Chapter 9: Reinforce good practice and commitment to continuous improvement

Section A: Family Safety Victoria as WoVG lead

A key element of any reform is reinforcing the change that it brings.

MARAM is a complex reform, which is still in development. New practice guidance is released regularly. To support this, work is underway to assess progress and take steps to reinforce good practice and continuously improve.

Five-year legislative review of FVISS, CIP and MARAM

The Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor (the Monitor) was appointed to undertake an independent review of the effectiveness of Part 11 of the Family Violence Protection Act (FVPA), which establishes the MARAM Framework, and Part 5A, which gives effect to the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS) and the Central Information Point (CIP). This review was required under s. 195 of FVPA.

The Monitor’s report was tabled in parliament in August 2023. It found that the legislation has been effective in achieving its objectives. It did not identify any adverse impacts of the MARAM Framework legislative reforms. 

The Monitor also found that the MARAM Framework supports:

• collaboration and service coordination
• a shared language for family violence
• a focus on keeping perpetrators in view. 

‘Part 11 has supported a shared language for family violence and a focus on keeping perpetrators in view. Where services align with MARAM, there is also greater consistency in risk identification, assessment, and management.’ – the Monitor

‘However, framework organisations’ inconsistent alignment and a lack of alignment progress is limiting the overall effectiveness of Part 11.’ – the Monitor

The Monitor identified areas for improvement in relation to the MARAM Framework and made four recommendations:

• The legislative instrument authorising MARAM as the approved framework under Part 11 of the Act be amended to clearly set out the steps and activities that framework organisations must take to align with MARAM (Recommendation 13). 
• Part 11 of the Act be amended to allow both people and bodies to be prescribed as framework organisations (Recommendation 14). 
• The legislative instrument authorising MARAM as the approved framework under Part 11 of the Act be amended to introduce a timeline for alignment activities. The steps and activities to be incorporated into the legislative instrument under Recommendation 13 above should be linked to the timeline, with timeframes determined based on an organisation’s date of prescription as a framework organisation (Recommendation 15). 
• The Regulations be amended to require portfolio ministers’ annual reports and the consolidated annual report to include information about framework organisations’ progress against key alignment steps and activities and timeframes. These amendments should be progressed after the legislative instrument has been amended in accordance with recommendations 13 and 15 (Recommendation 16).

The government supported recommendation 14 in full, with the remaining three supported in principle. 

In response to these recommendations, the Victorian Government will:

• examine how to prescribe classes of individuals as framework organisations under MARAM to the extent that it is applicable to them in their professional capacity and seek advice on the policy implications of this change with relevant sectors
• undertake further work to prepare high-level descriptors of responsibilities for alignment to be included as a schedule to the legislative instrument
• continue its current work to develop a MARAM Maturity Model to support organisations to understand what steps and activities they should undertake to align with the MARAM Framework and to support continuous improvement over time, including indicative timeframes for completion of those steps and activities
• consider, once the MARAM Maturity Model is finalised, amending regulations to include reporting requirements against the Maturity Model for portfolio ministers.

MARAM five-year evidence review

Under s. 194 of the FVPA, the minister must cause a review of the evidence underpinning the MARAM Framework every five years. 

The review must: 

• assess whether the approved framework reflects the current evidence of best practices of family violence risk assessment and family violence risk management
• recommend the changes required (if any) to ensure the approved framework is consistent with those best practices.

The MARAM five-year review commenced in October 2022 in two parts: 

• a literature, practice and design review led by Allen and Clarke Consulting
• a data review led by Monash University.

The review considers the currency and evidence supporting the MARAM legislative instrument and accompanying policy document. It also examines the victim survivor-focused MARAM practice guides, risk assessment and management (safety planning) tools (released in 2019), and other supporting resources that are appendices to these practice guides. 

Future reviews will look at the Adults Using Family Violence (AUFV) and child and young person-focused MARAM practice guides following their implementation. 

Allen and Clarke completed the literature review and extensive consultation with more than 200 people from different stakeholder groups.^[12] The final Literature, practice and design review report includes recommendations for ensuring MARAM remains consistent with current evidence and best practices of family violence risk assessment and risk management. 

Monash University analysed the MARAM evidence-based risk factors through data available in MARAM-aligned online and other data storage platforms used across the Victorian service, justice and courts systems. 

The final Data review report includes findings about MARAM evidence-based risk factors, as well as recommendations to ensure these risk factors are appropriately reflected in MARAM Framework practice guidance and tools. 

