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The Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) Framework and information sharing schemes ensure that services effectively address family violence and promote child wellbeing and safety.
Health workers are in a unique position to identify and respond to family violence and promote child wellbeing and safety. The involvement of health workers is particularly important in and after emergencies, when family violence tends to increase, escalate and change.
The Victorian government has introduced laws to make it easier for services to share information to keep families and communities safe. They are the:
- Child Information Sharing Scheme
- Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme.
The Schemes are being implemented with the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM).
Information Sharing Schemes
Child Information Sharing Scheme
The Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) allows authorised services to share information to promote the wellbeing or safety of a child or a group of children. Find more information on the child information page.
Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme
The Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS) allows authorised organisations to share information to assess or manage family violence risk to children and adults. Find more information on the family violence information page.
Child Safe Standards
The Department of Health oversees and promotes compliance with the Child Safe Standards. These standards are in line with the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005. They apply to all Victorian department funded or regulated organisations. Find more information on Child Safe Standards.
Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM)
MARAM sets out the responsibilities of different workforces in identifying, assessing and managing family violence risk across the family violence and broader service system.
MARAM guides information sharing under both information sharing schemes where family violence is present. Find more information on the MARAM .
Workforces authorised to share information
The health workforces who are authorised to share information are:
- Ambulance Victoria
- bush nursing centres
- state-funded aged care services
- health services (including hospitals)
- alcohol and other drug services
- mental health services (community-managed and designated services)
- early parenting centres
- Maternal and Child Health services
- community health services
- general practitioners and general practitioner nurses
Schools, childcare centres, police and courts are also authorised to share information under the schemes.
MARAM training
For a detailed list of information sharing webinars and eLearning courses for the health workforce, see Training for the information sharing and reforms on the vic.gov.au website.
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This course is available for health workforces to assist their understanding of the Child and Family Violence Information Sharing Schemes and how they relate to their everyday work.
The three modules cover the topics of Essentials for health and community services professionals, Purposes and requirements, and Consent and privacy and take approximately 20 minutes each to complete
Access this eLearning package via the Information Sharing and MARAM Online Learning .
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This training is suitable for organisational leaders and senior managers across all organisations prescribed under MARAM. The training promotes an understanding of the MARAM Framework including key strategies and requirements such as practice, policies and procedures necessary to align with MARAM.
To register for this training, see MARAM Leading Alignment .
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This training is for practitioners with a Screening and Identification role under MARAM. This course is tailored to Department of Health workforces and funded organisations including community health services, bush nursing centres, Early Parenting Centres, Ambulance Victoria, Maternal and Child Health services and other health services. The course is designed to provide practitioners with a shared understanding of family violence and help practitioners confidently identify and respond to family violence risks and collaborate with specialist services. The course has three modules. Each module runs for approximately 30 minutes.
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This course is tailored to Department of Health workforces including mental health services, Alcohol and Other Drugs services, and other practitioners at the Brief and Intermediate level in health services including Community Health services. The package consists of three modules. Each module runs for approximately 30 minutes. They cover: a shared understanding of family violence, an introduction to MARAM and the assessment tools, the Structured Professional Judgement model, risk assessment, risk management including working with specialist family violence services and safety planning.
Access this course via the Information Sharing and MARAM Online Learning .
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A range of training and eLearn courses have been developed through the Strengthening Hospital Responses to Family Violence (SHRFV) initiative. These resources have been tailored for practitioners working with victim survivors in hospital settings.
For more information, see Strengthening Hospital Responses to Family Violence (SHRFV) Tool
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A stand-alone Family Violence Foundation eLearn module has been developed for practitioners who may have limited family violence knowledge, or they might be new to working with people who have experienced family violence. This module covers understanding and recognising family violence, using an intersectional lens and your role in responding to family violence. The module is 30 minutes.
Access this course via the Information Sharing and MARAM Online Learning .
Resources
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Frequently Asked Questions about information sharing and
Checklist for organisational readiness for the information sharing
Child Information Sharing Scheme Ministerial Guidelines and Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme Ministerial Guidelines, see Familiarise yourself with the Ministerial
Information Sharing Schemes and the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM)Acronyms glossary - Information Sharing Schemes and the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework -
Frequently Asked Questions about information sharing and
Information Sharing Schemes and the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM)Acronyms glossary - Information Sharing Schemes and the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management FrameworkFactsheet - MARAM secondary consultations and referrals - advice for health professionalsHACC PYP, information sharing schemes, and the MARAM FrameworkMental Health and Wellbeing Locals, information sharing schemes, and MARAM
Further information
For further information about training and resources available to support health workforces implementing these reforms, please email infosharing@health.vic.gov.au
Reviewed 04 September 2023