What MARAM practice guidance is being developed?

FSV has commenced the development of MARAM practice guidance for:

• direct risk and wellbeing assessment of children and young people victim survivors
• identifying and responding to young people using family violence in the home and in intimate partner/dating relationships (recognising young people using violence often experience family violence risk).

This new practice guidance will support workforces prescribed under the MARAM Framework to:

• respond to children and young people as victim survivors in their own right
• support their wellbeing in the context of family violence.

The guidance will support professionals to respond to young people using violence with a trauma and violence-informed and age and developmental stage lens. The practice guides and tools are anticipated for release in 2023.

What has been achieved so far?

Thirty-six consultation sessions have been held for the development of the child and young person-focused MARAM practice guidance. Consultations in May to June focused on responding to young people using family violence.

From July 2022, consultation focused on direct engagement with children and young people as victim survivors, identifying both risk and wellbeing needs. Consultation has occurred with practitioners from:

• therapeutic adolescent family violence programs
• Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drug services, housing/homelessness services
• specialist family violence services
• sexual assault services
• The Orange Doors
• community legal services
• child, youth and family services
• academics and representatives from across government departments.

Targeted consultations were held:

• for professionals working with children and young people from multicultural and faith diverse communities
• for professionals working with children and young people living with disability
• on the topic of assessing suicide risk for children and young people.

A standing consultation group is being facilitated by the Aboriginal Strategy Unit, FSV, with professionals working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.

The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, YSAS, Safe and Equal, RMIT University and Monash University have been contracted to contribute to the development of the Practice Guides. RMIT and YSAS have now completed their work on the project.

What is happening now?

FSV is undertaking a thematic analysis of the consultation feedback and working collaboratively with The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare and Safe and Equal to draft practice guidance across the 10 MARAM responsibilities. FSV will be testing draft material in consultation with workforces in 2023.

What is planned next?

FSV and Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-operative (BDAC) have been working closely to ensure an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lens is centred throughout the development of the child and young person-focused MARAM Practice Guides and tools.

The impact of COVID on workforce gaps and demands in the region has meant that BDAC has had to make a decision to support the transition of the project to another Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) at this time.

BDAC will continue to be involved through the standing ACCO consultation group and MARAM Practice Development Working Group. FSV will work towards securing a new ACCO partner before the end of 2022.

FSV recently invited targeted universities to provide a quote for the MARAM Child and Young Person family violence risk and wellbeing identification and assessment tools development project. The procurement process was closed without appointment.

FSV is reviewing the requirements for the project and will refine the scope ahead of a new procurement process. Given the upcoming Victorian state election, a new procurement process will not commence until after the caretaker period ends.

If you are interested in nominating to join this list please email your name, role, program area and organisation to infosharing@familysafety.vic.gov.au.

Links and resources

Adults using family violence training

What training is being developed?

There will be 3 Adults Using Family Violence (AUFV) training packages developed to support prescribed MARAM workforces and their practitioners. The training packages will cover Identification, Intermediate and Comprehensive responsibilities.

What has been achieved so far?

FSV facilitated a pilot of the identification module to obtain user feedback, and the training package for identification practitioners is near completion.

A high-level design of the intermediate and comprehensive training packages has been developed with stakeholder feedback incorporated from subject matter experts and government.

A final review of the high-level designs will take place in December and then work commenced on module development.

What is happening now?

The Request for Tender (RFT) to secure a training provider to deliver non-accredited AUFV training is ongoing. It is intended to finalise this procurement end-November / early December 2022.

What is planned next?

The intermediate and comprehensive modules will be developed and provided to departments and subject matter experts for feedback in early 2023. Pilot sessions for both modules will be scheduled in 2023.

Once the training provider is secured to deliver AUFV training, project planning is set to commence in December 2022.

Links and resources

What is MARAM accredited training?

The Centre for Workforce Excellence (CWE) Branch in System Reform and Workforce (DFFH) is working in partnership with the Department of Education and Training (DET), to develop vocational education and training (VET) courses in family violence.

