Responding to Family Violence Capability Framework

• Create and maintain an environment that is safe, accessible and culturally responsive for interactions, engagements and disclosures.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Uphold the principles of self-determination when working with Aboriginal people.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Adapt service delivery to meet the diverse needs of those affected by family violence. Consider intersections that may include systems of patriarchy, colonisation, racism, ableism, ageism, classism, biphobia, homophobia and transphobia.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Adapt engagement strategies in ways that consider how trauma can influence interactions and behaviours.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Partner with victim survivors when interacting with the service system to support their autonomy, agency and empowerment.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive
• Recognise and address victim survivors’ barriers to disclosure, service access and engagement.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Determine and apply an engagement approach for a child or young person that is safe, appropriate and reasonable for their age, developmental stage, culture, community and personal situation.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Maintain safe, non-collusive interactions with people using family violence. Seek secondary consultation when necessary.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Determine and apply an engagement approach for a young person that is non-collusive and safe, appropriate and reasonable for their age, developmental stage, culture, community and personal situation.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Safely and effectively gather information through engagement and interactions with clients to identify family violence in line with MARAM.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive
• Respond to immediate threats in line with MARAM and action appropriate protective measures.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive
• Recognise perpetration tactics and the dynamics of power and control in family violence to support accurate risk assessment and avoid misidentification.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Apply an understanding about Aboriginal people and communities’ experiences of oppression and violence from past and ongoing colonisation including the impacts of intergenerational trauma.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Apply an intersectional lens to identifying family violence risk.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Identify the impacts of trauma that may need a therapeutic response. Consider the types of therapeutic services that may be appropriate for referral.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Identify observable signs of trauma that would suggest a person may be experiencing family violence.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Recognise and respond to children and young people as victim survivors in their own right, with their own unique needs.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Identify behaviours and narratives that indicate a person is or might be using family violence.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• If a young person is identified as, or discloses, using violence, refer to appropriate specialist services.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Use intermediate tools appropriate to the service user to assess family violence risk. Apply MARAM practice guidance and other organisational resources.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive
• Identify changes in risk over time. Update risk management strategies to stay responsive to the dynamic nature of family violence.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Apply a culturally informed lens to risk assessment. Ensure this respects and considers Aboriginal people’s cultural contexts and histories.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Apply an understanding of structural inequality and discrimination. Use this to assess family violence risk, access to safety and how the perpetrator may exploit these factors.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Recognise the impact of trauma on a victim survivor’s responses by applying an approach to risk assessment that is sensitive, supported and trauma informed.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Gather information from services working with the adult using family violence. Use these to assess risk for the victim survivor.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Undertake a risk assessment with children and young people as victim survivors in their own right. Recognise their unique risks, protective factors, wellbeing needs and safety.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Gather and use information from adults using family violence about their use of violence in a way that does not increase risk to their partners, children, family and community.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Conduct a risk assessment with a young person using violence, considering any experience of family violence, the young person’s age, developmental stage, cultural and therapeutic needs, wellbeing and safety.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Use relevant MARAM practice guides, tools and templates to develop safety plans that respond to the level of risk.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Use the principles of self-determination and Aboriginal-led responses to guide culturally responsive risk management. Apply an approach that is strengths-based and trauma-informed.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Integrate an understanding of structural oppression and discrimination into risk management strategies. Be sure to address the unique experiences and needs and circumstances of people.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• See other skill indicators.

• Create and put in place risk management plans that reflect the victim survivor’s preferences and needs. Ensure these respond to the risk level and personal circumstances.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive
• Work with victim survivors to develop safety plans that address their individual experiences, needs and risk levels.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Use relevant MARAM practice guides, tools and templates to develop risk management and safety plans that respond to the level of risk.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Engage with the person using family violence to develop a safety plan that addresses their behaviour, promotes accountability and holistically respond to the safety needs of their partners, children, family and community.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Put in place risk management actions that respond to the wellbeing and safety of the young person (if they have experienced family violence). Ensure they are appropriate for their age, and developmental stage. Ensure the actions address their behaviour and the safety of the victim survivor.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Assess the need for extra support. Seek secondary consultation and appropriate referrals for an immediate risk management response.
  • MARAM responsibility level: identification, intermediate and comprehensive
• Engage in cross-sector consultations to support referral pathways that are timely, responsive and appropriate to the risk level and client’s needs.
  • MARAM responsibility level: intermediate and comprehensive

