Reform governance and impact

In 2020, a refreshed Family Safety Victoria governance model was introduced to support the next implementation phase of family violence reforms. It was designed to provide system-wide oversight, strategic leadership and flexible engagement and brought together experts to leverage their knowledge, insights and advice across the system.

Family Safety Victoria’s governance model comprises:

The Family Violence Reform Advisory Group

This Family Violence Reform Advisory Group advises government on system-level impacts of the family violence reforms and makes recommendations to achieve an improved whole-of-system approach to prevention and response.

It includes membership representing:

• the family violence sector
• service delivery (such as workforce, housing legal, prevention and inclusion and equity)
• government departments or agencies
• VSAC
• the Dhelk Dja Partnership Forum.

Family Violence Reform Advisory Board

This Family Violence Reform Advisory Board provides governance advice on specific issues, endorses changes, provides strategic direction and decision making for the delivery of Family Safety Victoria’s key reforms.

It includes membership representing government departments or agencies:

• Family Safety Victoria
• Department of Families
• Fairness and Housing
• Department of Health
• Department of Justice and Community Safety
• Department of Education and Training
• Department of Premier and Cabinet
• Department of Treasure and Finance
• Victoria Police
• the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria.

A number of working groups are also in place to ensure targeted advice is provided on reform and implementation areas.

Our effectiveness is measured against the government’s Family Violence Outcomes Framework, which was co-developed with the family violence service delivery sector, people with lived experience and community members.

Focusing on data and an evidence-based approach means we are better informed about:

• performance and progress
• community needs and demand
• the capacity of the wider system
• what works to prevent violence and meet the needs of children young people and families.

We also ensure our work and program development is monitored and evaluated.

For example, the MARAM monitoring and evaluation framework provides indicators to determine whether the MARAM reform is contributing to victim survivor safety, perpetrator accountability and earlier intervention. It will be used to gather regular monitoring data, as well as to inform the legislated 5-year review of MARAM and the family violence information sharing scheme.

The Dhelk Dja partnership has also agreed a Monitoring, Evaluation and Accountability (MEA) Plan, to accompany the Aboriginal 10-year Family Violence Agreement 2018-2028. The Plan lays out how the Dhelk Dja Partnership Forum can monitor and evaluate its strategy, including whether the Dhelk Dja agreement is achieving its intended outcomes.

The outcomes, indicators and measures in the MEA Plan are Aboriginal defined measures of progress and success that align with holistic understandings of health and wellbeing and were developed with the Dhelk Dja Partnership Forum in line with the Victorian government’s commitment to Aboriginal self-determination.

Family Safety Victoria reports against the following reporting mechanisms: