Information Sharing And Family Violence Reforms .
Information Sharingand Family ViolenceReforms ContextualisedGuidanceFor centre-based education and careservices; government, Catholic andindependent schools; system andstatutory bodies; and education health,wellbeing and inclusion workforcesPage 1
Last UpdateSeptember 2020To be reviewedJanuary 2021This resource addresses issues of family violence. If you areconcerned for your safety or that of someone else, contactthe police, and call 000 for emergency assistance. If you haveexperienced violence or sexual assault and require immediate orongoing assistance, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) to talkto a counsellor from the National Sexual Assault and DomesticViolence hotline. For confidential support and information, contactsafe steps 24/7 family violence response line on 1800 015 188. Ifyou need to talk to someone it is recommended that you speak toyour leadership team about arranging appropriate support. Youcan also talk to your GP or an allied health professional. Victoriangovernment school staff can also contact the Department ofEducation and Training’s Employee Assistance Program on 1300 361008.In this document, ‘Aboriginal’ refers to both Aboriginal and TorresStrait Islander people.The Victorian Government proudly acknowledges Aboriginal peopleas Australia’s First Peoples and as the Traditional Owners andcustodians of the land and waterways upon which we depend. Weacknowledge Victoria’s Aboriginal communities and culture andpay respect to their Elders past and present.Aboriginal culture is founded on a strong social and cultural orderthat has sustained up to 60,000 years of existence. VictorianAboriginal communities and peoples are culturally diverse, with richand varied heritages and histories. The impacts of colonisation —while having devastating effects on the traditional life of AboriginalNations — have not diminished Aboriginal people’s connection tocountry, culture or community.The Victorian Government recognises the long-standing leadershipof Aboriginal communities in Victoria to prevent and respond tofamily violence, supported through self-determination and selfmanagement, to improve outcomes for Aboriginal people andfamilies, whilst also acknowledging the devastating impactsand accumulation of trauma across generations as a result ofcolonisation and the dispossession of land and children.
ContentsIntroduction4About this Contextualised Guidance Resource 4Support for education and care workforces 5Overview of the Information Sharing and Family ViolenceReforms (the Reforms) 5Part One: A Whole of Victoria Approach6Victoria-wide approach to information sharing for wellbeingand safety 6Overview of the Information Sharing Schemes (the Schemes)and MARAM 6Wellbeing and safety for all Victorian children 13Working collaboratively to support wellbeing and safety 17Overview of MARAM 20The bigger picture of family violence response atthe Department23How the Reforms work together and alongside other frameworks 24Part Two: Implementing the ReformsImplementation Planning Overview Part Three: Templates and Information Sheets303036List of Attachments 36List of Frequently Asked Questions 36Abbreviations and key terms63
IntroductionAbout this ContextualisedGuidance ResourcePurposeThis training resource is intended to support services to: prepare for the implementation of the InformationSharing and Family Violence Reforms (referred to asthe Reforms) in their workplacesequip professionals to share information confidently,safely and appropriately to improve children’s andfamilies’ wellbeing and safety.This Information Sharing and Family ViolenceContextualised Guidance resource (referred to as theGuidance resource) is one of a suite of training resourcesthat sits alongside, and complements the face-to-facetraining sessions and eLearning modules for over 6,000education and care services that will be prescribed by lawunder the Reforms.Specifically, this resource is for: long day care, kindergarten and before and afterschool hours care services (which in this Guidanceresource will be referred to as centre-basededucation and care services) government, Catholic and independent schools(which in this Guidance resource will generally bereferred to as schools) Catholic and independent Catholic system bodiesthat assist, manage or govern Catholic schoolsin Victoria (which in this Guidance resource willgenerally be referred to as system bodies). Pleasenote system bodies are prescribed as informationsharing entities only to the extent that these bodiesprovide support or services to Catholic schoolsrelating to student wellbeing or safety, or professionalethics and conduct, or learning diversity Victorian Institute of Teaching, Victorian Curriculumand Assessment Authority and Victorian Registrationand Qualifications Authority (which in this Guidanceresource will generally be referred to as statutorybodies) some education health, wellbeing and inclusionworkforces (for example, Department of Educationand Training’s (the Department) Health, Wellbeingand Inclusion Workforces).The Guidance resource has been developed to providegeneral information and support for education and careworkforces authorised to use the Reforms. It is intendedto be read and used in conjunction with the Toolkit, whichprovides tools, templates and checklists. These templatesand materials can be adapted for your setting and usedas appropriate to meet the needs of your organisation.This should be done in alignment with your existingorganisational requirements and procedures.Format and contentThis Guidance resource is divided into three sections:Part One provides an