• For Aboriginal clients, seek cultural consultation or cultural supervision to improve risk identification, assessment and management.
  • MARAM responsibility level: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Develop and enable referral pathways that are accessible and respond to the needs and strengths of people experiencing structural oppression and discrimination.
  • MARAM responsibility level: intermediate and comprehensive

• Assess therapeutic readiness to inform appropriate referrals and guide secondary consultations.
  • MARAM responsibility level: intermediate and comprehensive

• Provide information about the services available to support victim survivors in referral.
  • MARAM responsibility level: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Develop and enable referral pathways that support children and young people’s safety, wellbeing and cultural needs.
  • MARAM responsibility level: intermediate and comprehensive

• Engage in secondary consultation for insights and strategies for working with people using family violence to promote their accountability, behaviour change and the safety of victim survivors.
  • MARAM responsibility level: intermediate and comprehensive

• Work with other services to undertake a holistic and therapeutic response to young people using violence.
  • MARAM responsibility level: intermediate and comprehensive

• Apply the relevant privacy and information sharing laws and regulations relevant to their role.
  • MARAM responsibility level: identification, intermediate and comprehensive
• Apply the principles and legislation related to safety, accountability, confidentiality, information sharing, consent and privacy.
  • MARAM responsibility level: identification, intermediate and comprehensive
• Consider ways to enhance victim survivors’ safety when skilfully managing information sharing, mandatory reporting and privacy requirements.
  • MARAM responsibility level: intermediate and comprehensive

• Apply principles of self-determination to information sharing. Engage with Aboriginal-led organisations to ensure you provide culturally responsive support and services.
  • MARAM responsibility level: identification, intermediate and comprehensive

• Ensure information sharing practices consider the effects of structural oppression. Ensure they do not reinforce discrimination or increase risk.
  • MARAM responsibility level: intermediate and comprehensive

• See other skill indicators.

• Work with relevant services to share information in a way that supports children and young people’s safety, wellbeing and cultural needs.
  • MARAM responsibility level: intermediate and comprehensive

• Share information with relevant services to contribute to a coordinated system response. This may include services that provide interventions and support aimed at behaviour change.
  • MARAM responsibility level: intermediate and comprehensive

• Safely manage information sharing where a young person is identified as, or discloses using violence, is also a victim survivor.
  • MARAM responsibility level: intermediate and comprehensive

• Use comprehensive tools appropriate to the service user to assess family violence risk. Apply MARAM practice guidance and other organisational resources.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive
• Lead the coordination, development, monitoring and review of comprehensive risk management plans.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• Undertake comprehensive risk assessment strategies that are culturally responsive and respectful. Ensure they consider Aboriginal people’s experiences, strengths and histories.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• Undertake comprehensive risk assessment practices that are inclusive and culturally competent. Consider a victim survivor’s unique needs, strengths and experiences with structural inequality and discrimination.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• See other skill indicators.

• Identify information relevant to the adult using family violence’s circumstances when undertaking comprehensive risk assessment with a victim survivor.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• Undertake comprehensive risk assessment strategies that consider children and young people’s age, developmental stage, wellbeing and cultural needs. Ensure their voices are heard.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• Undertake a comprehensive risk assessment. Communicate and plan with professionals supporting the victim survivor.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• Undertake a comprehensive risk assessment that is appropriate for their age and developmental stage.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• Lead multi-agency collaboration efforts to ensure a coordinated and holistic approach to risk management and safety planning.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive
• Assess and respond to dynamic family violence risk. Ensure safety strategies and plans respond to the current risk factors and level of risk.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• Integrate culturally responsive practices into risk management and safety planning. Use these to address the experiences and needs of Aboriginal people.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• Develop and put in place coordinated risk management practices that consider the strengths and needs of victim survivors. Use these to actively address the effects of structural oppression and discrimination.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• If appropriate, use advanced trauma-informed interventions to promote wellbeing and resilience building.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• Use advanced risk management techniques to develop and put in place effective safety plans tailored to victim survivors.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• In risk management and safety planning, holistically respond to children and young people in ways that address their emotional safety, psychological safety, physical safety and wellbeing.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• Apply the ‘person in their context’ approach to consider the person using family violence’s circumstances. Use this work out appropriate risk management actions.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• Undertake a coordinated risk management strategies that consider the young person’s circumstances, age, developmental stage, cultural needs and wellbeing.
• MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• Work with a range of professionals and services to supports a coordinated risk management approach.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive
• Lead and coordinate case management including serious risk management monitoring and collaborative action planning across organisations.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• Coordinate with Aboriginal-led organisations to carry out culturally responsive risk management activities. Ensure Aboriginal people get support from services that understand their cultural needs.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Coordinate with organisations that specialise in working with people who experience structural oppression and discrimination when managing family violence risk with clients.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• See other skill indicators.

