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Northern Integrated Family
Violence Services Partnership
For professionals supporting the
safety of victim survivors in Melbourne's
northern metropolitan region

The Department of Health, in partnership with the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, is now offering interactive MARAM Brief & Intermediate training for workers in Mental Health and AOD sectors during May. 

The MARAM training is delivered in two parts: a self-paced eLearning module (approximately 30 mins), followed by a 3-hour live online workshop. Both modules are free and must be accessed via the Centre for Excellence’s Learning Management System (LMS).

Registration information: The course will appear as ‘2022 MARAM Intermediate Level Training’. Click here to register in the LMS.

(VAADA eNews, 11.4.22)

A Family Violence Memorial has been unveiled at St Andrews Place, Melbourne to honour the lives of those lost to family violence. It has been established as a space to stand in solidarity with victim survivors and share in hope and healing.

The memorial also shines a light on the vital work being done in Victoria to build a future free from violence and the role we all have to play in this and serves as a permanent reminder to those experiencing family violence that support is available to them.

Designed in partnership with members of Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council and the City of Melbourne, the memorial places the stories and shared hopes of victim survivors at its centre. It holds space for the lives lost, and the potential those lives held, as well as a place for hope for a future free from violence.

(Source: Premiers Media Centre, 5.4.22)

The federal government announced a $104 million technology-focused package to prevent family violence including a $20 million fund for states and territories to trial electronic monitoring of high-risk offenders; $54.6 million to support victim-survivors to stay in their own homes with security assessments and upgrades; and $26.6 million for online safety initiatives including for the eSafety Commission to provide direct support to victim-survivors of technology-facilitated abuse.

(Source: AWAVA newsletter, 22.3.22)


The third annual report on the implementation of the Family Violence Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM) 2020-21, was tabled in Parliament on 10th February 2022.

In the past year, work under the 10-year plan has included the introduction of mandatory minimum qualification requirements over a five-year transition period. Other achievements included the launch of the Family Violence Attraction and Recruitment Campaign and the development of the Jobs Portal for family violence roles.

(Source: Eastern Metropolitan Region Family Violence Partnership eNews, 2.3.22)

On 15 March, the NIFVS partnership hosted the Observing, Documenting & Sharing: Engaging perpetrators under MARAM webinar to explore how organisational leaders and practitioners can use the new MARAM for Adults Using Family Violence.

Simone Tassone (FSV) highlighted how the new MARAM will assist practitioners to use structured professional judgement to:

  • Observe narratives and behaviours that indicate or inadvertently disclose an adult’s use of violence
  • Identify overt and subtle narratives that indicate beliefs and attitudes
  • Analyse the narrative and risk-relevant information through the lens of impact on victim survivors
  • Elevate victim survivor self-assessment of risk.

Erin Lockington (No To Violence) elaborated on how to observe the narratives and behaviours of people using family violence, and panellists provided specialist information about the impact of the new MARAM in a variety of settings.

Access the webinar, presenters’ slides and more resources here.

Presenters: Erin Lockington (No to Violence), Robin Gregory (NIFVS), Maya Serelis (Berry Street/Child Protection), Simone Tassone (Family Safety Victoria), Lucy Burnett (Thorne Harbour Health), Ada Conroy (NIFVS).

Victoria’s first-ever Family Violence Research Agenda 2021-2024 will build on what is already working and focus efforts on research activities that fill gaps in evidence base across prevention, early intervention and response.

The seven high-level research priorities are:

  • Primary prevention
  • Children and young people as victim survivors in their own right
  • Family violence as experienced by Aboriginal people and communities
  • Family violence as experienced by people from diverse communities
  • Sexual violence and harm
  • Adolescent family violence
  • Perpetrators and people who use violence.

The research will be conducted in partnership with universities, industry and agencies and through cross-government activities.

(Source: Family Safety Victoria eNews, 25.2.22)

The Federal Government will invest $2.8 million over three years to deliver the final stage of the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) project. This will include a national summit chaired by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar, AO, that will focus on women’s leadership and decision making, as well as addressing family, domestic and sexual violence.

The Wiyi Yani U Thangani project set out to capture what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls consider to be their strengths, challenges and aspirations.

(Source: WIFVC eNews, 24.2.22)

Family Safety Victoria has engaged Swinburne University of Technology and consortium partners, Uniting Vic/Tas and Boorndawan Willam Aboriginal Healing Service (BWAHS) to undertake the development of non-accredited MARAM training for working with adults using family violence. No to Violence will also be involved in the development of the training programs in a key subject matter expert role.  

The training package will be designed to embed Aboriginal cultural safety to ensure that it is culturally appropriate for Aboriginal workers and communities.  

The consortia will develop three non-accredited courses, one for workforces with identification responsibilities, one for workforces with intermediate risk assessment and management responsibilities and one for workforces with comprehensive MARAM responsibilities to work with adults using family violence. It is anticipated that the training will be finalised in mid-2022.  

(Source: Family Safety Victoria email, 16.2.22)

The Victorian Government has announced it will provide a further $4 million in funding from the Dhelk Dja Family Violence Fund to deliver Aboriginal-led family violence prevention and response initiatives under the Dhelk Dja: Safe Our Way Agreement.  

The Dhelk Dja Agreement ensures Aboriginal services and government work together and are accountable for ensuring Aboriginal people, families and communities are stronger, safer, thriving and free from family violence.

All eligible Aboriginal organisations and community groups are invited to apply for funding through the 2021-22 Dhelk Dja Family Violence Fund to develop and deliver a range of Aboriginal-led family violence responses and initiatives.

The Dhelk Dja Koori Caucus has identified and endorsed three priority funding streams for this funding round – Aboriginal frontline family violence services, working with male victims of family violence and preventing the cycle of violence – strengthening Aboriginal families.  

Applications for funding are open to eligible Aboriginal organisations and community groups until 3 March 2022. To apply or find out more visit tenders.vic.gov.au/tender.

(Source: Premiers Media Centre, 16.2.22)

Good Shepherd has established a Financial Independence Hub that supports victim survivors who have experienced financial abuse to feel more confident with money and plan for the future. 

This innovative program is available across Victoria and provides one-on-one financial coaching to build financial independence, manage everyday finances and work towards goals.

The program is open to victim survivors of financial abuse through domestic or family violence who are in the recovery phase and over 18 years of age.

(Source: Good Shepherd website, 9.2.22)