Developing a Positive Action Plan

Only accurate information that is directly relevant to the safety of the person at risk and their children should be shared by the attending agencies. This falls into four main categories:

1. Basic demographic information including any pseudonyms used and whether there are any children and their ages.
2. Information on key risk factors or vulnerabilities including, where appropriate, professional knowledge, assessment and judgement on the risks faced.
3. Any relevant history of domestic violence or other associated behaviour (child abuse, sexual assault) by the perpetrator or person at risk.
4. The ‘voice’ of the person at risk. This may be provided by the practitioner working directly with the person at risk (or their agency representative). Referrers may request, or be invited, to attend the Family Safety Meeting to speak to their experience with the family. Evidence shows that in many cases the victim survivor is the best judge of their level of risk, because they are most familiar with the patterns of behaviour of the person committing DFV against them.

Information sharing at Family Safety Meetings is strictly limited to the aims of the meeting. Representatives must agree to this, as stated in the user agreement, before joining a FSM. Information gained at the meeting must not be used for other purposes without reference to and approval from the person/agency that originally supplied it.

Positive actions to decrease risk

Examples of FSM agency actions include:

• Information checks
• Domestic Violence Services support/liaison
• SAPOL actions, safety plans, Intervention Orders, warrants, advising person at risk about police bail and court outcomes and dates
• Joint visits, for example SAPOL and Domestic Violence Services
• Liaison with school staff regarding children’s safety
• Monitoring of bail conditions, prison status checks
• Flagging of high risk on any client systems and records
• Housing needs assessment, bond assistance
• Provision of home safety audits, security screens and duress alarms
• Mental health, drug/alcohol assessments and referral.