overview of the Reforms foreducation and care workforces. The face-to-face trainingsessions and online modules cover this content in moredetail.Part Two contains information and tips that should beadapted and used as relevant to support planning for andimplementation of the Reforms.Part Three contains a range of short information sheetsto support implementation. It will be updated over timeto include further resources, as well as additional sectorspecific content to the Frequently Asked Questionssection as the need arises. A list of acronyms and keyterms mentioned throughout the document can be foundin Part Three of this Guidance resource.This Guidance resource should be read in conjunctionwith the Toolkit and the legally binding documents, theChild Information Sharing Scheme Ministerial Guidelines,the Family Violence Information Sharing Guidelinesand Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment andManagement Framework (MARAM), as well as otherresources relevant to the Reforms.If you have any further questions regarding these reformsor this Contextualised Guidance document, including torequest support with implementation, you can e these reforms are in place for education portfolio workforces, your school, centre or organisation will also be able to contact theVictorian Government Enquiry Line for support and advice – more details to come.1Page 4Information Sharing and Family Violence Reforms Toolkit
Support for education and careworkforcesThe Department is offering a range of learning optionson the Reforms for centre-based education and careservices; schools; system and statutory bodies; andeducation health, wellbeing and inclusion workforces,including face-to-face training, targeted briefings andeLearning modules.These build on best practice principles and the workyou are already doing to promote children’s wellbeingand safety. Workforces are only required to completeone learning option, or they may choose to undertake ablend of both face-to-face and online training. For moreinformation see page 22 of the Toolkit and to registerfor training, see: ring-and-maram.Additionally, the Department is developing: a Families and Communities Engagement Strategyto support the implementation of the Reforms acrosscentre-based education and care services; schools;system and statutory bodies; and education health,wellbeing and inclusion workforces. Prescribedorganisations will be provided with key messages andtools to engage with their local community, parentsand childrenspecific policy guidance for Victorian governmentschools and the Department’s corporate staff,including process guidance for regions. Nongovernment organisations are required to adaptand develop or update their own policies to alignwith the Reforms. The Department can provideimplementation support to centre-based educationand care and non-government schools on a caseby-case basis. Catholic and independent schoolsshould refer to sector-specific guidance, and centrebased education and care services operating under aprovider should refer to provider-specific guidanceContextualised MARAM practice guidance foreducation and care workforces. Centre-basededucation and care services; schools; and educationhealth, wellbeing and inclusion workforces will besupported through the MARAM Framework to knowwhat to look for, what to ask, and what to do whenidentifying and responding to family violence.Overview of the InformationSharing and Family ViolenceReforms (the Reforms)As educators, carers and health, wellbeing and inclusionprofessionals, you share a common purpose – to giveeach child the best start to a happy, healthy andprosperous life. The wellbeing and safety of children isessential for their learning and development, and you arewell placed to support them.The Reforms build upon and complement your existingchild and family wellbeing and safety responsibilities andpractices. The Reforms aim to improve the wellbeing andsafety of Victorian children and reduce family violence.In 2021, a range of education workforces will become: ISEs which are authorised to request and sharerelevant information under the Child InformationSharing Scheme and the Family Violence InformationSharing Scheme (the Schemes) and required torespond to requests from other ISEs MARAM Framework organisations that are requiredto align to MARAM.This is in addition to a range of other services thatbecame ISEs and MARAM organisations in September2018 (which is known as Phase One of the Reforms) andhealth portfolio workforces that will also be prescribed inPhase Two.Information sharing and service collaboration arevital in identifying risks early and facilitating earlyand appropriately targeted support. Numerous RoyalCommissions, coronial inquests and independent inquiriesover a decade have taught us this.Together, you could make a difference.Key acronyms for the three ReformsCISS - Child Information Sharing SchemeFVISS - Family Violence Information Sharing SchemeMARAM - Family Violence Multi-Agency RiskAssessment and Management FrameworkISE - Information Sharing EntityRAE - Risk Assessment EntityIt’s OK to share, you could make a differencePage 5
