Section A: Family Safety Victoria as WoVG lead
The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing develops training modules, capability building activities and resources for MARAM non-accredited training. These are used across departments and tailored to individual workforces.
Training development
Accredited MARAM training
MARAM-aligned family violence accredited training is for pre-service and in-service professionals and communities across Victoria. This is action 2.1 of Strengthening the foundations: first rolling action plan 2019–22.
In June 2023, the department’s Centre for Workforce Excellence (CWE) completed a refresh of the Course in Intermediate Risk Assessment and Management of Family Violence (22625VIC). The course allows students to practice and be assessed in MARAM skills in a safe and controlled training environment.
Work has also started on the Intermediate Assessment and Management of Family Violence Risk (VU22988) training unit. The new resources will support streamlined delivery of the course in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector.
In addition, CWE is refreshing the Course in Identifying and Responding to Family Violence Risk (22510VIC), aiming for reaccreditation in late 2023. The course has been available for delivery since 2019 and is approaching the end of its five-year accreditation period[11]. This course comprises a single-unit course (VU22733) which can be taken as a stand-alone course or as a unit embedded in VET qualifications. To date, 1,036 people have completed the stand-alone course, and 2,653 people have completed VU22733 as part of another course.
The refresh will:
- update the content in line with all MARAM practice guidance released since the course was originally developed
- reduce the volume and complexity of learning in the unit to support better accessibility
- incorporate feedback gathered from students and trainers who have engaged with the course.
Work will also commence on the development of a short, accredited course to deliver MARAM comprehensive skills and knowledge in late 2023. This course is for specialist family violence practitioners, and it will address responses to both victim survivors and adults who use family violence. This work was originally planned to commence in 2022 but was delayed due to resourcing limitations and competing training priorities.
Non-accredited MARAM Training
Since the release of the MARAM victim survivor practice guides in 2019, Family Safety Victoria has developed MARAM non-accredited training for practitioners working with victim survivors at the identification, intermediate and comprehensive levels. Safe and Equal continues to deliver these modules, with some departments adapting them to provide workforce-specific victim survivor training.
Family Safety Victoria developed additional training modules on MARAM leading alignment, delivered by Safe and Equal, and MARAM collaborative practice, delivered by Principal Strategic Advisors in their regions.
Family Safety Victoria encourages departments to tailor the core non-accredited victim survivor training modules for their prescribed workforces. Although non-accredited training does not provide a formal qualification[12], these modules boost capability and understanding of MARAM practice. They help to quickly upskill existing workforces in prescribed organisations and services.
As shown in Figure 10 below, there has been a 55 per cent increase on 2021–22 training figures, with over 100,000 professionals trained in MARAM in 2022–23.
Figure 10: Total MARAM and MARAM-aligned training numbers for 2022–23.
Adults using family violence (AUFV) training development
Three training packages will support prescribed MARAM workforces and their practitioners working with AUFV. The training packages cover identification, intermediate and comprehensive responsibilities. NTV will deliver the training.
Funded capability building activities
In addition to MARAM training and direct MARAM support, Family Safety Victoria funds capability building activities that support best practice and promote MARAM alignment.
Family Safety Victoria supplements training with funding to peak bodies, key specialist organisations and Family Violence Regional Integration Committees (FVRICs) to support more direct capability building activities.
Figure 11 shows activities for 2022–23.
Figure 11: Funded capability building activities for 2022–23.
Section B: Departments as portfolio leads
Department of Education
The Department of Education delivered training for education workforces prescribed under Phase 2 of MARAM, FVISS and CISS via webinar, face-to-face workshops and eLearns.
The training ensures these workforces can understand and implement the reforms.
The department recommends that all school staff with information sharing responsibilities attend training. Schools can also access funding to support casual relief teachers to attend.
From February 2020 to 30 June 2023, 17,129 leaders and professionals from education services including schools, centre-based education and care services, and Department of Education regional workforces completed training.
This number includes 3,545 leaders and professionals from schools and wellbeing and inclusion workforces, and 2,267 professionals from centre-based education and care services from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with more than 93 per cent rating the course highly and expressing confidence in using information sharing schemes and reforms. The eLearn training is still available and is widely used.
The department also continued to deliver the Family Violence Human Resources eLearning Module for Managers and Principals.
This module is for corporate managers, school principals and school leaders who support staff experiencing family violence. The module had 63 new completions from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023, with a total of 700 completions since it commenced in 2019.
