MARAM practice guides and resources

The Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework

Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (online version)

MARAM Framework on a page

Organisational Readiness Checklist (People who use violence guidance)

This checklist includes recommended high-level steps for organisational leaders to align to the MARAM perpetrator guidance, prior to the release of training in 2023.

MARAM Responsibilities Decision Guide

For guidance on assignment of MARAM roles and responsibilities and core reading for your organisation please refer to the

Organisational embedding guide

An organisational embedding guide has been developed to support organisational leaders in the process of aligning to MARAM. The guide includes specific key actions and activities organisational leaders can undertake to determine responsibilities for staff across their organisation.

How to use MARAM organisational embedding guidance

This video briefly explains how to use the 3 core resources in the MARAM organisational embedding guidance.

One-page overview

This document shows the 3 steps in the organisational embedding journey, and how, when repeated, they help create continuous improvement.

The documents in blue at the bottom of the diagram are examples of some new resources created to assist with organisational alignment.

The documents in orange on the top right of the diagram are existing resources, all of which are integral to organisational alignment activities.

The orange, bottom right corner of the diagram highlights the available MARAM training modules.

These four components all work together to assist organisations in alignment activities.

Core resources

Step 1: MARAM organisational self-audit tool

Step 1 is for organisations to assess the current progress of their MARAM alignment.

The MARAM organisational self-audit tool contains a series of milestones to work towards as part of MARAM alignment, with specific examples on how to reach the milestone. The examples are supported by resources.

The MARAM organisational self-audit tool is available to download as an accessible Word document for completion by organisations. It should be noted that this is a living document, which will be updated as further MARAM resources are released.

(Release date: June 2020)

Step 2: Project implementation plan

Step 2 is for organisations to prepare an implementation plan based on the activities they have highlighted in the MARAM self-audit tool as being the next priority.

An example implementation plan is available to download as an accessible Excel document for completion by organisations.

Step 3: Implementation review

Step 3 is to review the success of implementation activities.

The Review implementation activities guide suggests 3 ways to review the success of implementation activities.

Other organisational resources

A series of resources have been created to assist organisational leaders and those responsible for implementation activities. These are all referred to and linked within the MARAM organisational self-audit tool for use as and when required by organisations. They are also referenced below for ease of access.

1. MARAM framework summary

A short guide to the core components of the MARAM framework for organisational leaders.

2. MARAM responsibilities guide

A short guide to the 10 MARAM responsibilities with organisational considerations.

3. Embedding tools into existing practice

Organisational leaders will need to consider whether to adopt MARAM tools in full, or embed them into existing tools. This guidance outlines important considerations.

4. MARAM policy and procedure examples

MARAM requires organisations to update their policies, procedures, practice guidance and tools. This guidance contains some example scenarios of family violence encounters within an organisation, and what policies, procedures, practice guidance and tools may need updating or creating to align to MARAM.

5. External partnerships

Building partnerships for the purposes of secondary consultations, referrals, information sharing and multi-agency is integral to MARAM alignment. This guidance provides a suggested approach.

6. Supporting staff: family violence leave policy considerations

Managers will not only need to support staff members in responding to family violence experienced by service-users, but may also need to support staff members who are experiencing or choosing to use family violence. This guide sets out considerations for a staff family violence leave policy.

It should be read in conjunction with this accessible workplace safety plan which can be downloaded in Word or as a PDF.

7. Executive briefing slides

These slides may be downloaded and adapted by those responsible for alignment to brief organisation executives.

8. MARAM Responsibilities Mapping Tool

An excel template with a suggested approach for recording staff roles and determining MARAM responsibilities.

MARAM alignment checklist

Checklist guide for organisational leaders to start aligning their organisational policies, procedures, practice guidance and tools to MARAM.

MARAM alignment checklist (online version)

The MARAM practice guides support professionals to understand their relevant responsibilities under the MARAM framework towards the identification, assessment and ongoing management of family violence risk as it relates to their specific roles.

The practice guides include:

• the Foundation Knowledge Guide is for all professionals, whether you are working with adult or child victim survivors, or adults using family violence. The Foundation Knowledge Guide is a resource to support a shared understanding across the service system, covering the legislative environment, definitions and drivers of family violence, key practice concepts and recognition of risk across age groups, communities and relationships.
• Adult and child victim-focused MARAM practice guides (Responsibilities for Practice Guides 1-10).
• Adult perpetrator-focused MARAM practice guides (Responsibilities for Practice Guides 1-6, 9-10).

Please note, in February 2022, the Comprehensive guidance (Responsibilities 7–8) for working with adults using family violence was finalised and released directly to peak bodies, specialist perpetrator intervention services, victim survivor specialist family violence services, and key professionals in community and government departments with specialist roles in the coordination of family violence risk assessment and management.

These Practice Guides will not be published online. Please contact infosharing@familysafety.vic.gov.au for further information.

MARAM Practice Guides: Chapter Summaries (victim survivor focused)

This document contains a summary of the adult and child victim-focused MARAM Practice Guides under the MARAM Framework.

Frequently asked questions about the MARAM Practice Guides

Our frequently asked questions (FAQs) provide information and responses to common questions from practitioners and organisations about the MARAM Practice Guides.

MARAM Practice Guides explainer

This short, 6-minute video steps through the purpose of the MARAM Practice Guides as a supporting resource for professionals, and provides an overview of their structure.

The MARAM video series has been created to support prescribed workforces better understand the MARAM reforms more broadly and the key concepts and responsibilities that apply to their role.

The MARAM Animation Series covers foundational MARAM concepts and topics through 11 short videos. Topics include Structured Professional Judgement, information sharing, and evidence-based risk factors. The videos support existing MARAM guidance and provide another way to build MARAM capability.

The MARAM roleplay series features six scenarios between a client and practitioner, showing how MARAM can be used in practice. The videos show a practitioner working with both a victim survivor and a person using family violence.

MARAM training

There are a range of training options available. Details can be found on our training page.

MARAM coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic practice notes and factsheets

Family Safety Victoria is developing a series of MARAM Practice Notes and Factsheets to support targeted responses to family violence, including sexual assault, during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

MARAM alignment during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

This factsheet outlines guidance on the ongoing project of MARAM alignment for prescribed organisations and services in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

MARAM practice notes during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic isolation and quarantine period

A series of MARAM Practice Notes will be released to support professionals to respond to increased family violence risk during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic period. Specialist victim survivor, perpetrator-focused and adolescent family violence MARAM Practice Notes are available.

Further work is underway to scope guidance supporting universal services (including strengthening collaborative practice) during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic period and targeting identified sectors and communities at increased risk.

Each Practice Note is a ‘live’ document and will be updated as issues and system changes occur during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic period.

July update: Updated referral information in each guide. Tier 2/3 Practice Note now has the victim-focused immediate risk and safety plan templates included in the document.

MARAM practice notes coronavirus (COVID-19) video

The video MARAM Practice Notes: Covid-19 has been produced to provide an overview of the minimum response for victim-survivors and perpetrator MARAM Practice Notes.

Family violence response during coronavirus (COVID-19) video series

The video series Family violence response during coronavirus (COVID-19), produced in July 2020, provides an overview of how the government has been working with the family violence sector and across government departments and agencies to respond to family violence since the coronavirus pandemic outbreak.