Building the training system
All workforces share responsibility to identify and respond to family violence.
The MARAM Framework establishes levels of responsibility for different workforces.
To put this in place, we have expanded training available for family violence specialists and workers in other sectors. The first RAP did this by making training more widely available through the vocational education and training (VET) system.
The second RAP continues to use education and training opportunities as a way to upskill workers through TAFE.
To support this expansion, we developed the Best Practice Education Model (BPEM) to guide registered training organisations on the knowledge, skills and experience required for their family violence trainers to deliver quality training.
Further work on the BPEM during the second RAP will include a professional learning suite for VET family violence trainers. It will also include work to apply the BPEM competencies to non-accredited training delivery.
More accredited training courses will be scoped in 2024. This could include other areas of family and sexual violence. We will also deliver the Course in Intermediate Risk Assessment and Management of Family Violence Risk and Course in Contributing to the Primary Prevention of Family Violence and Violence Against Women during the first year of the second RAP.
Further training rollout will include evaluation work to better understand the outcomes of formal training. We want to move beyond relying on learner self-assessments completed at the end of sessions. Instead, we will look at how learners apply family violence capabilities in their day-to-day work.
Increasing the coordination of primary prevention training and professional development
We will work with the sector to map professional development activities in the primary prevention workforce.
We will also identify opportunities to strengthen coordination and create training pathways for people wanting to work in primary prevention.
This complements our work to deliver accredited training through the VET system. It also complements efforts to embed prevention within public health and other relevant university courses.
It will build workers’ capability before they enter the workforce.
Capability frameworks
The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing has partnered with Safe and Equal to review the Preventing family violence and violence against women capability framework and the Responding to family violence capability framework. These were originally developed in 2017.
The capability frameworks are being refreshed to align with the MARAM Framework and other reforms. During the second RAP, we will put in place the revised capability frameworks. This will include an online platform so people can have easier access to the frameworks.
We will actively explore ways to embed family violence capabilities in pre-service qualifications. This may include focusing on a small number of priority workforces.
We will also develop a separate capability framework for sexual assault services. We will consult closely with Sexual Assault Services Victoria to do this.
Mandatory Minimum Qualification policy
The Mandatory Minimum Qualification (MMQ) policy was introduced in mid-2021. It aims to elevate the professional profile of family violence work.
This policy requires new family violence response practitioners to either:
- hold qualifications that meet the policy, or
- be working towards these via one of the available employment pathways.
The government directly funded services to support implementation of the policy. This includes updating processes for hiring and professional development.
Other initiatives provide flexible support for services to meet the policy. This includes the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Traineeships Program, designed to provide flexible support to upskill and meet the policy requirements.
New bespoke qualifications that meet the MMQ policy include:
- the Graduate Certificate in Family Violence at Chisholm Institute
- the Graduate Certificate in Domestic and Family Violence at RMIT
- the Graduate Certificate in Family Violence Prevention at Monash University
- the Graduate Certificate in Domestic and Gender-Based Violence Research and Practical Equivalent at the University of Melbourne
Practitioners can use these new educational pathways to balance work, study and caring.
Family violence services have worked closely with Safe and Equal and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, to understand and apply the policy. We also listened to what services also told us about the challenges and opportunities of the new policy.
As a result, we have brought forward the mid-transition period review that the first RAP committed to. This will commence from early 2024.
The review will examine whether the policy is meeting its aims to elevate the professional profile of family violence work. It will also look at aspects like the cultural and lived experience pathways for meeting the policy. It will consider the options available to people coming into the sector with other qualifications.
A related action under the Dhelk Dja second action plan is to develop an Aboriginal-led pathway to meet the MMQ policy. This will be informed by the findings of the review.
Case study: Culturally safe and collaborative partnerships – an Aboriginal pathway to meet Mandatory Minimum Qualifications
Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative has developed an innovative approach to build skills and qualifications in its workforce. It partnered with RMIT to co-design and pilot a Wathaurong-specific Graduate Certificate in Family Violence. This partnership offers a culturally appropriate, Aboriginal-led pathway to meet mandatory minimum qualifications.
RMIT supported students to meet the Graduate Certificate learning outcomes. This included aligning assignments with workplace deliverables such as practice papers and journal reflections. RMIT tutors provided additional face to face support to students.
Undertaking the graduate certificate has opened up career opportunities for some first-in-family graduates, with 13 out of 14 students graduating.
The co-design process was informed by:
- centring Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing
- a focus on Aboriginal community development and prevention approaches
- critical reflection on existing family violence sector from an Aboriginal worldview
- building on participating staff’s life and community experiences
- ACCO-owned data sovereignty, cultural and intellectual property.
Table 3: Focus area 3 – new actions and continuing activities
| New actions | Commencement |
|---|---|
| 3.1 Analyse current mechanisms for monitoring training quality and effectiveness and identify where new measures may be required to understand how professionals are embedding family violence capabilities in their work. | 2023–24 |
| 3.2 Accelerate the start of the mid-transition review of the Mandatory Minimum Qualification policy for specialist family violence practitioners. | 2023–24 |
3.3 Work with peak bodies, government, education providers and industry representatives to implement the revised capability frameworks, including:
| 2023–24 |
| 3.4 Develop a new capability framework for sexual assault services. | 2024–25 |
| 3.5 Strengthen the coordination of workforce training and development activities across the primary prevention workforce. | 2024–25 |
Continuing activities:
| 2023–24 |
Updated