Family Safety Framework Snapshot

The essential elements of the Family Safety Framework are:

Common Risk Assessment: DVRA

• To provide effective and consistent assessment of risk, a common Domestic Violence Risk Assessment (DVRA) is used. This is part of completing a referral on the Family Safety Portal.
• The DVRA prompts information about known risk and vulnerability factors to determine the level of risk and likelihood of harm occurring or escalating.
• The DVRA provides an indicative risk score and is the first consideration in a referral being submitted to the Family Safety Meeting. Professional judgement is the second important consideration when considering the level of risk and referral to a Family Safety Meeting. The experience and perception of risk by the person at risk and the referrer are critical in supporting a referral.

Information Sharing

• The Framework is requires participating agencies to share information about the perpetrators of domestic, family or sexual violence and people experiencing domestic, family or sexual violence which is assessed as high risk and where the risk of serious harm is ongoing and/or escalating and judged as likely to occur soon.
• The Family Safety Framework facilitates information sharing about people experiencing domestic, family or sexual violence in order to prevent or lessen a threat to a person’s life or safety.
• The Information Sharing Guidelines provide guidance for when consent to share information is and is not given, and outline the process and professional judgements that should underpin decision-making in both these circumstances.
• All agencies participating in the Framework must adhere to Information Sharing Guidelines (ISG). Your agency should have policies and procedures for sharing information under the ISG. You can also use this link to access the South Australian Government’s Information Sharing Guidelines.
• Agencies are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality and security of information presented at the Family Safety Meeting (FSM) in keeping with the Information Privacy Principles as well as your own agency’s policy and procedure for accessing and handling confidential information.
• A User Agreement, describing the terms and responsibilities of FSM representatives must be accepted by all representatives before they can be approved to join a FSM.