kept on the premises to allow children to interact with them on a daily basis.

Audrey Baird, executive director for education at Kibble’s existing care centre in Paisley, said animals were a key way of helping children exposed to traumas such as sexual abuse, neglect, violence in the home and mental abuse.

She said: “Domesticated animals play a vital supporting role in the work we do because they provide close contact and the establishment of love, care and nurture which these children may not have experienced.

“Horses dogs and cats are particularly good because they relate to humans.”

The centre will also provide access to rescued owls and eagles to show children that wild animals can overcome troubled histories.

Mrs Baird said being based in an outdoor environment was vital because it provided a challenging and fun way to raise self esteem and help build confidence, which can be severely lacking in traumatised pupils.

She added: “Risky play is important because these young people may be exposed to greater risks in their lives, such as drugs, and they need to be able to make clear decisions about those risks.”

Based in Paisley, the Kibble Group, founded in 1895, is a charity and social enterprise which provides services for children who are at risk or have experienced trauma in their early years.

It works with young people from the age of five, providing education and care from centres in Largs, Paisley and the Garnock Valley.