The department also engaged Safe and Equal to update the Identifying and Responding to Disclosures of Family Violence training for DE’s Respectful Relationships workforce. The goal of this was to align the training with CISS, FVISS and MARAM. The Respectful Relationships workforce now uses the updated training to train other school staff, including promoting a shared understanding of family violence, and a key focus on MARAM responsibilities 1, 2, 5 and 6.
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
During the 2022–23 reporting period, the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing continued to develop and deliver tailored learning and development for its prescribed workforces and agencies.
In September 2022, the department delivered the ‘MARAM identification of family violence against older people (Elder Abuse) – victim survivor-focused – eLearn’. eLearns are self-paced online learning modules.
The eLearn is for workforces with the MARAM identification responsibility. Specifically, it aims to strengthen the aged care workforce’s response to elder abuse. It is part of the Elder Abuse Training and Learning Hub, an initiative to help professionals working with older people.
The Elder Abuse Learning Hub also provides elder abuse eLearns developed by the Bouverie Centre.
In October 2022, South East Community Links (SECL) was funded to pilot the MARAM Identifying and Responding to Financial Abuse workshop. The three-hour workshop and supporting video are for client-facing services with MARAM identification and intermediate responsibilities such as Child Protection, housing, disability and multicultural services. The workshops help workforces apply financial abuse learnings within the context of their MARAMIS responsibilities.
Homes Victoria collaborated with the Council to Homeless Persons on a series of MARAM information sessions for the Victorian specialist homelessness sector. More than 60 professionals attended. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with 94 per cent expressing satisfaction with the sessions.
The department funded CFECFW to develop and deliver MARAM intermediate training for its workforces.
CFECFW also worked with three MARAM-funded ACCOs – Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) and Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) – to tailor the MARAM training package for Aboriginal organisations.
In feedback surveys, attendees had a 92 per cent rate of increased understanding and a 92 per cent satisfaction rate.
Thanks to this success, further funding is allocated for the 2023–24 financial year to continue the workshops.
Table 4: Department Families, Fairness and Housing MARAM training and satisfaction
2022–23.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target number of learners | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 6,000 |
| Actual number learners | 1,936 | 2,061 | 1,923 | 2,137 | 8,057 |
| Target satisfaction level | 85% | 85% | 85% | 85% | 85% |
| Actual satisfaction level | 99% | 99% | 95% | 99% | 98% |
The Orange Door also continued its MARAM-aligned induction training for 716 new staff in 2022–23 and covered the following modules:
- ‘MARAM comprehensive training’ for all practitioners in The Orange Door
- ‘DFFH information sharing’ eLearns
- ‘MARAM in The Orange Door: tailored application of comprehensive responsibilities in The Orange Door’
- ‘Information sharing in The Orange Door’ – this module reviews information sharing permissions and responsibilities under the Child and Family Violence Information Sharing Schemes, Children Youth and Families Act 2005, Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 and Health Records Act 2001
- ‘Screening, identification and triage including the CIP’
- ‘Assessment and planning, and service responses’
- ‘Integrated Practice in The Orange Door’
- ‘CRM systems training for recording keeping’.
Case study: CFECFW MARAM training for Aboriginal organisations
The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family (CFECFW) welfare worked closely with the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) and Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) to create a culturally appropriate version of MARAM training.
They revised and co-designed three key aspects relating to the MARAM training and delivery content, pre-workshop engagement and facilitation to the Aboriginal context, including:
acknowledging the family violence work already in progress within Aboriginal communitiesacknowledging certain words and concepts in MARAM assume a context of Anglo-European culturere-drafting of workshop case studies to reflect scenarios relevant to Aboriginal communities.
Before delivering the workshops, the CFECFW approached each organisation to understand the organisations’ understanding of MARAM and what they hoped to gain from the workshops. These interactions helped facilitators prepare and bolstered engagement from participants.
Seventeen workshops were delivered using this model.
Each workshop commenced with a conversation about how family violence impacted the participants’ work, the role of MARAM in their work, and their thoughts about MARAM.
Almost all the talking in the first 30-45 minutes was led by participants rather than facilitators. This ‘yarning’ approach and ‘deep listening’ to the group as the starting point is in itself a cultural statement that builds trust and respect.
The workshops used a flexible structure that could be adapted to each group. While facilitators led the key MARAM topics, the order of these topics arose from the groups’ conversation. Each workshop had a unique character, reflecting the experience and knowledge of participants.
The workshops had exceptionally high participant engagement with uniformly positive feedback.
Participants reported that the workshops were relevant to their work and improved MARAM embedment in their organisations.