This is aimed at building the knowledge, skills and capabilities of existing and future workforces to respond to and contribute to the prevention of family violence. These courses are the first accredited training courses to be directly based on the MARAM Framework and Family Violence Capability Frameworks.

What has been achieved so far?

On 1 April 2019, the Course in Identifying and Responding to Family Violence Risk (22510VIC) was accredited by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA).

The single-unit course is currently being delivered by TAFEs, RTOs and dual sector universities, and is free for participants. The course can be taken either as a standalone course or the course unit (VU22733) can be imported within several VET courses.

On 1 August 2020, the Course in Intermediate Risk Assessment and Management of Family Violence Risk (22561VIC) was accredited by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA).

This is a two-unit course which includes VU22733 as a pre-requisite, and a second unit (VU22988) that covers MARAM responsibilities 3 and 4 for intermediate risk assessment and management of victim-survivors and people using violence.

What is happening now?

A refreshed training approach for the Course in Identifying and Responding to Family Violence Risk (22510VIC) is currently being rolled out. This includes the provision of additional case studies, new assessments, and facilitator and learner guides to TAFEs and RTOs.

The second unit of the Course in Intermediate Risk Assessment and Management of Family Violence Risk (22561VIC) is currently being refreshed to reflect new practice guidance relating to working with adults using family violence. Broad industry consultation took place in May/June 2022.

What is planned next?

The refreshed Course in Intermediate Risk Assessment and Management of Family Violence Risk (22561VIC) is expected to be finalised and provided to the Steering Committee members in November 2022 for endorsement. VRQA approval of the unit is anticipated to occur in late 2022 or early 2023.

What is the MARAM video series?

The MARAM video series will cover 18 impactful and needed videos that support prescribed workforces to better understand the MARAM reforms more broadly and the key concepts and responsibilities that apply to their role. These videos will be available on the vic.gov.au website and YouTube. The project will include 2 types of videos:

Type 1 – MARAM Basics Series

Short, sharp specific topics related to MARAM practice. For example, Structured Professional Judgement.

Type 2 – MARAM victim survivor and person using family violence series

Longer role play scenarios between a practitioner and client, including graphics with key topics raised.

What has been achieved so far?

Family Safety Victoria (FSV) has appointed Gozer Media to undertake the video production work. FSV engaged 4 organisations to support development of role play videos showing risk assessment and management in practice:

• VAADA
• NTV
• Safe and Equal
• Elizabeth Morgan House

Gozer has developed the 11 animation Basic Series videos and completed filming and initial post-production on the role play videos.

What is planned next?

The Basic Series has been delayed owing to resourcing challenges within FSV. It is now anticipated for release in December 2022 and separate communications will be sent to confirm their launch.

The role play videos are in production and are anticipated to be released early 2023.

Additional videos on misidentification of predominant aggressor and Aboriginal context for information sharing are also anticipated for release in early 2023.

What is the MARAM alignment maturity model?

The MARAM maturity model is intended to be one of the key supporting resources of the MARAM Framework.

It will sit alongside the MARAM Practice Guidance and Organisational Embedding Guide, supporting organisations to:

• understand what steps they should take to align with MARAM
• provide guidance on risk assessment and management responsibilities.

The MARAM maturity model will provide a means for organisations to assess their level of progress in taking these alignment steps.

What has been achieved so far?

Since the previous update, sector champions have been engaged in numerous formats – interview questionnaires, workshops and 1-on-1 activity sessions.

Findings from the 1-on-1 sessions were synthesised and highlighted various design components and insights for the development of alignment products to support the MM such as:

• preferred scales and indicators for a maturity matrix
• alignment blockers and pain points for conducting an organisational audit
• user profiles involved in auditing alignment
• intersections with other frameworks the organisations may use
• design prompts and natural groupings for various audit components.

There are 9 sector champions:

• Aldercourt Primary School
• Bendigo Health
• Bethany Community Services
• Caraniche
• EACH
• Early Childhood Australia
• Safe Steps
• Victorian Aboriginal Health Service
• Youth Support and Advocacy Service

What is happening now?

