What MARAM practice guidance is being developed?

Family Safety Victoria (FSV) is developing 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 and 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 2024.

What has been achieved so far?

In 2022-23, 41 consultation sessions were held with over 500 professionals across MARAM prescribed workforces to support the development of the child and young person-focused MARAM practice guidance.

The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, YSAS, Safe and Equal were engaged to contribute to the development of the Practice Guides, with much of their work contributing to the project now completed. In addition, FSV engaged RMIT and Monash University to undertake research reports.

In December 2022, RMIT published the report ‘Adolescents using Family Violence (AUFV) MARAM Practice Guidance Project 2022: Review of the Evidence Base’. 

In March 2023, Monash University published their report, ‘Young people’s experiences of identity abuse in the context of family violence: A Victorian study’. The report provides analysis of Victorian responses received to Monash University’s national survey on children and young people’s family violence experiences, use of violence, service, and support needs. The report builds on the I Believe You report published by Monash University in February 2023, and supports further understanding of the voice and experience of children and young people experiencing family violence. 

The findings from each report will directly inform the practice guidance and tools by incorporating young people’s experience of barriers to help seeking and service engagement, and experience of family violence that targets the young person’s identity and/or culture.

In June 2023, FSV further engaged a consortium of VACCA and Yoowinna Wurnalung Aboriginal Healing Service (YWAHS) to work on content across the draft practice guidance, co-lead consultations with key stakeholders, engage with and draw upon children and young people’s voices, contribute to tool and template development and support user testing processes. 

This approach will ensure that consultation and user testing is culturally safe, and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lens is centred throughout the development of the Practice Guides and tools.

FSV will be testing draft material in consultation with workforces later in 2023. If you would like to be involved in consultation, please contact infosharing@familysafety.vic.gov.au.

Links and resources

What training is being developed?

FSV is continuing development of three Adults Using Family Violence (AUFV) training packages to support professionals across MARAM prescribed workforces. The training suite covers identification, intermediate and comprehensive responsibilities.

What has been achieved so far?

FSV has engaged No to Violence (NTV) to deliver the new training packages, and delivery of the identification-level training has commenced from this month (November 2023). NTV will deliver the three trainings in the AUFV- focused MARAM non-accredited training packages to support prescribed workforces and their practitioners as part of the MARAM Reform.

Following a series of subject matter expert workshops to develop Intermediate and Comprehensive resources, the draft training packages were shared with government departments and sector partners for review in September 2023. 

In October the Comprehensive package was piloted with practitioners involved in the Serious Risk Pilot and in November the Intermediate package was piloted with government departments and sector partners.

Links and resources

What training is being reviewed and redeveloped?

The three Victim Survivor MARAM training packages (Screen and Identification, Brief and Intermediate and Comprehensive) and the MARAM; Leading Alignment and MARAM Collaborative Practice modules.

What has been achieved so far?

Following stakeholder feedback and in expectation MARAM 5-year Evidence Review findings FSV has contracted Safe & Equal to review and redevelop the three Victim Survivor training packages (Screening and Identification, Brief and Intermediate, Comprehensive) and the MARAM Leading Alignment and MARAM Collaborative Practice Modules.

FSV and Safe & Equal are considering training participant feedback and the upcoming release of the Maturity Model tools and how to best to reflect in the updated modules.

Following completion of MARAM 5-year Evidence Review in early 2024, FSV will further coordinate with Safe & Equal and relevant stakeholders for the updating, piloting, and release of updated Victim Survivor training packages in 2024.

What is MARAM accredited training?

The Centre for Workforce Excellence (CWE) in the Department of Families, Fairness, and Housing (DFFH) is working in partnership with the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJSIR) to develop vocational education and training (VET) courses in family violence.

The training aims to build 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 Family Violence MARAM Framework.

Through these courses, individuals will be able to access MARAM aligned, accredited family violence training through registered training organisations (RTOs), TAFEs and dual sector universities, either during their studies or before they enter the workforce as part of their pre-service education and training.

What has been achieved so far?

New teaching and learning resources for VU22733 have been developed to complement course delivery. These include additional case studies, new assessments, and facilitator and learner guides for TAFEs and RTOs.

