What we’re doing to help: our Multi-Agency Risk Assessment
What is MARAC?
Hounslow Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) is a multi-agency meeting which domestic abuse victims who have been identified as at high risk of serious harm or homicide are referred to. The MARAC is attended by representatives from a range of agencies including police, health, child protection, housing, Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs), probation, mental health and substance misuse and other specialists from the statutory and voluntary sectors.
Relevant and proportionate information is shared during the meeting about the current risks, enabling representatives to identify options to increase the safety of the victim and any other vulnerable parties such as children.
MARAC Aims
Hounslow MARAC has daily and monthly meetings.
Hounslow MARAC aims are:
- To share information to increase the safety, health and well-being of adult victims and their children.
- To determine whether the perpetrator poses a significant risk to an individual or to the general community.
- To construct jointly and implement a risk management plan that provides professional support to all those at risk and aim to reduce the risk of harm.
- To reduce repeat victimisation.
- To improve agency accountability.
- Improve support for staff involved in high-risk domestic abuse cases.
MARAC Meetings
Hounslow hold both a daily and monthly MARAC
Daily MARAC meetings aim:
- to safeguarding the victim within 48 hours of the receipt of the referral and delegate actions to agencies,
- to reduce the number of cases to the Monthly MARAC,
- to provide feedback to the victim on the safeguarding measures agreed.
- a minimum of 4 cases per day are discussed at the Daily MARAC; and
- more complex cases are referred onto the monthly MARAC where a wider panel participate.
Monthly MARAC
The Monthly MARAC occurs on the last Thursday of every month. These meetings are attended by a wider panel and aim to provide further consideration for complex cases that have been referred by the Daily MARAC.
Confidentiality and Information Sharing
Information shared in the MARAC meetings is confidential and shared only with those signed up to Hounslow’s Information Sharing Agreement.
The protocol includes:
- Professionals agree to always abide by his or her own organisation’s confidentiality procedures.
- MARAC documents will not be shared with anyone not signed up to the Information Sharing Agreement.
- Professionals will always use secure email or password protect confidential documents.
- Professionals will store information securely (both electronic and hard copies)
- Professionals will adhere to the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations 2018
Consent from the Victim/Survivor
It is considered best practice to gain consent from a victim/survivor when referring to MARAC. Referrers should use the written consent form to Disclose Personalised Information to the Hounslow MARAC or Verbal Consent to disclose personalised information to the Hounslow MARAC.
It is recognised that there will be circumstances where information will need to be shared without consent from a victim. In these circumstances the referrer must record the reasons why consent has not been provided using the Information Sharing Without Consent form.
Additional Information