Based on the findings from the 1-on-1 activity sessions, the project team has developed the next activities and support materials for the Sector Champions, including:

1. obtaining high level feedback and identifying the process for an organisation to conduct a self-audit
2. a real-world test for segments of the self-audit tool.

Procurement is underway to secure a design team to develop and lead further user design on the matrix and self-audit tool.

What is planned next?

Planning is underway to progress the development of policy to support the implementation of the maturity model. It is anticipated to establish a cross-government working group from early 2023.

What is the 5-year legislative review?

The 5-year legislative review is being conducted by the Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor (FVRIM) as an independent review of the legal provisions of:

• Part 5A (the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS)
• the Central Information Point (CIP)
• Part 11 (MARAM) of the of the Family Violence Protection Act.

The review will determine if the provisions are being applied as intended and are effective or otherwise in meeting their objectives.

What has been achieved so far?

The FVRIM has sought the views of organisations, individual practitioners, advocates and others who may be impacted by the provisions, in written submissions and via consultations.

What is planned next?

The FVRIM will deliver a Final review report in mid-April 2023, which will be tabled in Parliament in August 2023.

Independent legislative review of family violence reforms | Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor (fvrim.vic.gov.au)

The FVRIM has indicated the following timeline for the Review:

1. Consultation: June to November 2022
2. Call for submissions: June to August 2022
3. Draft report for review: February 2023
4. Final Report to Minister: May 2023
5. Review tabled in Parliament: August 2023

What is the 5-year evidence review?

The Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic) requires periodic reviews of the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM) evidence base every 5 years.

The first of these reviews will examine key aspects of the MARAM Framework’s supporting resources, including victim survivor-focused MARAM Practice Guides and tools, published in 2019.

The review will:

• 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.

What has been achieved so far?

In November 2022, FSV engaged Allen & Clarke Consulting to undertake the 5-year evidence review. Allen and Clarke Consulting and FSV will provide further details on opportunities to participate in consultation once timelines and processes are finalised.

What is planned next?

A final report on the review will detail findings and recommendations and inform continuous improvement of the MARAM Framework. The final report will be provided to FSV in October 2023.

What are the Family Violence Capability Frameworks and why are they being reviewed?

The Family Violence Prevention and Response Capability Frameworks provide the foundational skill set required to:

• deliver prevention of violence against women initiatives
• respond to all of forms of family violence.

The review is intended to reflect the capability uplift required by reforms and learnings undertaken since the framework's release, including:

• capturing new evidence and best practice
• seeking to establish an implementation approach that clarifies and increases their utility across the workforce.

The review will consider the alignment between the prevention and response frameworks, recognising that prevention and response work is distinct but complementary.

What has been achieved so far?

In January 2022, a partnership between CWE and Safe and Equal was established. Following this, a working group of key specialist peaks and a selection for ACCOs was established.

To date a desktop review has been completed, along with key informant interviews across departments, agencies and peaks.

In October 2022, group workforce consultations took place across prevention and response. Five response sessions and 2 prevention sessions were held.

What is happening now?

CWE and S+E are collating data from workforce consults whilst continuing with some follow up consultations with specialist and prevention services.

Additional consultations are being held with the Family Violence Principal Strategic Advisors in November.

What is planned next?

Planning is underway for Aboriginal specific consultations to be held in the coming months.

Consultations are also planned with Victim Survivor Advisory Council (VSAC) and Safe and Equal Expert Advisory Panel (EAP) in January and February 2023. Following this, drafting updated frameworks will commence.

What are the MARAM Online Practice Guides?

The MARAM practice guides, tools and resources provide a consistent, best practice resource for all workers within the system to align their current practice with.

Feedback from workers is that whilst the guides are invaluable and the information within them is useful and important, the layout of the guides is not conducive to busy workers, quickly accessing the information, tools and resources they need.

What has been achieved so far?

In January 2022, FSV commenced the MARAM Online Practice Guide project, intending to reimagine the MARAM Practice Guides content in a user-friendly online format.

FSV have recruited 8 user consultant organisations, from a variety of sectors and spanning the breadth of MARAM responsibilities, to provide practitioner feedback about ways to improve the format of the guides to meet the needs of the sector.

