Community MARAC Terms of reference

Criteria for the CMARAC

The inclusion criteria for referral to CMARAC are cases which involve vulnerable victims/perpetrators:

• whose behaviours affects other, and/or
• who are experiencing on –going victimisation or are at risk of harm 

High Risk

When making a referral to CMARAC you will be asked to complete a risk assessment. Your answers are given a higher score indicating the level of risk identified. If you have a total on completion above 31 this would indicate that the current risk is high. This matrix is considered alongside information provided by partners prior to CMARAC to accurately assess overall risk.

Potential Escalation

This criterion can be used to identify cases where there is insufficient identification of the risk factors on the list, but where incidents are escalating in frequency or severity and where it is appropriate to assess the situation more fully by sharing information at the CMARAC.

Professional judgement

If there are serious concerns with regard to a subject’s situation, the case should be assessed accordingly. There will be occasions where the particular context of a case gives rise for concern even if a subject has been unwilling to disclose information that might highlight their risk more clearly. This could reflect extreme levels of fear, or an unwillingness to involve other members of the family for instance. This judgement would be based on the professional’s experience and / or a subjects’ perception of their risk.

Multi agency approach needed

Cases referred to CMARAC would be those where a multi-agency approach is needed to safeguard victims of ASB/crime and / or their family, and address the behaviour of perpetrators either by an early intervention or by enforcement.
The exclusion criteria are cases where there is an alternative more appropriate meeting to discuss the case and manage the situation more effectively.

Case management

The responsibility to take appropriate action rests with individual agencies; it is not transferred to the Panel. The role of the Panel is to facilitate, monitor and evaluate effective information sharing to enable appropriate action to be taken to increase public safety, whether by early intervention or enforcement.

Each case brought to the CMARAC will have a management plan agreed, tailored to take in to account the risk posed to the victim, and any witness, to increase their safety and that of other vulnerable parties. Risks posed by the perpetrator would also be appropriately managed.

A management plan may include safeguarding the victim and their families, supporting witnesses, managing the behaviour of the perpetrator, either by way of intervention or enforcement, referral to specialist services and the prioritising of agency resources.

The panel representative is responsible for communicating relevant information and action points to their agency and is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate practitioners carry out all actions in a timely manner, and the CMARAC informed either directly or through the Chairs.

Monitoring/updates

The lead from the referring agency or the most appropriate a primary agency identified by the CMARAC will be expected to keep victims and witnesses informed of progress.

The primary agency will lead on coordination of actions outside of the CMARAC. They will also be expected to update the CMARAC on the progress of cases and of any actions that have been given to them by the CMARAC.

Any unmet actions will be reviewed at the start of the next meeting and recorded in the minutes.

Reasons for closing

• partner organisations are providing a joined up support plan
• reduced safeguarding issues for victim/perpetrator
• the plan will be passed back to primary agencies to take forward where:
• victims/perpetrators are not engaging with the partner agencies
• the primary organisation needs to progress and implement the agreed action plan. 

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Terms of reference form