What MARAM practice guidance is being developed?

Family Safety Victoria (FSV) is developing the 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 2023.

What has been achieved so far?

In 2022, 37 consultation sessions were held 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, RMIT University and Monash University were contracted to contribute to the development of the Practice Guides. Monash University, RMIT University and YSAS have now completed their work on the project.

In December 2022, RMIT published the Adolescents using Family Violence (AFV) MARAM Practice Guidance Project 2022: Review of the Evidence Base. The report, led by Elena Campbell, reviews the evidence base in relation to tools currently used to assess adolescent violence in the home (AVITH), adolescent intimate partner or ‘dating’ violence and harmful sexual behaviours.

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 produces secondary data 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 survey was completed in 2021 as part of a national study funded by ANROWS. The Victorian sample includes responses from 1,454 Victorian young people aged 16-20 years old. 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 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. 

What is happening now?

FSV is undertaking a thematic analysis of the consultation feedback and working collaboratively with Safe and Equal to draft practice guidance across the 10 MARAM responsibilities. FSV is commencing targeted consultation focusing on:

• when it is safe, appropriate, and reasonable to engage directly with children and young people
• language and practice related to identifying use of harm as separate to use of family violence by young people
• approaches to accountability with young people using family violence.

What is planned next?

In June 2023, FSV engaged VACCA and Yoowinna Wurnalung Aboriginal Healing Service to contribute to the development of the child and young person-focused MARAM Practice Guides and tools. This partnership is designed to ensure that consultation and user testing is culturally safe and supported, and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lens is centred throughout the development process and end products.

In May 2023, FSV contracted Swinburne University and Safe and Equal to develop the MARAM child and young person family violence risk and wellbeing identification and assessment tools. Opportunities to be involved in the tool development process will be communicated in the coming months.  

FSV will be testing draft material in consultation with workforces 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 developing three training packages on Adults Using Family Violence (AUFV) to support prescribed MARAM workforces and their practitioners. The training packages will cover Identification, Intermediate and Comprehensive MARAM responsibilities.

What has been achieved so far?

The Identification training package and eLearn have been developed and are being finalised for release and delivery to practitioners, aimed to commence from June.  

The high-level design of the Intermediate and Comprehensive training packages is being advanced with the participation of organisations with subject matter expertise for the next phase of development process. This ensures training packages embed Aboriginal cultural safety, are practically applicable to workforces, , are sensitive and respectful to victim survivors and their experiences, and support practitioners to achieve key capabilities required when working with adults using family violence.  

Subject matter experts are from the following organsiations: 

• Boorndawan Willam Aboriginal Healing Service  
• No to Violence 
• Safe and Equal 
• Uniting Vic. Tas 
• Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency 

What is happening now?

The evaluation process for the Request for Tender (RFT) to appoint a training provider for non-accredited AUFV training is nearing its conclusion. 

Detailed design workshops with the participation of subject matter experts to further develop the Intermediate and Comprehensive resources are scheduled for June and July 2023.  

Parallel procurement planning activities are underway for the development of eLearns for Intermediate and Comprehensive modules. 

Planning for delivery rollout across government. 

What is planned next?

• Commencement of delivery of Identification training
• eLearn development and rollout
• Intermediate and Comprehensive training piloting ahead of an intended September 2023 release

Links and resources

What is MARAM accredited training?

The Centre for Workforce Excellence (CWE) in System Reform and Workforce (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 Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management (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 as part of their career trajectory or before they enter the workforce. 

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. The course covers foundational family violence knowledge and MARAM responsibilities (1, 2 5, 6, 9 and 10) aligning to MARAM identification, including use of the screening tool and basic safety planning. 

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. 

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. In May 2022, redevelopment of this course commenced to reflect new MARAM practice guidance relating to working with adults using violence. 

What is happening now?

The course in Contributing to the Prevention of Family Violence and Violence Against Women (22621VIC) was accredited by the VRQA in late April 2023. This is a two-unit course which includes VU22733 as a pre-requisite. The course will be published on the Victorian Government website, expected to be made available to RTOs in June 2023.  

The refreshed Course in Intermediate Risk Assessment and Management of Family Violence is in the final stages of reaccreditation. VRQA approval of the unit should occur in June 2023 and delivery of the course is expected to commence from Semester 1, 2024.  

New teaching and learning resources will be developed to complement the refreshed course. 

What is planned next?

The Course in Identifying and Responding to Family Violence Risk (22510VIC) will commence redevelopment in May 2023, as its accreditation period ends on 31 March 2024.  

More accredited training courses are planned to commence development in late 2023, including the Course in Comprehensive Risk Assessment and Management of Family Violence and a Graduate Certificate in Family Violence as a pathway to meet Mandatory Minimum Qualifications.  

What is the MARAM video series?

The MARAM video series is 17 impactful 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 are available on the vic.gov.au website and YouTube. 

How were the videos developed?