‘I feel more confident understanding the framework and the importance of the wider multidisciplinary team in supporting me as an individual in this space,’ said one participant.
Department of Government Services
The Department of Government Services continued to build workforce capability throughout 2022–23.
The department worked closely with DSCV to ensure that all staff undertook the Foundational Family Violence Training and that the training is included in the induction of new staff. Most DSCV staff completed the Foundational training in 2022. New staff have been enrolled to complete the training in September 2023.
The department funded Women’s Legal Service Victoria (WLSV) to deliver family violence training to financial counsellors and TAAP professionals, including ongoing training in MARAM and FVISS. This training ensures the workforce’s capability in assessing and managing family violence risks increases as the MARAM Framework matures.
All Financial Counsellors (98.3 FTE) and TAAP professionals (22 FTE) completed the mandatory MARAM brief and intermediate training, information sharing (FVISS) training and MARAM Risk Identification and Foundations Family Violence training.
New TAAP professionals participated in an induction program delivered by Tenants Victoria, which includes an eLearn on foundation family violence practice in relation to tenancy matters. The eLearn complements family violence training WLSV delivers to all TAAP professionals.
The department also funded Financial Counselling Victoria (FCVic) to deliver professional development sessions and master classes to financial counsellors. Topics covered during 2022–23 included:
- family violence and the social security system
- family violence for financial counsellors: foundations and general
- when family violence and gambling intersect
- working with victim survivors
- elder abuse
- the weaponisation of child support in Australia.
The department delivered two training workshops for African community leaders and youth leaders on family violence and the law.
Department of Health
In 2022–23, the Department of Health’s combined workforces completed 81,705 MARAM and information sharing training units.
The department also promoted the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing’s MARAM identification-level Family Violence Against Older People (Elder Abuse) eLearn course to health framework organisations. The course was promoted in the weekly public sector residential aged care services (PSRACS) update email distributed to approximately 800 PSRACS staff.
In February 2023, the Department of Health presented on the family violence reforms at the Stepping in the Right Direction Aged Care Forum, which had more than 200 attendees.
The bush nursing service in Victoria has approximately 40 staff members who continue to embed the MARAM Framework and attend training, and regular MARAM updates are provided at bush nursing network meetings.
In 2022–23, the department funded CFECFW to deliver Putting MARAM into Practice workshops for staff wanting to increase their MARAM skills and practice. It also funded identification and intermediate-level MARAM training for new health professionals or those wanting refresher training about their MARAM responsibilities.
In providing feedback, participants noted the training was useful, worthwhile, improved their practice with clients, and that they would recommend it to colleagues.
The department also provided funding and guidance to the SHRFV Statewide Leads for the development of an Advanced (Delegate) Information Sharing Schemes eLearn course. This course covers information sharing in large and complex organisations.
Department of Justice and Community Safety
The department progressed and completed activities to improve the justice workforce’s shared understanding of family violence.
VSSR continued to roll out its new Workforce capability framework (the framework). The framework underpins a systems approach to capability building. It ensures that victim services staff can effectively deliver services to victims, including a specific capability focusing on family violence, which reinforces the Victorian family violence capability frameworks.
The department also developed a training calendar for VSSR and VAP staff to support capability uplift in soft skills, technical knowledge and enhance best practice.
All current Family Violence Restorative Justice (FVRJ) and Victims of Crime Helpline staff have completed family violence and relevant MARAM training. FVPLs have also updated the on-the-job training that is provided to new Helpline staff following completion of formal MARAM training. This training supports Helpline staff to translate training into practice and provides them with the opportunity to explore the training content in more detail.
Youth Justice continued MARAM capability uplift activities through eLearn training modules and classroom-based training to custodial staff. During 2022–23, a total of 340 custody-based staff completed the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme eLearn with a completion rate of 59 per cent of all custody-based staff. In addition, 135 custodial youth justice staff completed the classroom-based Foundational Family Violence Training, taking the cumulative training completion to 92 per cent.
Youth Justice delivered MARAM training modules to community-based staff in screening and responding to family violence. 26 staff completed this training during the reporting period. In addition, 37 community-based staff completed the MARAM Framework for Youth Justice training module and 33 completed the DJCS Foundational Family Violence Training module delivered by the FVMH Branch.
Youth Justice developed an interactive workshop that demonstrated how to navigate the L17 Portal appropriately and confidently. The workshop also demonstrated the proper use of the FVISS and CISS.
