Risk assessment and management framework
Responsible government
- Northern Territory
Fourth Action Plan actions
- Improve support and service system responses
- 16 Enable workforces to provide trauma-informed support with a focus on safety and recovery to victims and survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence.
What are we doing?
The Northern Territory Government has committed $6.49 million from 2019-20 ongoing for initiatives under Action Plan 1: Changing Attitudes, Intervening Earlier and Responding Better (2018- 2021) of the Northern Territory’s Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Reduction Framework 2018- 2028 Safe, respected and free from violence. This investment includes the development and implementation of a risk assessment and management framework (RAMF) and a common risk assessment tool (CRAT).
The RAMF ensures a consistent standard for identifying, assessing and responding to Territorians at risk of domestic and family violence and promotes an integrated, coordinated service system.
What have we achieved so far?
The Northern Territory Government contracted Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety and Jackie Burke Consulting, who undertook extensive stakeholder engagement to inform the development of the RAMF and CRAT.
In October 2020, the Northern Territory Government released the RAMF and CRAT. An orientation program was delivered to services and leadership groups in the last quarter of 2020 to overview the RAMF and CRAT.
The RAMF and CRAT, along with additional tools and resources, such as an organisational implementation guide, are available on the Territory Families website. An online video-based RAMF orientation module was developed and released in August 2021.
In February 2021, the CRAT commenced as the tool for assessments and referrals to the Family Safety Framework.
To support implementation, two training modules have been developed to enable organisations to understand and use the RAMF and CRAT to provide a consistent, coherent and evidence-based framework that guides workers in identifying, assessing, responding to and managing domestic and family violence risk.
In February 2021, a training program comprising three rounds in five locations on the RAMF commenced across the Northern Territory, with over 400 workers now trained. The program includes a train the trainer model to ensure sustainability and local accessibility for ongoing training delivery systems. The Northern Territory Government partnered with the Northern Territory Council of Social Service to support the delivery of the training.
Organisations providing a domestic and family violence service may now apply to become prescribed by legislation as Information Sharing Entities and participate in the Northern Territory Domestic and Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme. Applicants must satisfy the Minister for Territory Families they will align their policies, procedures, practice guidance and tools with the RAMF. Under the first round of applications, eight non-government organisations were prescribed as Information Sharing Entities by regulation in mid-2021. The second round has now closed, with further rounds occurring on a biannual basis.
What is next?
- Further training rounds will be scheduled in 2022. Ongoing training delivery is expected to be managed through the new DFSV Resource centre from 2023.
- The RAMF will be reviewed in 2023, with a particular focus on implementation in remote communities.
- Additional tools and resources for the RAMF to respond to identified needs of specific cohorts, including children and young people, will be developed.
- Alignment with the RAMF will be a component of the service and practice standards to be developed in 2022.
What difference will we make?
- The Northern Territory now has a consistent and evidence-based practice framework to guide all workers in identifying, assessing and managing domestic and family violence risk.
- Universal services have clear roles, responsibilities and support to identify Territorians at risk of experiencing violence early and to respond effectively.
- Worker capability and confidence is strengthened through the availability of the RAMF and the training modules.