In May 2022, redevelopment of the Course in Intermediate Risk Assessment and Management of Family Violence Risk (22561VIC) commenced to reflect new MARAM practice guidance relating to working with adults using violence. The course has been re-accredited by the Victorian Registration and Qualifictations Authority (VRQA) with the revised title Course in Intermediate Risk Assessment and Management of Family Violence (22625VIC). It was made available for delivery to TAFEs and RTOs from 1 July 2023.

VRQA accredited the Course in Contributing to the Prevention of Family Violence and Violence Against Women (22621VIC), available for delivery since May 2023. 

What is the MARAM video series?

The MARAM video series consists of 17 impactful videos to support prescribed workforces to better understand MARAM reforms, including the key concepts and responsibilities that apply to their role. These videos are available on the MARAM practice guides and resources and YouTube.

What videos are available?

The series includes two types of videos:  

• MARAM animation series: Six short videos on specific MARAM practice topics, for example Structured Professional Judgement. You can view them on the MARAM video series or on YouTube. 

• MARAM victim survivor and person using family violence series: Eleven longer role play scenarios between a practitioner and client, including graphics with key topics raised. You can view them on the MARAM roleplay video series(opens in a new window) or on YouTube(opens in a new window). 

MARAMIS fact sheets

MARAMIS fact sheets were developed to support people receiving services from DFFH but are relevant to a broad range of workforces.

The fact sheets outline the Family Violence MARAM Framework and Information Schemes in everyday practice. To support diverse communities, the fact sheets are translated into 6 commonly used languages: Dinka, Somali, Simplified Chinese, Oromo, Arabic and Vietnamese. They are also translated into easy English.

Access the fact sheets at Family violence multi-agency risk assessment and management framework.

What is the MARAM maturity model?

The MARAM maturity model will be a key supporting resource of the MARAM Framework. The model provides a means for organisations to self-assess their level of alignment to MARAM and help them take improving steps. It will sit alongside the MARAM Practice Guidance and Organisational Embedding Guide, which support organisations to understand what steps they should take to align with MARAM and provide guidance on risk assessment and management responsibilities.

What has been achieved so far?

Human-centred design consultant Paper Giant has built on early material developed by FSV to finalise research activities and co-designed maturity model resources in consultation with 8 Sector Champion organisations.

Three draft resources have now been produced as a result of these activities:

• MARAM maturity model on a page

• MARAM maturity model roadmap

• Interactive self-assessment and action planner

What is the 5-year evidence review?

The MARAM Framework was established in the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic) in 2018. The Act requires five-yearly reviews of the MARAM (Section 194) to ensure it reflects current evidence and best practice. The first of these reviews has been underway since October 2022 (MARAM 5-Year Evidence Review), led by Allen & Clarke Consulting, and is currently in its final stages.

The first review is examining the Framework and key 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 best practice evidence for family violence risk assessment and family violence risk management

• recommend if any changes are required to ensure the approved framework is consistent with those best practices.

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

The review is intended to reflect the capability uplift required by reforms and learnings undertaken since the frameworks’ release, including capturing new evidence and best practice, whilst also 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 the DFFH CWE and Safe and Equal was established. Following this, a working group of key specialist peaks and a selection for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) was established. To date, a desktop review and consultations with key stakeholders across departments, agencies and peaks, including ACCOs, victim survivor advocacy groups and relevant workforces have been completed. A conceptual framework for the prevention and response frameworks has been developed, as well as an initial draft of the response capability framework.  

What are the MARAM Online Practice Guides?

The MARAM online practice guides are evidence-based practice guidance, tools and resources that outline how workers within the system can fulfill the MARAM responsibilities associated with their role. The MARAM foundational knowledge guide underpins all the MARAM responsibilities, supported by 10 practice guides for victim survivor practice and 10 practice guides for working with adults using family violence (one for every MARAM responsibility). 

These practice guides, tools and resources provide a consistent, best practice resource for all workers to align their current practice with. 

What has been achieved so far? 

