MARAM alignment checklist

1. Read policy and practice documents

Organisational leaders and staff read the MARAM policy document, legislative instrument, risk assessment and management tools and associated practice guidance for working with victims and perpetrators (when available)

2. Identify or establish governance

Identify or establish governance structures within your organisation to oversee this reform

Identify suitable system-wide governance structures for overseeing this reform in your local area

3. Read, understand and determine responsibilities

Organisational leaders read and understand Pillar 3: Responsibilities for risk assessment and management in the MARAM Framework

Organisational leaders use the MARAM Responsibilities: Decision Guide for Organisational Leaders to determine responsibilities for staff

Further guidance on determining your MARAM responsibilities will be provided by the department or agency that funds or contracts your organisation.

4. Assess organisational landscape

Touch points with people who may be using or experiencing family violence, including children.

Existing risk assessment processes and tools being used by your organisation (general and family violence specific).

5. Identify and review organisational policies, procedures, practice guidance and tools to reflect the principles and pillars of MARAM

Check whether any new materials are needed. This can include:

• Local area Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs)
• Consent and release of information forms
• Client intake and assessment processes and relevant forms
• Privacy and confidentiality policies and procedures (ensure relevancy with legislation and regulations)
• Manuals e.g. induction manuals, service information, practice manuals
• Training manuals
• Record keeping obligations
• IT systems e.g. Client Relationship Management (CRM) systems, reporting systems
• Existing referral pathways
• Workplace support policies and procedures e.g. working with children policies, use of language services, organisational risk management procedures, evaluation policies, provision of employee assistance programs to support staff who may be triggered by family violence content
• Clinical supervision templates.

6. Assess training needs

• Identify staff to undertake organisational policy and leadership training. These should be organisational leaders who are accountable for ensuring their organisation aligns to MARAM, and will make changes to the organisational policies, procedures, guidelines and tools accordingly. They will have a central role in supporting the introduction of MARAM to their organisation and sectors, and will ensure its sustainability over the long term
• Identify staff to undertake professional training in family violence risk assessment and risk management in line with the organisation’s pre-determined responsibilities. This includes the use of the appropriate tool(s) and associated practice guidance (when available). These should be professionals who work directly with clients, and team leaders who supervise those professionals
• Ensure staff register for relevant training sessions
• Roll out the MARAM and information-sharing e-learning across the organisation (when available)
• Identify and plan for remaining staff to attend MARAM training progressively from 2019 onwards. Organisations should continue to access CRAF training until MARAM training is available.
• Identify and plan for staff to attend other, service-specific family violence training.
• Identify other learning, development and training opportunities that already exist within your organisation that could be adapted to incorporate framework content e.g. training to build cultural competency, working with interpreters, working with children.

7. Create partnerships

Identify existing partnerships and networks across your local area for collaboration.

Identify opportunities for new partnerships for greater collaboration with other agencies in your local area.