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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.

MARAM Alignment Tool for Councils This Tool supports councils in their responsibilities to align their prescribed services with the MARAM (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management) framework. The tool can be used by council managers, senior leadership and prescribed service workers to understand, identify and assess relevant family violence policies and practice to come under alignment with MARAM, and can form the basis of a project plan.

Family Safety Victoria’s MARAM and Information Sharing Quarter 4 2022-23 Newsletter

The MARAM Framework on a Page

Download the MARAM Framework on a page

Refer to MARAM Resources

Coordinated Responses: Continuing to Strengthen Collaborative Practice This capacity building resource supports specialist family violence victim survivor services, perpetrator intervention services and child and family services to work collaboratively across prescribed sectors using MARAM, FVISS and CISS. It contains a suite of practice examples with practice tips and questions to promote best practice.

This resource has been developed by Safe and Equal, Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare (CECFW) and No to Violence (NTV).

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).

How do the information sharing schemes work together

Practice focus guide for MARAM and Information Sharing for Child and Family Services

Information Sharing courses available in U-Learn:

  • Information Sharing Essentials This module will help you to describe information sharing and related legislation, respond to and request information from another service, understand the importance of sharing information in promoting the wellbeing of children and understand the safeguards and protections when sharing information
  • Information Sharing Purpose and Requirements This module will help you to explain the two purposes for which information can be shared, describe information that is excluded from the Schemes and cannot be shared, and outline your obligations and responsibilities in relation to sharing and requesting information for these purposes
  • Information Sharing Consent and Privacy This module will help you to understand the requirements for seeking consent as well as the views and wishes under the Schemes, consider ethical practices relating to consent and privacy, explain requirements for sharing information about Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people and diverse communities, and describe how the Schemes relate to existing permissions and legislation.

Practice focused guide for MARAM and Information Sharing for Child and Family Services:

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:

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.

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