FSV appointed Gozer Media to undertake the video production work. FSV engaged with four organisations (VAADA, NTV, Safe and Equal and Elizabeth Morgan House) to support development of role-play videos showing risk assessment and management in practice.

What videos are available?

The series includes 2 types of videos:  

• MARAM animation series: Short videos on specific MARAM practice topics, for example Structured Professional Judgement. You can view them on the Vic Gov website or on YouTube. 
• MARAM victim survivor and person using family violence series: Longer role play scenarios between a practitioner and client, including graphics with key topics raised. You can view them on the Vic Gov website or on YouTube. 

What is the MARAM maturity model?

The MARAM maturity model (the Model) will be a key supporting resource of the MARAM Framework. The Model will provide a means for organisations to assess their level of progress in achieving alignment. It will sit alongside the MARAM Practice Guidance and Organisational Embedding Guide, which supports 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?

Since the last update, human-centred design consultant Paper Giant has built on early material developed by FSV, finalised research activities and co-designed maturity model resources, based on consultations with eight Sector Champion organisations:

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

The 8 sector champions were engaged through interviews, questionnaires and workshops by Paper Giant and FSV’s internal project team.

Three tools 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 happening now?

The usability of these tools will be tested through a pilot led in partnership with the Principal Strategic Advisors (PSA) from the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Family Violence Partnership and Primary Care Connect (auspice agency for Goulburn Integrated Family Violence Committee). The tools to support organisations with their MARAM alignment will be tested through, a variety of methods including s workshops and communities of practice. The pilot also aims to build multi-agency collaborative practice and assess the MARAM maturity model’s effectiveness, including artifacts and tools as part of its development. 

What is planned next?

The usability of these tools will be tested through a pilot led in partnership with the Principal Strategic Advisors (PSA) from the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Family Violence Partnership and Primary Care Connect (auspice agency for Goulburn Integrated Family Violence Committee). The tools to support organisations with their MARAM alignment will be tested through, a variety of methods including s workshops and communities of practice. The pilot also aims to build multi-agency collaborative practice and assess the MARAM maturity model’s effectiveness, including artifacts and tools as part of its development. 

What is the 5-year legislative review?

The Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor (the Monitor) has completed a 5-year legislative review of the legal provisions in Part 5A (the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS) and the Central Information Point (CIP)) and Part 11 (MARAM) of the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic). The review considered if the provisions of the Act are being applied as intended, and are effective or otherwise meeting their objectives.

What has been achieved so far?

The Monitor sought the views of organisations, individual practitioners, advocates and others who may be impacted by the provisions through written submissions and consultations to inform the review.

What is planned next?

The review will be tabled in Parliament in August 2023, as required by the Act.

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

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 if any changes are required 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 first five-year evidence review. Key activities included Project Plan, completion of a draft Literature Review, and planning and ethics approvals for consultation.   

In May 2023, FSV also engaged Monash University to undertake a Data Review. The Data Review will determine what MARAM risk factor data is available across the service system and analyse this data to better understand the links between MARAM risk factors and seriousness of risk and lethality.

What is planned next?

Allen & Clarke Consulting is conducting stakeholder consultation during May and June 2023. There are many ways you can participate including through surveys, interviews and focus groups and written submissions. If you have not yet received invitation information from Allen & Clarke Consulting but would like to participate, contact the MARAM Review Team at maramreview@allenandclarke.com.au. 

Final reports from the reviews conducted by Allen & Clarke Consulting and Monash University will detail findings and recommendations and inform continuous improvement of the MARAM Framework. The reports will be provided to FSV by the end of 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 both deliver prevention of 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 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. This included five response sessions, two prevention sessions, and consultations with Family Violence Principal Strategic Advisers in November. Further consultation with victim survivor groups (Victim Survivor Advisory Council and Safe and Equal Expert Advisory Panel) took place in January and February 2023, with the remainder due to take place in March/April.

What is happening now?

CWE and S+E have collated the data from workforce consults to date, whilst continuing with some follow-up consultations with specialist and prevention services. 

Initial drafting has begun on the frameworks and will incorporate the remaining consultation feedback once they have been completed.

What is planned next?

The final consultation data will be integrated into the document drafting, and initial feedback will be sought from participating consultation groups in the first half of 2023-24.

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, and this is supported by 10 practice guides for victim survivor practice and 10 practice guides for working with adults using family violence, covering each MARAM responsibility. 

These practice guides, tools and resources provide a consistent, best practice resource for all workers to align their current practice with. FSV received feedback from workers that, whilst the guides are invaluable and contain essential information, the length and limited search capabilities of the current format is a barrier for busy workers ability to quickly access the required information, tools and resources.  

What has been achieved so far?

User experience consultants Paper Giant were engaged to work with the sector to develop an outline for how the guides could be structured to meet practitioners’ needs and retain critical information in the guides.  Paper Giant conducted three rounds of human-centred design sessions, focused on user experience research activities. These sessions included numerous participants recruited from across the sector. Recruitment for activities exceeded expectations.  