• Supports victim survivors in service responses by actively helping them to navigate systems and advocating to address service gaps.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Where there are concerns for children’s and young people’s safety or wellbeing, consult, coordinate, report or refer to relevant services for risk management.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Work with specialist services to manage family violence risk in ways that aligns with the victim survivor’s needs and preferences.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Collaborate across agencies to monitor and respond to dynamic risk caused by the young person’s use of violence. Develop tailored risk management strategies that address the young person’s needs and circumstances.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Participate in ongoing consultation and work with a wide range of organisations and stakeholders as part of shared responsibilities.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: identification, intermediate and comprehensive
• Build and maintain partnerships with sexual assault and harmful sexual behaviour services, along with other sectors to enhance risk management through knowledge sharing and shared expertise.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive
• Lead ongoing collaboration and connection between services, sectors and systems. Educating and building the understanding, through collaborative management of family violence risk.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: comprehensive

• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with Aboriginal-led organisations on issues relating to service delivery and program delivery.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Build and maintain strong, equitable partnerships with specific family violence organisations. This includes those that work with diverse communities.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Work with victim survivors to engage activities and programs that assist them to recover, rebuild their lives and thrive.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Work with child and youth-focused services to ensure a holistic approach to risk assessment and management. Ensure this addresses children and young people’s safety, wellbeing and cultural needs.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Collaborate with services that the person using family violence may be engaged with. Actively build and maintain relationships with them for information sharing, secondary consultations and tailoring risk assessment and management.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

• Participate in ongoing work with services to conduct ongoing assessment and manage the level of risk caused by the young person using violence.
  • MARAM responsibility levels: intermediate and comprehensive

Entry - Works with supports provided, follows best practice policies, procedures and guidelines and seeks supervision and support as required.

Mid - Demonstrates some professional autonomy and judgement in case management and decision making.

Senior - Manages complex cases with professional autonomy and uses discretion and judgement.

Expert - Operates with high levels of professional autonomy and leads, influences and informs standards for practice in the organisation.

Entry - Conducts comprehensive risk assessments, implements risk management plans and seeks support from more senior staff as required.

Mid - Conducts comprehensive risk assessments and manages somewhat complex cases.

Senior - Conducts and manages complex and high-risk cases and provides specialist advice.

Expert - Leads the management of complex and high-risk cases, provides specialist advice and advises on best practices at the organisational level.

Entry - Engages with other service providers and professional networks and supports ongoing collaboration.

Mid - Builds professional networks within the sector, coordinates with several agencies and shares information and resources.

Senior - Establishes partnerships and agreements and drives inter-agency collaborations.

Expert - Informs and influences systemic change initiatives and leads collaborations across the sectors and systems.

Entry - Manages self and workload, engages in supervision and critical reflection and supports and improves practice.

Mid - Provides advice, support and feedback under guidance and engages in supervision and critical reflection to support practice.

Senior - Develops practice skills in others using supervision frameworks and engages in supervision and critical reflection to enhance practice.

Expert - Provides experienced practice leadership and supervision, sets practice direction and engages in supervision as part of ongoing development.

Entry - Identifies areas for service improvement based on feedback and data and engages in quality improvement activities under supervision.

Mid - Contributes to system improvements and uses feedback to inform this work.

Senior - Takes part in organisational improvement initiatives involving several stakeholders and analyses and reports on the effectiveness of these.

Expert - Informs and advocates for system-wide improvement strategies and coordinates with stakeholders to strengthen system responses.

Entry - Understands the importance of evidence-based practice and engages with relevant contemporary research to inform daily work.

Mid - Applies and contributes to evidence-based practices and integrates research findings into daily work.

Senior - Critically analyses, contributes to and distributes research findings and uses findings to inform organisational practice and policy.

Expert - Leads the critical evaluation of contemporary and emerging evidence, drives its implementation, development and dissemination and uses this to shape policy and practice standards.