Family violence prevention and response capability frameworks 

Strengthening the foundations: first rolling action plan 2019–22 committed to reviewing and updating Victoria’s first Family violence prevention and response capability frameworks (the frameworks), which were completed in 2017 – before the development of MARAM.

The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing’s Centre for Workforce Excellence (CWE) will undertake the review.

The review will ensure the frameworks articulate the skills and knowledge practitioners need across all workforces to respond to and prevent family violence and all forms of violence against women. 

This will affect all workforces that intersect with family violence, including those prescribed under MARAM across the broader community services sector.

The review will focus on:

• updating capabilities for the response framework in line with MARAM responsibility levels and practice guidance
• ensuring the prevention framework includes the MARAM identification capabilities required for primary prevention workforces
• creating a consistent set of foundational knowledge across both frameworks
• embedding capabilities addressing intersectional knowledge and practice
• centralising Aboriginal and lived experience voices and perspectives.

The review is being undertaken in collaboration with Safe and Equal and in consultation with industry stakeholders. It is expected to be finalised in late 2023.

Once completed, work will commence to publish and implement the frameworks. CWE will explore further implementation activities. 

Section B: Departments as portfolio leads

Department of Education 

Department of Education workforces were prescribed under MARAM phase 2 in April 2021. Surveys and feedback from education workforces during this phase will inform implementation activities. 

A survey of more than 600 school principals indicated that principals are more familiar with the information sharing and family violence reforms’ toolkit and the contextualised guidance, with 27 per cent of principals having used it in 2022 versus 17 per cent in 2021; and 86 per cent were aware of it in 2022, compared with 64 per cent in the previous year. 

Principals also had strong awareness of the PROTECT Four Critical Actions and guidance: 79 per cent had used it compared with 76 per cent in 2021, and 95 per cent were aware of it compared with 92 per cent in 2021. 

The survey also showed that more principals have engaged with The Orange Door, with 84 per cent using their services in 2022 compared with 60 per cent in 2021, and 97 per cent were aware of it, compared with 89 per cent in 2021. Almost half of all schools reported having a current case of family violence in their school (49 per cent in 2022 versus 48 per cent in 2021).

The Training and Practice Advisory Group (TPAG) provides feedback and advice to the department on implementation considerations and resources to support the ongoing rollout of the information sharing schemes and MARAM. 

TPAG feedback indicated schools and centre-based education and care services are becoming increasingly capable and confident in using the information sharing and family violence reforms to promote the wellbeing and safety of children. 

Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing promotes of continuous improvement in relation to MARAM. This includes: 

• rolling out the new MARAM training packages for policy makers and practice leaders
• supporting the rollout of MARAM AUFV training packages to program areas and organisations including tailored product reviews
• training more client-facing professionals with MARAM Identification and Intermediate responsibilities to further progress alignment 
• leveraging the departments MARAM eLearn modules, including promote and develop tailored resources, tool kits and fact sheets to enhance workforces understanding of MARAM. 

Department of Government Services

The Department of Government Services’ prescribed workforces are now in their fifth year of MARAM alignment.

The department continuously audits Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria (DSCV) and funded agencies’ MARAM and FVISS processes, procedures and tools. It also provides advice and support to ensure that resources align with the MARAM Framework. 

It also delivered MARAM change activities to provide additional resources to support DSCV, Financial Counselling Program (FCP) and Tenancy Assistance and Advocacy Program (TAAP) operational readiness and assist the workforces to apply the skills learned in the training.

Department of Health

To recognise good practice, the 2022 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards included the award category ‘Whole of hospital model for responding to family violence’, which was open to all hospitals implementing the Strengthening Hospital Responses to Family Violence (SHRFV) initiative.

The winner of this award was The Royal Women’s Hospital – Centre for Family Violence Prevention in collaboration with the University of Melbourne, for their project evaluating SHRFV in 18 health services.

To date, MARAM alignment across the health sector focused on working with victim survivors of family violence. In 2022–23, framework organisations commenced mapping of their workforces to the MARAM levels of responsibility for working with adults using family violence.

To support this work in public health services, in October 2022 the department provided funding for Bendigo Health, as one of the two SHRFV Statewide Lead services. This will create a new Emerging Practice State-wide Lead role for working with adults who use family violence. 

The role will support health services to use the perpetrator-focused practice guides and tools, and develop tailored resources as required.

Department of Justice and Community Safety

The Department of Justice and Community Safety MARAM and Information Sharing Working Group brings the MARAM business units together and provides an opportunity for the recognition of best practice and the exploration of continuous improvement through collaboration across the department. 