FSV have procured Paper Giant to lead the design of the website and navigation, through a user-lead process.

What is happening now?

Paper Giant and FSV will be contacting the 8 user consultant organisations, government departments and other key stakeholders about opportunities to engage in workshops for the design.

What is planned next?

Workshops and interviews will take place December 2022 to January 2023 to inform the design.

What is the Comprehensive Adult Using Family Violence Assessment Tool in TRAM?

Tools for Risk Assessment and Management (TRAM) is an online platform developed by FSV for use by agencies across the service system.

TRAM contains the adult and child victim survivor MARAM risk assessments and safety plan and a newly released Adult using Family Violence Comprehensive Risk Assessment Tool. The TRAM platform is used across The Orange Door network and by some community agencies.

The newly released Adult Using Family Violence Comprehensive Risk Assessment Tool will support specialist perpetrator services in their alignment to MARAM.

The tool provides a structure for the comprehensive assessment of family violence risk when working with perpetrators. It uses information sharing, direct assessment, self-reporting and structured analysis to support practitioners to determine the level of risk.

What has been achieved so far?

On Friday 30 September 2022, the MARAM Adult Using Family Violence Comprehensive Assessment Tool was released into TRAM. It can be used by any Specialist Perpetrator Intervention Service who is onboarded to TRAM.

On 8 November, FSV held an information session for specialist perpetrator practitioners and agencies to learn more about TRAM and the newly released tool.

What is happening now?

If any agency is interested to learn more about TRAM and the newly released tool, or would like to learn about accessing and using TRAM to support their practice and MARAM alignment, please contact tram@familysafety.vic.gov.au to find out more.

What is planned next?

The Adult Using Family Violence Risk Assessment Tool is in planning for release to The Orange Door practitioners in early 2023. The FSV team is also supporting interested agencies to onboard to TRAM, providing agency-based training and support.

What is happening

FSV is continuing to support departments and sectors to align to the perpetrator-focused MARAM Practice Guides and tools. Since the release, FSV are learning more about how agencies and practitioners are engaging with the new resources and efforts to align.

Previous advice has been to await training before using the tools in practice. This remains the advice for organisations with identification and intermediate responsibilities.

However, FSV encourages all organisations and practitioners to implement strategies to be ready for practice. This may mean developing internal communities of practice, embedding the tools and guidance into your operations in readiness, and updating policies, procedures and internal practice guidance.

In addition, specialist family violence services are encouraged to start using the tools and Practice Guides particularly where you are adequately supported and policies and procedures are in place. This is in recognition of the depth of knowledge and experience in working with adults using family violence already held by these services, to support Curtin University analyse the use of the tools, and to ensure readiness for supporting identification and intermediate practitioners.

The Orange Door network is socialising the Comprehensive Practice Guides and tools. FSV, in collaboration with The Orange Door Practice Leadership, have been developing statewide operational guidance for The Orange Door response to adults using family violence. The focus of the operational guidance is the role of The Orange Door in engaging with adults using family violence as well as assessing and managing the risk they pose – including utilising the predominant aggressor identification tool. Across the network each site is developing local implementation plans to support the change management approach for MARAM alignment to the comprehensive tools.

To understand whether the perpetrator Comprehensive Assessment Tool is working as intended, FSV has engaged Curtin University to analyse the information being gathered by services who are using the newly developed tools. Specialist practitioners and services across the sector who are using the tools are being invited to collate the risk assessments conducted within the service over the coming months and share them with the researchers to analyse.

The Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS) is undertaking an evaluation of the expanded, phased trial use of digitally recorded statements by family violence victim survivors using police issued body-worn cameras (referred to as DRECs). This initiative and its evaluation are a continuation of Recommendation 58 of the Royal Commission into Family Violence.

The evaluators are interested in hearing from stakeholders who have had exposure to DREC in their work. They are keen to understand the experience supporting victim survivors who have provided a DREC, particularly with regards to impacts on staff workload and on victim survivors. Feedback will be incorporated into findings and recommendations that will inform the continuation of DREC across Victoria as well as legislation around the use of DRECs in court.

