Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) Framework

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In Victoria, the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) Framework establishes a system-wide shared understanding of what family violence is and how to respond to it. It aims increase the safety of victim survivors, and keep perpetrators in view and accountable for their actions.

The MARAM Framework is legislated under the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic). It aims to increase the safety and wellbeing of Victorians by ensuring that prescribed organisations can effectively identify, assess and manage family violence risk, and keep perpetrators in view and held accountable for their actions.

For specialist family violence practitioners

The MARAM Framework has replaced the Common Risk Assessment Framework, or ‘CRAF’, to address several limitations identified by the Royal Commission into Family Violence.  

As a specialist family violence worker, you are required to complete training to understand the MARAM Framework and how to assess and manage risk in line with the framework. 

You can also find more information about the MARAM Framework and its implications on the Victorian Government’s website.

The MARAM Framework allocates multiple responsibilities to specialist family violence services as part of the broader family violence response system. Specialist family violence service providers are required to implement the MARAM Framework and its accompanying risk assessment tools, practice guides (foundational and responsibility-based), and organisational alignment resources. 

A specialist family violence worker will:

  • ask a victim survivor about their experience
  • assess the level of risk of harm to the victim survivor/s (including children)
  • undertake risk management and safety planning.

View MARAM practice guides and resources.

Please note: The Comprehensive Perpetrator-Focused MARAM Practice Guides and tools, including the Predominant Aggressor Practice Guidance and Identification Template, are not published online. This decision has been made to mitigate the risk related to perpetrators of family violence seeing and using the detailed information to further harm victim survivors.

The predominant aggressor guidance and tool are prescribed for use by specialist family violence workers to ensure accurate identification of the predominant aggressor.

To request a copy of the Comprehensive perpetrator-focused MARAM Practice Guides and tools please email admin@safeandequal.org.au. Departments, agencies and services who receive the Comprehensive perpetrator-focused MARAM resources are asked not to publish these on public-facing websites or social media.

For workers in allied services and sectors

In Victoria, the MARAM Framework prescribes over 6000 organisations across a broad range of sectors. This establishes a system-wide approach to, and shared responsibility for, family violence risk assessment and management. It’s important to check whether you are prescribed and, if so, what your responsibilities are.

Training

The MARAM Framework prescribes professionals to up to ten responsibilities, and it is important that you understand what these are. Your organisation will need to map these and communicate them to you.

All professionals under the MARAM Framework need to complete the relevant training, particularly before using the MARAM tools. The training you need to complete will depend on your responsibilities, and some sectors have specific training packages for their workforce. Speak to your organisation about which training you need to complete.

Further information on training, including for organisational decision makers, can be found on the relevant Victorian Government Website.

Enabling the MARAM Framework are information sharing schemes. These allow risk related information about victim survivors, perpetrators, alleged perpetrators and other people involved in family violence to be collected, used and shared between prescribed workforces. Learn more about information sharing schemes here.

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