While CV continued the rollout of Foundational Family Violence Training (FFVT) to its custodial workforce, an FFVT rollout strategy focused on redirecting resources towards additional FFVT trainers to open more training sessions for the custodial workforce. A face-to-face pilot session of the condensed version was delivered to staff in the women's prison system in mid-December 2022. Rollout of the DJCS Introduction to MARAM eLearn also commenced in this reporting period.
Community Correctional Services (CCS) worked closely with the FVMH Branch to customise the Victim Survivor Intermediate training package for the CCS workforce.
Case study: upskilling the prison workforce
This case study displays the positive outcome when a staff member supported a victim survivor in the women’s prison system. The staff member had undertaken FFVT and improved their understanding and skills to identify and manage a disclosure of family violence.
Case study: upskill of the prison workforce
Jo* was sentenced to a term of imprisonment for non-family violence offences and placed at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre. This was her first time in custody.
Through regular case management meetings and the standard Case Management Review Committee (CMRC) process, it was identified that Jo wanted to maintain a relationship with her family, and she received visits throughout the early stage of her imprisonment.
Despite this, Jo’s case worker identified that Jo appeared distressed after these visits, which ceased after some time.
The case worker was able to use the knowledge and skills, learned from undertaking relevant Foundational Family Violence Training (FFVT) and Safter Skills training (delivered to staff in the women’s system), to explore what had been occurring for Jo.
During case management meetings with Jo, the caseworker was able to build a rapport and trust with Jo, who, over time was comfortable and felt safe to disclose the abuse she had experienced by her parents as a child.
Jo explained that attending the visit centre brought back memories of her abuse and past trauma and resulted in panic attacks. Therefore, Jo had refused to see family.
To address this issue, Jo’s case worker completed a Family Violence Service Triage Form* which resulted in Jo receiving appropriate support to deal with her experience of family violence. Additionally, an alternative visits process was put in place that was less triggering for Jo.
* Name changed to protect anonymity
The courts
The courts continued to embed risk assessment and management across the eight new Specialist Family Violence Courts (SFVCs) via a capability uplift program. This program integrates risk assessment and management, including local-area referrals, with existing court operations. It ensures that people using or experiencing family violence can receive consistent and safe support.
The capability uplift program includes completing the initial round of training for gazettal of new SFVCs and moving to ongoing maintenance training for new and commencing staff in these courts. In total, 100 participants from SFVCs were trained in 2022–23.
This was further supported by the continued embedding of MARAM into the Trainee Court Registrar program. Risk assessment and management capability are key skills and requirements needed by court registrars to perform their duties. During the year, 106 trainee court registrars received MARAM training as part of their accreditation to become court registrars.
The Children’s Court Clinic also provided tailored information sessions introducing and contextualising the MARAM Framework for its state-wide services, including psychologists and administration staff.
Victoria Police
Family violence risk assessment and management is a core component of Victoria Police’s Family Violence Training Curriculum. This extends from recruit training, through to frontline duties and family violence specific roles including senior management programs.
Victoria Police’s state-wide Family Violence Report (FVR L17) training continued to be rolled out during 2022–23. More than 12,000 members completed the training, which includes evidence-based risk factors from the MARAM Framework.
Targeted FVISS and CISS training also continued to be rolled out to supervisors and family violence roles in the divisions to promote the benefits of proactive information sharing.
Alongside formal training, Victoria Police also collected information to better understand engagement practices between Family Violence Training Officers (FVTOs) and police members. FVTOs also maintained strong collaborative and knowledge sharing relationships with external stakeholders within their regions, particularly with The Orange Door, mental health services and the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria.
Table 5: Victoria Police training 2022–23.
| Course title | Staff qualified in 2022–23 | Total staff qualified (as of 30 June 2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Assess family violence risk using the FVR | 788 | 12,455 |
| Quality assurance for compliance (FVR) | 414 | 3,435 |
| Sharing information under the FVISS/CISS | 578 | 2,109 |
Section C: Sectors as lead
- CHP collaborated with the Statewide Children's Resources Program (SCRP) and CFECFW to create an eLearn addressing the impact of family violence on children in the sector. To date, 156 professionals across the homelessness sector have participated in the eLearn through CHP, with 95 per cent finding it relevant, and knowledge-enhancing.
- Barwon Health’s Aboriginal Health team, with support from the Barwon Health SHRFV team and Barwon South West Dhelk Dja, created ‘A health response to First Nations family violence’ eLearn course. The course was officially launched in October 2023.
- VAADA delivered eight communities of practice meetings and two communities of leadership to the AOD workforce covering topics such as coercive control, child-centred practice, working with adults using family violence, and providing family violence supervision and information sharing schemes.