Based on feedback received on length and ease of use, a user experience and web design organisation, Paper Giant, was engaged to work with the sector to develop an outline for how the guides could be structured to meet the needs of practitioners and retain all the important information housed within the guides. Paper Giant conducted three rounds of human-centred design sessions with participants from across the sector, focused on user experience research activities. 

Paper Giant used the information gathered in the workshops to design prototype web pages, guidelines for recommended final content structure, behavioural archetypes of practice guide users, style guides, a keyword library, handover plan and a final report containing recommendations for a dedicated online practice guide website. 

What is the TRAM?

Tools for Risk Assessment and Management (TRAM) has been developed by Family Safety Victoria as an online platform for use across the service system. TRAM contains the adult and child victim survivor MARAM risk assessments and safety plan, and in future it will host the remainder of the MARAM resources, currently in development. This platform is used across The Orange Door network and by some community agencies. 

What is the Predominant Aggressor Identification Tool in TRAM?

The Predominant Aggressor Identification Tool will support specialist family violence services in their alignment to MARAM. The tool provides a structure to support the accurate identification of the predominant aggressor, using information sharing, direct assessment, and structured analysis.

The MARAM Adult Using Family Violence Comprehensive Assessment Tool was released onto TRAM in late 2022 for use by Specialist Perpetrator Intervention Services.

The MARAM Predominant Aggressor Identification tool has also been released for those agencies onboarded to TRAM.

What is the Second Rolling Action plan, and why is it needed?

The 10-Year Family Violence Industry Plan, Building from Strength, is being implemented through a series of Rolling Action Plans (RAPs). The first RAP covered the period 2018-2022 and has now concluded. The second RAP, covering the period 2023-2026, is nearing finalisation. It will guide the family violence workforce reform agenda over the next three years.

What has been achieved so far?

Development work on the second RAP began in 2022. Over 2023, consultation with sector peak bodies and government departments has occurred to develop a set of actions to grow the pipeline of workers and better establish education, training and career pathways across the family violence and sexual assault sectors. Where the first RAP focused on the specialisation of the family violence sector, the second RAP will continue this specialisation work with greater attention on the sexual assault workforce and looking outward at opportunities to connect with the broader community services.

MARAM Intermediate workshops developed for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations

CFECFW in consultation with VACCHO, VACCA and VAHS developed a series of MARAM workshops designed to be delivered to ACCOs that are respectful and culturally safe. The sessions were delivered to 25 ACCOs in 2023. 100% of participants reported that they felt the sessions were conducted in a way that was culturally safe and that perspectives of themselves and others were acknowledged. 

New suite of MARAMIS learning and development products

Safe and Equal in collaboration with the MARAMIS implementation team have commenced the development of three new Learning and Development products for delivery in 2024 aimed to increase DFFH policy and practice leaders’ understanding of the MARAMIS reforms.

The packages are:

• Leading Alignment: for DFFH Executives and Managers to support them to understand their obligations in leading MARAMIS alignment at DFFH. 

• MARAM for Policy Makers: for DFFH workforce leads, policy and project staff to develop a deep understanding of how the MARAM principles, core knowledge and best practice risk assessment and management must be incorporated into their work. 

• Information Sharing Schemes (ISS) workshops: developed for DFFH internal staff to develop a deep understanding of the ISS to promote the wellbeing of children and young people under Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) and to assess or manage family violence risk under Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS). 

For further information please email the DFFH information sharing and MARAM implementation team at infosharing@dhhs.vic.gov.au.

Support for Victoria's health services to align with MARAM AUFV practice guidance

The Department of Health has funded two dedicated project workers, based at Bendigo Health, to support public health services and hospitals to understand and incorporate MARAM AUFV guidance into their policies and practice. The project workers are known as the Adults using Family Violence Emerging Practice – Statewide Leads.

Early work focused on building connections with health services across Victoria to understand challenges they may face as they build capacity to respond to adults using family violence. 

The Statewide Leads are now working to determine what types of training will best equip the diverse hospital workforces to observe narratives and behaviours that could indicate an adult may be using family violence, and to then share this information to support the assessment and management of family violence risk.

In the next phase of the project, workshops will be held with health services further support organisational and workforce alignment with MARAM AUFV practice guidance.

For further information please contact infosharing@health.gov.au.