24 Hour Domestic Violence Help-line

2 new MARACs are starting in January 2008 in:

North Notts to cover Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood

West Notts to cover Mansfield and Ashfield

Both MARACs have funding for Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs) and Administrators who are being employed by local Women’s Aid projects.

Aims of MARAC

• To increase the safety of the victim and any children through information sharing
• To determine if the perpetrator poses a significant risk
• Construct a joint risk management plan
• Reduce repeat victimisation
• To improve agency accountability
• To improve support for staff

MARAC Process

• Fortnightly MARAC Cases identified through Multi-Agency Risk Assessment
• Only High Risk cases taken to MARAC
• Each Agency receives details of cases 8 days before the MARAC
• Senior Police Chair
• 10-15 minutes per case
• Information Sharing Protocol in place
• Independent Domestic Violence Advocates attend
• Risk management plan agreed

Agencies involved:

Police, Women’s Aid, Children’s Services (both Social Care and Education), PCT, Probation, Housing plus others

Additional resources required to comply with national model:

Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs) who are specialist domestic violence workers. These are new posts with accredited training. They focus on risk and risk management and  

• provide intensive support to survivors immediately after the risk assessment.
• MARAC administrator who co-ordinates the MARAC information and arranges the meetings
• Multi-agency training before MARAC starts and follow-up after 3 months operation (Provided by CAADA*). This training has now take place in North and West Notts.

Expectations of Partners

1)  Receive details of selected high risk cases from MARAC Administrator – likely to be 10 per fortnight in each area - and search databases etc for agency involvement.

2) Attend MARAC meeting up to 2 hours per fortnight in each area and share information on relevant cases (those involving children first on agenda). Agency representative needs to have enough seniority to be able to agree agency actions as part of Risk Management Plan.

3) Organise any follow up actions agreed in Risk Management Plan

South Notts

Funding has been secured for training only in this financial year. If the other MARACs are successful and further funding is allocated – a MARAC covering Rushcliffe, Gedling and Broxtowe will start in late 2008