Review and begin implementing the Common Risk Assessment Framework

Implemented

Who is leading the change

Family Safety Victoria

The Victorian Government review and begin implementing the revised Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework (known as the Common Risk Assessment Framework, or the CRAF) in order to deliver a comprehensive framework that sets minimum standards and roles and responsibilities for screening, risk assessment, risk management, information sharing and referral throughout Victorian agencies.

The revised framework should incorporate:

a rating and/or weighting of risk factors to identify the risk of family violence as low, medium or high
evidence-based risk indicators that are specific to children
comprehensive practice guidance

The framework should also reflect the needs of the diverse range of family violence victims and perpetrators, among them older people, people with disabilities, and people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, culturally and linguistically diverse and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities.

The Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework has been redeveloped and is now known as the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM).

The MARAM addresses the gaps and issues identified by the Royal Commission into Family Violence, together with the recommendations made in the Coronial Inquest into the Death of Luke Geoffrey Batty, and the 2016 Monash University report on the Family Violence Risk Assessment Risk Management Framework (CRAF).

The elements of the new MARAM include:
- Creation of a new Part 11 of the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic)
- Regulations requiring Framework organisations and section 191 agencies to align their policies, procedures, practice guidance and tools to the MARAM over time
- The MARAM Framework policy document, that supports alignment responsibilities for prescribed organisations and section 191 agencies across the system
- The victim survivor focused MARAM Practice Guides, which are mapped against the 10 responsibilities from the MARAM Framework, these include identification and screening, intermediate and comprehensive risk assessment tools specific to adult and children victim survivors including those from Aboriginal communities and diverse communities
- An online platform to host the assessment tools currently used in Orange Door services and select specialist services across the state
- Resources to support implementation and alignment activities, including engagement of change management specialists to drive the alignment and training to raise the capacity of workforces
- A MARAM training package, which includes accredited and non-accredited training, which is being rolled out progressively to prescribed workforces
In this way, the MARAM is transforming the way the service system responds to family violence in Victoria, including by:
- creating a shared understanding of family violence and its underlying drivers, prevalence and experience across relationships and communities
- defining the roles and responsibilities of professionals and services across the system to identify, assess and respond to family violence and providing organisational resources, tools, practice guidance and training to support implementation
- reflecting the needs of the diverse range of victim survivors including people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, older people, people with disabilities, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities
- providing guidance about requesting and sharing risk-relevant information under the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme
More than 1,650 stakeholders from expert academic, government and non-government sectors contributed to the MARAM Framework’s development, including specialists from family violence, child and family services, health, community services, justice and education professionals.

From 27 September 2018, the first phase of Framework organisations were required to begin aligning their policies, procedures, practice guidance and tools to the MARAM Framework. Phase One Framework organisations include specialist family violence services, Victoria Police, child protection and the Magistrates’ and Children’s Courts.

A suite of victim-focused MARAM Practice Guides were released in July 2019. Family Safety Victoria is now developing perpetrator-focused MARAM Practice Guides and tools that will also be mapped against the 10 responsibilities from the MARAM Framework, anticipated for release in 2020.

MARAM training is being rolled out progressively and by November 2019, over 2,000 professionals have been trained in the MARAM. Accredited units and courses in family violence risk assessment and management are also in development. The first of the suite of accredited units of competency were finalised in April 2019.

Implementation work is continuing, including training and change management. It is expected that further services and organisations will be prescribed in September 2020.

Updated 18 May 2020