The Multi-agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) framework aims to support workers across the family violence service system to better understand their responsibilities to undertake family violence risk assessment and management, including information sharing and working collaboratively.
There is a practice guide for each responsibility, available on the MARAM practice guides and resources page on Victorian Government website. General MARAM tools for use by other services and programs are located on the department’s intranet Family Violence page.
MARAM prompt tools designed for Child Protection practice are located in Tools and Checklists (linked to SAFER Sharepoint site - only available to departmental staff).
The resources listed below will assist child protection practitioners to implement MARAM in their practice and to fulfil their responsibilities under the MARAM framework.
Responsibility 1: Respectful, sensitive, and safe engagement
This guide outlines how to create a respectful, sensitive, and safe environment for people who may be experiencing family violence, including children and young people.
Responsibility 1 also outlines the importance of using a person-centred and trauma informed approach as well as recognising and addressing challenges in service access for Aboriginal people and people from diverse communities.
Responsibility 2: Identification of family violence
This guide outlines how to identify signs of trauma that may indicate family violence is occurring, and the approach to screening by asking questions about a short set of risk factors to assist professionals to decide if further action and assessment is required.
Appendix 1: contains observable signs of trauma that may indicate family violence. It includes separate lists for adults, children, and young people.
Appendix 2: includes a table of practice guidance and the screening and identification tool.
Responsibility 3: Intermediate risk assessments
This guide supports practitioners to understand how risk assessment questions link to the level of risk and to use the process of structured professional judgement to determine level of seriousness of risk.
Appendix 8: intermediate tool guidance
Responsibility 4: Intermediate risk management
Practitioners should use this guide after intermediate risk assessment has been completed and family violence has been assessed as present.
Responsibility 5: Secondary consultation and referrals
This guide explains the key practice of seeking secondary consultations and making referrals to family violence services and supports.
Responsibility 6: Information sharing with other services
This guide explains how to determine what information is risk-relevant to support decisions relating to what information to request and share.
Responsibilities 7 & 8 (Comprehensive responsibilities relevant to specialist family violence services only)
In Child Protection, co-located specialist family violence workers will undertake these responsibilities.
Responsibilities 9 & 10: Contribute to coordinated risk management and collaborate for ongoing risk assessment and management
This guide looks at the processes for effective multi-agency risk management and collaboration.