More workers supported to identify, assess and manage family violence risk

The Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM), the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS) and the Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) are three interrelated reforms that are integral to reducing family violence and promoting child wellbeing or safety.

Roll out of these reforms commenced in 2018. The next phase, referred to as Phase 2, commenced on 19 April 2021 and will include about 370,000 workers in 5,850 organisations across the service system.

This is a significant step forward in the MARAM and Information sharing reforms. Phase 2 will extend the reforms to health and education services including:

• general practitioners (noting that GPs will not be prescribed under MARAM).
• publicly funded hospitals
• community managed mental health services
• community health services
• state-funded aged care services
• Ambulance Victoria
• schools and early childhood services

MARAM sets out the responsibilities of different workforces in identifying, assessing and managing family violence risk across the family violence and broader service system.

FVISS enables prescribed organisations and services to share information to facilitate assessment and management of family violence risk to children and adults. CISS enables prescribed organisations and services to share information to promote the wellbeing or safety of children.

Working with perpetrators

The next suite of MARAM practice guidance, focusing on working with perpetrators, is expected to be finalised in the coming months.

This is relevant for both services who specialise in perpetrators, as well as services that may have significant contact with perpetrators in the course of providing other support (e.g. mental health or homelessness services)

Family Safety Victoria will shortly be releasing a Request for Quote for the development of training to support services to embed this guidance in their own practice.

Proposals will be asked to demonstrate expertise against three key skill sets:

1. practice knowledge in relation to perpetrators
2. instructional design
3. Aboriginal cultural knowledge.

Family Safety Victoria is seeking proposals from consortia that can bring together these skill sets, including through the involvement of one or more Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations.

Family Safety Victoria will be holding an information session for organisations interested in this work in the coming weeks.

The details will be posted on Latest news – Family Violence Reform and sent out through regular communication channels. Organisations can also request to be notified by email infosharing@familysafety.vic.gov.au.

More information

For more information about the range of supports available for workforces joining the reforms, visit Training for information sharing and MARAM and Information sharing guides, templates and tools.