MARAM & Information Sharing

The Victorian government is progressing three interrelated reforms that are integral to reducing family violence and promoting child wellbeing and safety

MARAM

The Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) Framework provides guidance to organisations prescribed under regulations, that have responsibilities in assessing and managing family violence risk. The MARAM Framework is considered best practice for anyone responding to family violence in Victoria.

The MARAM Framework outlines 10 principles that underpin the reforms. The principles support four pillars against which prescribed organisations are required to align their policies, procedures, practice guidance and tools:

• Pillar 1: Shared understanding of family violence
• Pillar 2: Consistent and collaborative practice
• Pillar 3: Responsibilities for risk assessment and management
• Pillar 4: Systems, outcomes and continuous improvement

The pillars include 10 responsibilities for identifying, assessing and managing family violence risk across service sectors:

• Responsibility 1: Respectful, sensitive and safe engagement
• Responsibility 2: Identification of family violence
• Responsibility 3: Intermediate risk assessment
• Responsibility 4: Intermediate risk management
• Responsibility 5: Seek consultation for comprehensive risk assessment, risk management and referrals
• Responsibility 6: Contribute to information sharing with other services (as authorised by legislation)
• Responsibility 7: Comprehensive assessment
• Responsibility 8: Comprehensive risk management and safety planning
• Responsibility 9: Contribute to coordinated risk management
• Responsibility 10: Collaborate for ongoing risk assessment and risk management

The MARAM Practice Guidance regarding Adolescents Using Family Violencewas developed by the Centre for Innovative Justice (CIJ) at RMIT University. As part of this project, the CIJ was asked to conduct a review of the applicable evidence base. This review attempts to provide an accessible discussion and, in doing so, to shape a useful foundation for a Practice Guidance which can inform nuanced risk assessment and management in this complex area of work.

The MARAM Framework on a Page

Download the MARAM Framework on a page

Refer to MARAM Resources

Information Sharing

• The Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme supports effective assessment and management of family violence risk. It enables risk relevant information to be collected, used and shared between authorised workforces.
• The Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) allows authorised organisations and professionals who work with children, young people and their families to share information with each other to promote children’s wellbeing and safety.

Find out if your organisation was prescribed under these reforms in Phase One (September 2018) or Phase Two (April 2021).

MARAM Video Series

This series features 11 short animated videos focused on a variety of MARAM foundational concepts, providing another way for practitioners to build MARAM capability.

Topics include:

• Coercive control
• Evidence-based risk factors
• How to make and respond to an information sharing request
• Information sharing
• Intersectionality and MARAM in practice
• MARAM for organisational leaders
• Multi-agency practice
• Non-collusive practice

These videos can also be found on the Victorian Government website

MARAM Roleplay Video Series

This series features six longer roleplay-style scenarios between a practitioner and client, showing MARAM in practice.

• Victim Survivor: Intermediate Risk Assessment
• Victim Survivor: Risk management including safety planning at intermediate level
• Victim Survivor: Comprehensive risk assessment
• Victim Survivor: Risk management including safety planning at comprehensive level
• Person Using Violence: Intermediate Risk Assessment
• Person Using Violence: Risk management including safety planning at intermediate level