Part One: A Whole ofVictoria ApproachVictoria-wide approachto information sharing forwellbeing and safetyOverview of the InformationSharing Schemes (the Schemes)and MARAMSharing information for wellbeingand safetyAbout CISS, FVISS and MARAMThe Reforms enable ISEs to request and share relevantinformation with each other to support children’swellbeing and safety, when certain requirements forsharing are met.The Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) enablesISEs to share confidential information about any personto promote the wellbeing and/or safety of a child or groupof children. All Victorian children from birth to 18 years ofage are covered. Unborn children are only captured whenthere has been a report to Child First or Child Protection.The Reforms will authorise centre-based education andcare services; schools; system and statutory bodies; andeducation health, wellbeing and inclusion workforces to: respond to requests for information to promote childwellbeing or safety and/or assess and manage risk offamily violence (this is mandatory) request information to promote child wellbeing orsafety and/or manage risk of family violence proactively share information to promote childwellbeing or safety and/or manage risk of familyviolence.The Reforms have been designed to promote thewellbeing and safety of children and families by: improving earlier identification of issues or risks forchildren and families, including family violence risk,and enabling earlier support and participation inservices increasing collaboration and supporting a morecoordinated and integrated approach to servicedelivery across services empowering professionals to make informeddecisions defining responsibilities for identifying andresponding to family violence, across the servicesystem including creating consistent andcollaborative practice promoting shared responsibility for wellbeing andsafety across the child and family service system identifying wellbeing and safety issues, and obtainingrelevant information to share in relation to familyviolence (through applying MARAM guidance onknowing what to look for and asking the rightquestions).Page 6CISS to promote wellbeing and safetyConsent is not required from any person when sharingunder CISS.FVISS and MARAM to identify and respond to familyviolenceThe Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS)enables the sharing of relevant information betweenauthorised organisations to assess or manage risk offamily violence.MARAM aims to build a shared understanding of andconsistent response to family violence across Victoria’sservice system. This is achieved by defining clear rolesand responsibilities, providing guidance to support theassessment and management of family violence risk andthrough coordinated and collaborative practice. Furthercontextualised practice guidance about MARAM foreducation and care workforces will be made availableover time.Together, these reforms (CISS, FVISS and MARAM) furtherenable centre-based education and care services;schools; system and statutory bodies; and educationhealth, wellbeing and inclusion workforces, to work asequal partners with other services in improving children’swellbeing and safety.Authorised Information Sharing Entities (ISEs)Only organisations or services prescribed as ISEs canshare information under the Schemes. Prescribedorganisations are those that have been determinedunder the Reforms to be authorised to request and shareinformation and are required to respond to requests forinformation from other ISEs when relevant requirementsfor sharing are met.Information Sharing and Family Violence Reforms Toolkit
Authorised Information Sharing Entities (ISEs)Examples include:27 September 2018Phase One Child Protection Youth Justice and Youth Parole Board Integrated family services (ChildFirst) Out-of-Home CareJustice Health (children and youngpeople only for CISS) Maternal and Child Health services The Orange Door (formerly Supportand Safety Hubs)Victim’s Support Agency and VictimAssistance Programs Multi-Agency Panels for YouthOffending (MAPs) Specialist family violence services andRisk Assessment Management Panels CISS only(RAMPs) Registry of Births, Deaths andMarriagesSexual assault services Mental health services Alcohol and other drugs services DHHS housing and selectedhomelessness servicesCourt-ordered family violencecounselling Victoria PoliceFamily Violence Restorative JusticeServiceFVISS and MARAM onlyNovember 2019Public ConsultationExamples include:EducationPortfolioWorkforces19 April 2021Phase TwoSubject to regulation Long day care Kindergartens Government schools Catholic schools Independent schools Out of school hours care Relevant nongovernment schoolsystem and statutorybodies Department-deliveredchild disengagement,health and wellbeingprograms and services Community healthservices Supported playgroupsExamples include:HealthPortfolioWorkforces Public hospitals Early parenting centres Ambulance VictoriaExamples include:Other Migrant and refugeecase management andsettlement servicesFigure 1: Phase One and Phase Two authorised ISEsIt’s OK to share, you could make a differencePage 7
Centre-based education and care services; schools;system and statutory bodies; and education health,wellbeing and inclusion workforces will have expandedpermissions as ISEs to share information for wellbeingand safety, from 19 April 2021. While the ISEs prescribedunder FVISS and CISS are broadly similar, there may beservices that are prescribed under one scheme and notthe other. Further information, including a detailed list ofwhich organisations must share information can be foundonline.Under FVISS, there is also a subset of specialist ISEsknown as Risk Assessment Entities (RAEs) that are ableto request and receive information for a family violenceassessment purpose.RAEs have specialised skills and authorisation to conductfamily violence risk assessment. Examples of RAEsinclude: Victoria Police child protection family violence services some Orange Door services.InformationSharing EntityISERiskAssessmentEntityStatutory bodies are not expected to be prescribed as aMARAM framework organisation or be required to alignpolicies, practice