Set out below is an overview of the legislation, policy and frameworks that support Victoria’s response to family violence.
Figure 1: Overview of legislation, policy and frameworks
Figure 1 shows the legislative structure around the MARAM Framework.
The top line, in grey, refers to the legislation that enables the Minister to approve a framework for family violence response and require framework organisations to align with it, as well as establishing formal review mechanisms. The FVPA Part 11 contains the relevant provisions. Also referenced is Part 5A of the FVPA which relates to the FVISS.
The second line, in orange, references the various regulations and legislatives instruments that operationalise the legislation by listing the organisations that are prescribed to align with MARAM and FVISS, and defining the matters that are to be reported on by ministers and the core components of the framework.
The third line, in blue, summarises the core policy documents for the reforms, namely the MARAM Framework and the FVISS Ministerial Guidelines. Note that other policies relevant to MARAM implementation are referred to in this and previous reports including Everybody Matters[5], Dhelk Dja[6]and Nargneit Birrang[7].
The fourth and bottom line, in green, are the supporting resources that have been developed to help put the policy into practice. This includes guidance for practitioners, as well as embedding guidance for organisational leaders. This image only highlights the resources produced centrally by FSV as lead agency, and not the many tailored and updated resources applicable to various workforces. It is expected that the list of central guidance will continue to grow including guidance on working with adolescents who use violence in the home.
The left side of the image, in light blue, refers to the legislated five-year evaluation due in 2023, as well as the FSV-initiated two-year evaluation of MARAM undertaken by the Cube Group and referred to in this and the earlier 2019-20 annual report.[8]
[5] Everybody Matters: Inclusion and Equity Statement | Victorian Government (www.vic.gov.au)
[8] Noting the two-year review of FVISS by Monash University is also referenced in this and the earlier 2019-20 annual report.
Updated