Stakeholders can complete a survey – click on the relevant link below for your stakeholder group - or participate in a short online consultation.

Survey links for other stakeholder groups

• Victoria Police members trained in DREC survey
• Magistrates survey
• Court officials (including registry staff) survey
• Legal practitioners sruvey
• Family Violence Support Workers survey.

This round of consultations will end on Wednesday 31 August 2022.

The DFFH MARAMIS Implementation Team supports DFFH funded program areas to align to MARAM and operate as well functioning ISEs.

The team, to date, have:

• developed a suite of tailored MARAM FVISS and CISS learning products for use across the service system available on Information Sharing and MARAM Online Learning System and click on the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing tab in "Available Courses".
• provided implementation support to DFFH Divisions
• supported the sector service grant recipients from FSV and DET.

We are pleased to announce that a new Elder Abuse eLearn course is now available – eLearn: MARAM Family Violence Against Older People (Elder Abuse) – victim survivor focused eLearn tailored to the identification MARAM level of responsibility.

The course discusses family violence against older people (elder abuse). The modules have been developed to assist practitioners understand and use the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) Framework and Information Sharing Schemes in their everyday work with older people.

Information Sharing and Family Violence Reforms

DET is continuing to deliver online integrated training on the Information Sharing and Family Violence Reforms for education workforces. Over 13,000 leaders and professionals from centre-based education and care services and schools have undertaken training on the Reforms since March 2020.

In addition to the significant amount of training and implementation support already available, VCISECS is providing direct training and implementation guidance to all Victorian government school principals via the Term 4 Area Principal forums across October and November 2022.

VCISECS is also delivering training at Catholic Education Commission Victoria forums across October. This will see significant increases in the number of schools with multiple staff trained in the Child and Family Violence Information Sharing Schemes by the end of Term 4, 2022.

Contextualised MARAM tools and training

DET is developing MARAM-aligned family violence contextualised tools to support prescribed workforces to identify and respond to family violence; ensuring MARAM is easily understood and embedded across education workforces.

Targeted MARAM training will be offered to ‘nominated staff’ at education and care workforces (staff identified by their organisational leader as having additional MARAM responsibilities of screening, referral and safety planning). DET is procuring a supplier to develop and deliver targeted MARAM training from 2023.

DJCS Introduction to MARAM eLearn is now available on the Information Sharing and MARAM Online Learning System

In preparation for the rollout of customised facilitated training for DJCS funded programs and agencies, the DJCS Introduction to Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM) eLearn is now available on the Information Sharing and MARAM Online Learning System.

This online learning platform enables all external DJCS funded staff to access the eLearn and receive a Completion Certificate. The eLearn will be a prerequisite for the upcoming suite of MARAM customised training that will take place in the new year.

Predominant Aggressor Pilot

In response to the Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor's system wide review on the accurate identification of the predominant aggressor, Victoria Police commenced an internal pilot to strengthen the police response to reports of family violence.

The predominant aggressor pilot commenced in October 2022, in North-West Metro Region Division 5, and aims to test interventions at different decision points to further support members to consider factors that can cause misidentification.

Outcomes of the internal pilot will be used to drive continuous improvement whilst ensuring the police response continues to be aligned to the MARAM Framework.

Implementation of State-wide PACPAFV sites

The Police and Aboriginal Community Protocols Against Family Violence aim to build positive relationships between police and Victorian Aboriginal communities, with the longer-term goal of reducing both the number of family violence incidents, and the rates of families experiencing repeated incidents of family violence.

Under the Dhelk Dja Action Plan (2019–2022), Victoria Police have committed to a state-wide expansion of the protocols by 31 December 2022.

Cultural awareness training continues to be rolled out across ten active sites, with a further 7 sites planned to launch in 2022.

Victim Survivors Advisory Council (VSAC) Project

Victoria Police, with support from the Victim-Survivors Advisory Council have been working collectively to produce a range of educational videos directly focused on the experience of victim-survivors in their interactions with police. The videos will be used by Victoria Police to assist frontline members to understand the difference they can make to the mental and physical well-being of victim-survivors.