guidance, procedures and tools withMARAM. However they may choose to voluntarily alignwith MARAM.Sharing information under the SchemesUnder both CISS and FVISS, it is OK to share relevantinformation between ISEs at any time about any personto promote the wellbeing or safety of a child or groupof children, and/or to assess or manage family violencewhenever the relevant requirements for sharing are met.It is also OK to ask more questions about the wellbeingor safety of a child or group of children, and torequest information about any person to gain a morecomprehensive view of a child’s needs and circumstances.And in some circumstances, centre-based education andcare services; schools; system and statutory bodies; andeducation health, wellbeing and inclusion workforcesmust share information upon request.The key differences between the Schemes is their purposeand some of the actions that need to be taken to achievethose purposes.For CISS, the focus is on sharing information for childwellbeing or safety. For FVISS, the focus is on sharinginformation about safety, wellbeing, needs andcircumstances relevant to the risk of family violence.Each of these elements is important as it supportsunderstanding of risk in the context of a person’s life andexperiences. Risk management also includes informationand supports for stabilisation and recovery for bothchildren and adults.RAEFigure 2: The relationship between ISEs and RAEsMore information about the role of RAEs and informationsharing for assessing or managing family violence canbe found in Attachment 1: Sharing for family violence riskassessment and protection purposes under FVISS.MARAM OrganisationsAll ISEs are mandated to respond to all requestsfor information, either through sharing some or allinformation requested in a timely manner, or explainingin writing why they will not share some or all of therequested information. You do not need to wait for arequest to share information.Information can also be shared by:Centre-based education and care services; schools;system bodies; education health, wellbeing and inclusionworkforces; and the Department will be prescribed asMARAM organisations in Phase Two. MARAM organisationsare required by law to align their relevant policies,procedures, practice guidance and tools with MARAM overtime.Page 8Key Message making a request proactively sharing.Information Sharing and Family Violence Reforms Toolkit
Applying the threshold testsYou must meet the requirements for sharing before using the Schemes to share information. The requirements forsharing are different depending on the purpose for sharing.Often you may be sharing for both purposes. In that case you must meet the requirements of the scheme you aresharing under.Under CISSThe Child Information Sharing Scheme Ministerial Guidelines provide detailed guidance about the circumstances inwhich information can be sh
referred to as schools) Catholic and independent Catholic system bodies that assist, manage or govern Catholic schools in Victoria (which in this Guidance resource will generally be referred to as system bodies). Please note system bodies are prescribed as information sharing entities only to the extent that these bodies provide support or .
increase public awareness about, and primary and secondary prevention of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence; and 2) assist tribes in efforts to provide immediate shelter and supportive services for victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, and their dependents (42 U.S.C. § 10401(b)(1)-(2)).
is one of the largest drivers of violent crime and makes up around 50% of all homicides. 3 Trauma from family violence and sexual violence can have intergenerational consequences: exposure to violence as a child is the best predictor of whether someone will be a perpetrator or victim of family violence as an adult.
The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children Domestic violence affects every member of the family, including the children. Family violence creates a home environment where children live in constant fear. Children who witness family violence are affected in ways simila
residential projects (SNRP) to provide family violence services. This report provides information on fiscal years 2018 and 2019 program expenditures and highlights the successes HHSC-funded contractors had in providing family violence services to positively impact the health and well-being of family violence survivors and their dependents.
respond to dating violence and sexual violence. Schools must proactively address this problem by establishing effective policies and procedures to address dating violence and sexual violence. In addition, schools must be prepared to sensitively intervene to support teens who are already experiencing dating violence and sexual violence.
Gender-based violence – including physical, sexual, emotional and economic violence and abuse – is widespread globally. The most pervasive form of gender-based violence is intimate partner violence (IPV), also known as domestic violence or partner
Handout: ‘Relationship Violence No Way’ Program – Relationship violence prevention Myths and realities about relationship violence Myth Domestic violence doesn't happen very often. Reality As many as one in three women in Australia
understanding of the broad impact of domestic violence on women's health can better address safety, awareness, and violence prevention. Statistics 42 percent of women who have experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner have experienced injuries as a result.6 37 percent of women who disclose domestic violence talked to their