Paper Giant used the information gathered through the three rounds of 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 all their recommendations for a dedicated online practice guide website. 

What is happening now?

Paper Giant’s comprehensive final report is being used to scope and plan an approach for building a new website for MARAM Practice Guides to meet the needs of sector expressed during consultation. 

FSV is working with DFFH’s Digital Strategy and Engagement team to plan website build.

What is planned next?

An assessment will be undertaken to determine the appropriate platform to host the new, purpose-built website.  

FSV will also begin the content transformation process, breaking the current content down into smaller, more manageable pieces, without losing meaning. This will support content housing on the new 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. This platform is used across The Orange Door network and by some community agencies.

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

The Adult Using Family Violence 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?

The MARAM Adult Using Family Violence Comprehensive Assessment Tool was released onto TRAM on Friday 30 September 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 happening now?

Since the last update, FSV has supported new services wanting to adopt the use of TRAM to support their risk assessment and management practice. FSV has run onboarding and training sessions with agency leaders and practitioners on how to use TRAM and the MARAM Adult Using Family Violence Comprehensive Assessment Tool.

FSV invites questions about TRAM and the new tool, what this will mean for funded agencies and The Orange Door, and how agencies can adopt TRAM. Please contact tram@familysafety.vic.gov.au to find out more.

What is planned next?

The Adult Using Family Violence Risk Assessment Tool is aimed for release to The Orange Door practitioners in mid-2023.

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 three 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 now in development. 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. Work over the first part of 2023 has focused on developing ideas for testing with family violence and sexual assault stakeholders, with consultation sessions occurring in April. Additionally, we have been finalising the acquittal of actions under RAP 1. 

What is happening now?

Work is now focused on finalising the RAP 2 document for government approval over the next few months. 

What is planned next?

Public release of the RAP 2 document and RAP 1 acquittal is planned for the second half of 2023, subject to government approval. 

MARAMIS Unit, Policy and Design, DFFH MARAMIS Implementation and Policy

The team was established to support DFFH divisions and DFFH funded Framework organisations, to understand their MARAMIS obligations and effectively embed them into practice. 

What has been acheived so far?

Working with DFFH divisions in partnership and co-creation to empower divisions to:  

• Effectively incorporate the four MARAM Pillars into their policies, procedures, practice guidance and tools appropriate to their roles and functions and their place in the broader service system 
• Understand their legislative requirements, policy and operational obligations as a FVISS and CISS Information Sharing Entity (ISE) 
• Support their funded agencies to align to MARAM and provide guidance around their operation as FVISS and CISS ISEs 

What is happening now?

Delivered with Sector:

• Intermediate level training for practitioners working within Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations  
•  A series of workshops on ‘Identifying Financial Abuse,’ in partnership with SouthEast Community Links  to understand the impacts of financial abuse and how to provide effective wraparound supports for victim survivors. The sessions are designed for staff who have already completed MARAM training and who work directly with clients affected by family violence. 

What is happening next?

We continue to focus on developing new learning & Development , including:  

• “MARAM for policy makers” - Develop a series of workshops for DFFH workforce leads, policy and project staff on how to incorporate MARAM principles, core knowledge and best practice risk assessment and management into their work.  
• “Leading MARAMIS Alignment” - develop tailored training for executives who will lead the alignment, drive DFFH staff capability uplift and the long-term embedding of MARAMIS  
• “Information Sharing Schemes” Workshops: Develop a series of ISS workshops for DFFH internal staff to uplift understanding of ISS  
• Tailoring of Adults Using Violence L&D products and tools  

Advanced (Delegate) Information Sharing eLearning Module

Some Victorian hospitals and health services have implemented a centralised model for responding to information sharing requests, which is usually referred to as a delegate or advanced delegate model. The aim of the advanced delegate model is to ensure that, in these large and complex organisations, information sharing requests are responded to expediently and appropriately, and that relevant staff are adequately trained and available to manage and respond to requests.

A project is underway to create an Advanced (Delegate) Information Sharing eLearning module to supplement the existing information sharing eLearn. This new module will utilise a case study-based learning approach to explore how an advanced delegate model can be used for both FVISS and CISS.

Course material is being developed by the Strengthening Hospital Responses to Family Violence (SHRFV) leadership team from the Royal Women’s Hospital and Bendigo Health, in partnership with Peninsula Health, the Royal Children’s Hospital and Barwon Health.

The script and story board are close to being finalised and the next step will be to contract an elearning design and development company to create the module.

Guidance on implementing an advanced delegate information sharing model will also be added to the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS) and Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) resources through a guide [PR(1] for hospitals and health services.

For further information, please contact Amanda Morris, Senior Program Manager Family Violence at the Royal Children’s Hospital via amanda.morris@thewomens.org.au or 03 8345 3083.