Victim Services Support and Reform (VSSR)  implemented additional data capture requirements for the Helpline and Victims Assistance Program (VAPs) to record information about diverse groups or communities. This will ensure additional barriers are identified and appropriate and tailored referrals are provided. VSSR will continue its inclusion work to deepen practice, share lessons learned and maintain Rainbow Tick accreditation.

The courts

In 2022–23, the courts grew their workforce to include additional roles in the Central Information Sharing Team, the CIP, and an additional capability development officer in the MARAM team. 

These additional roles will assist courts to respond to increasing demand for information from ISEs, as well as continue to grow and develop courts’ use of MARAM-aligned, safe and effective family violence practice. 

Victoria Police

Across May and June 2023, Victoria Police delivered four regional workshops for frontline and specialist members to promote a shared understanding around best practice responses. These workshops provide critical opportunities for Victoria Police to re-enforce MARAM alignment and enable further engagement with members around options for continuous improvement. 

To further educate members and change mindsets when responding to family violence, Victoria Police also worked in partnership with the Victim Survivors Advisory Council to develop a series of short films covering the following topics: 

• the difference a frontline officer can make 

• why victim survivors are reluctant to report family violence 

• coercive control 

• the impact of living with family violence 

• trauma-informed policing 

• family violence in the context of priority communities. 

These films are included in training and development programs to support a shared understanding around family violence. 

Section C: Sectors as lead

• CHIA Vic launched a project to increase sector awareness and confidence levels of the CISS, FVISS, and MARAM schemes. The project included developing resources, a toolkit and training for the workforce. Survey results demonstrated increased awareness of MARAM from 20 per cent to 67 per cent, and application of it from 17 per cent to 33 per cent. Confidence in using MARAM also rose from 6 per cent to 37 per cent, with 89 per cent having done training. This project highlights the importance of clear communication throughout all levels of the organisation.
• The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) continued to support approximately 8,500 general practitioners (GPs) in Victoria to align their practices with MARAM, with over 500 family violence training units completed by GPs within the reporting period. The RACGP conducts monthly family violence learning sessions, which include discussions of family violence case studies, advice from a specialist family violence panel, and group reflective sessions. Four eLearn modules were also published, which included the MARAM animated videos series produced by Family Safety Victoria.
• CFECFW undertook a survey of Child and Family Services and allied sectors to identify MARAM knowledge gaps and information needs to identify proposed deliverables for 2022–23.
• VACCA, CHP and Aboriginal Housing Victoria established a cross-sector working group for the purpose of co-designing a culturally inclusive, sector-specific extended case study for the ACCO housing sector. The case study stepped out identification-level MARAM responsibilities to complement the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing’s MARAM victim survivor identification eLearn.
• SASVic distributed regular weekly and six-weekly newsletters to managers and member organisation staff, including 17 SASVic member services. Engagement with the communications was high, with a May update reaching 141 contacts of which 94 per cent were opened. In addition, a MARAM register was developed to capture service experiences and feedback. 
• Safe and Equal participated in the five-year legislative review (MARAM, FVISS and CIP) and the MARAM five-year evidence review by engaging in focus groups directly with Allen and Clarke Consulting. In total, they undertook 17 one-on-one consultations with member services, and produced two comprehensive written submissions.

Summary of progress

MARAM Annual survey results indicate that the majority of responding organisations are progressing towards MARAM alignment. Funded sector peaks continued to support organisations to reinforce good practice through reflective practice workshops, regular communications, and contribution to the 5-year Legislative and Evidence reviews.

The release of the MARAM Maturity Model will allow prescribed organisations to self-assess and benchmark their progress in aligning to MARAM. While some implementation and change management challenges are foreseen in the short term, once implemented, the MARAM Maturity Model is expected to improve on the existing tools and add value for both organisations and government in the medium to long-term.

Footnotes

[13] Stakeholder groups included government bodies, Specialist Family Violence (SFVs), Aboriginal community-controlled organisation (ACCOs), multicultural and LGBTIQ+ organisations, experts and academics, housing and homelessness organisations, mental health and Alcohol and other drugs (AOD) services, organisations with practice or policy specialisation in working with people with disability and older people, sector capacity building grants working group, The Orange Door practitioners, victim survivor advocates and victim survivors, Risk Assessment and Management Panel (RAMPS), Principal Strategic Advisors (PSAs), peak bodies and hospitals.