Helping high risk victims of domestic violence
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We have Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) which are meetings which focus on very high risk victims of domestic abuse. MARACs share information about risks to victims and create a multi-agency action plan to improve the safety of the victim.
Who attends MARAC meetings?
Meetings include representatives from a variety of agencies and the following agencies regularly attend MARACs in East Sussex:
- Action For Change
- Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS)
- East Sussex County Council Children’s Services
- East Sussex Safer Communities Team
- Eastbourne Borough Council – Housing Department
- Eastbourne, Wealden and Lewes Community Substance Misuse Team
- East Sussex Health Care NHS Trust
- East Sussex Community Independent Domestic Violence Advisory Service (IDVA)
- Hastings and Rother Community Substance Misuse Team
- Hastings Borough Council – Housing Department
- Lewes District Council – Housing Department
- Refuge (Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, and Wealden refuges)
- Rother District Council – Housing Department
- St Jude’s Refuge
- Surrey and Sussex Probation Trust
- Sussex Partnership NHS Trust
- Sussex Police
- Wealden District Council – Housing Department
Other agencies will attend MARACs if they have involvement with the care of the victim or their family.
In East Sussex, there are two MARACS, one for Hastings and Rother, and another for Eastbourne, Lewes and Wealden.
How to refer a victim to a MARAC
Any agency can make a referral for cases which meet one or more of the following criteria:
• there is a visible high risk which has been identified by completing the 'Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment Risk Indicator Checklist' (this form is below)
• a person's professional judgement identifies that the victim is at risk of serious harm
• there has been a rise in the number of incidents or level of violence.
• the case has been reviewed at a MARAC within the last year and there has been a further significant incident of domestic abuse.
Agencies that refer a case to the MARAC will need to complete the following MARAC documentation:
• A MARAC referral form
Hastings and Rother MARAC referral form (Word, 185Kb)
Eastbourne, Lewes and Wealden MARAC referral form (Word, 185Kb)
• A Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment (DASH) Risk Indicator Checklist (Word, 357Kb)
In order to support representatives who attend MARACs, there is a MARAC Research Form (Word, 357Kb) available. This is a helpful tool for representatives who gather information for the MARAC meeting so all the risks are identified and plans are put in place to help keep victims safe.
Getting consent from the victim for the referral to the MARAC
The victim should be involved and informed about the referral to the MARAC, unless doing so would make them or their family less safe. It is helpful to explain to the victim about the process of a MARAC so they can understand how agencies work together to help increase their safety by offering services or support.
If you are making a referral to the MARAC and you do not have the consent of the victim to do so, please complete a 'Information sharing without consent form' (Word, 320Kb).
Agencies that make referrals to the MARAC are required to make an immediate referral to an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA). An IDVA will then contact the victim prior to the MARAC meeting so that the victim’s views can be shared at the meeting.
There is a MARAC leaflet (PDF, 119Kb) available which explains to a victim how the MARAC process works.
Sending a referral to the Safer Communities Team
The Safer Communities Team has a MARAC Support Officer who collates the relevant documents for the MARAC. Please contact the Safer Communities Team on 01323 466 549 should you need further information about making a referral to MARAC.
To get advice about sending referrals using secure encrypted emails.
The MARAC Operating Protocol (PDF, 173Kb) sets out how partner agencies contribute to the effective operation of the MARAC. It sets out the aims, membership and process of the East Sussex MARACs to ensure that a helpful and consistent response to domestic abuse/violence is provided by all agencies who have a duty of care towards adults and children. The MARAC Information Sharing Guidance (PDF, 282Kb) forms part of this protocol.
Getting more information
If you have a question about making a referral please contact the Safer Communities Team.
For more information about the MARAC, and for MARAC agency information toolkits please go to the Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) website.
Page last updated on 02 February 2012