- Youth Justice, supported by Family Safety Victoria, further progressed a MARAM Sector Support project to strengthen Youth Justice MARAM capability. The project engaged with their 30 funded programs to assess their current practices and MARAM alignment.
- Jewish Care Victoria proactively offered individualised, on-site one-on-one coaching to nine allocated organisations to support MARAM alignment. The coaching ensures MARAM alignment is consistent with both the MARAM Framework and existing internal infrastructure, including reviewing existing alignment activities as desired.
- SASVic, NTV and Safe and Equal continued their identification-level peak body partnership for the specialist family violence and sexual assault sectors. The partnership delivered two workshops in May and June 2023 with subject matter experts and a panel of five specialised roles from different family violence sectors. There were 128 attendees in the May and June workshops, with between 75 per cent and 91 per cent of participants agreeing that the workshops increased their knowledge on how structural inequalities affect sexual assault and family violence for people with disabilities, and how to apply these learnings to MARAM comprehensive risk assessment.
Case study: Internal MARAM Training at VACSAL
To continue upskilling the internal workforce trained in MARAM, VACSAL participated in one internal training session and an information session in 2022–23.
The training aimed to:
- continue to inform staff of the MARAM reforms and ensure they understand the requirements of their role under MARAM
- train client-facing professionals in using MARAM
- offer an opportunity for discussion and questions about the reforms.
Training – MARAM Collaborative Practice Training
VACSAL family violence client-facing staff from the Aboriginal Men’s Centre attended the training.
The online training enables participants to contribute to risk assessment and collaborate for ongoing risk management, through respectful and sensitive engagement with victim survivors, information sharing, referral, and secondary consultation.
Information Session – Presentation at staff in-service
At the VACSAL staff in-service in March 2023, an update on the MARAM reforms was presented to all VACSAL staff. The information session offered a refresher of VACSAL’s requirements under MARAM and outlined:
- staff responsibilities under MARAM and how VACSAL’s programs sit within the reforms
- updates to policies and procedures under MARAM
- broader family violence risk factors.
This presentation provided a valuable opportunity for non-client-facing staff, such as administration and community program staff, to understand the reforms.
This training also ensures VACSAL is a safe environment for any clients or staff experiencing family violence and contributes to keeping victim survivors safe and people using violence in view.
Internal training continues to be a valuable tool for VACSAL to ensure the entire workforce is aware of the MARAM reforms and how to respond appropriately to family violence. This training works in conjunction with VACSAL’s own family violence policy.
Case study: Community Health
In 2022–23, Star Health, Central Bayside Community Health Services, and Connect Health merged to become the Better Health Network (BHN).
BHN listened to its newly formed staff group and heard they wanted training tailored to their practice needs, which included building understanding of their responsibilities relating to the MARAM Framework and the information sharing schemes.
As a result, BHN created a bespoke mandatory training program with case studies for each of its prescribed workforces. Staff members were also given resources and ongoing support tailored to the work of each team and to team member’s levels of MARAM responsibilities.
Pre- and post-training survey results demonstrate that staff members now better understand BHN’s MARAM policies and procedures and feel more confident to share information when they have concerns about the children or families that they work with. By the end of June 2023, almost 85 per cent of BHN staff had completed MARAMIS training.
Summary of progress
Improving the capability of existing workforces is key to embedding MARAM and the related information sharing reforms into practice. To support this, the departments continued to provide MARAM training tailored to their specific workforces.
More than 200,000 units of MARAM or MARAM-aligned training have been undertaken since inception, with more than 100,000 of these completed during the 2022–23 reporting period. This represents a 55 per cent increase on 2021–22 and demonstrates the early investment by Family Safety Victoria and departments in MARAM capability building activities.
When surveyed, 88 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that ‘professionals in their organisation are aware of victim survivor and perpetrator referral services’.
During 2022–23, Family Safety Victoria progressed the development of the AUFV training package, with delivery scheduled for the 2023–24 financial year.
The training will further support the implementation of the AUFV practice guidance and build practitioner confidence in working with perpetrators. Departmental MARAM implementation teams continue to prepare their workforces for the rollout of AUFV training in 2023–24.
References
[11] The Identifying and Responding to Family Violence course is offered to the general public for free under the Free TAFE for Priority Courses program https://www.vic.gov.au/free-tafe?gad_source=1..
[12] While non-accredited training does not lead to a formal qualification, it may be recognised as prior learning for tertiary or other qualifications.
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