Multi agency risk assessment conferences
Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference’s are meetings to discuss how to help domestic abuse survivors aged 16 or over at high risk of murder or serious harm.
Useful numbers
Surrey domestic abuse helpline
01483 776822
9am to 9pm, 7 days a week
provided by yourSanctuary
Surrey Police
999 (emergency)
101 (non-emergency)
What is a Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference?
A Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) is a regular local meeting to discuss how to help domestic abuse survivors, aged 16 or over, at high risk of murder or serious harm. Each agency signed up to MARAC has a representative who attends meetings and is responsible for the actions of their agency.
MARAC runs alongside other multi-agency assessment processes. Domestic abuse specialists, police, children's and adults social care, health and other relevant agencies all attend. They talk about the survivor, the family and perpetrator, and share information. The meeting is confidential.
There are six MARAC meetings regularly held in Surrey. Between them, they cover the geographical area of Surrey:
- Surrey Heath and Woking
- Guildford and Waverley
- Tandridge, Mole Valley and Epsom
- Reigate & Banstead, & Ewell
- Runnymede, Elmbridge
- Spelthorne
How to make a referral to MARAC?
If the situation is urgent, visible injury is evident, and children or a vulnerable adult are at risk, you should contact Surrey Police on 999. You can also report your concerns to the Children's Single Point of Access (children) Phone: 0300 470 9100, or the Adult Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (adults) Phone: 0300 470 9100.
Report a concern about a child or young person
Make an adult safeguarding referral
If domestic abuse is disclosed to you, and has been assessed as high-risk, either through a risk assessment, escalation of the abuse, or professional judgement, a MARAC referral should be made:
- MARAC referrals will be accepted from any agency
- A professional will have identified that someone is at risk of domestic abuse, either through disclosure by the survivor, or in their professional's judgement they believe they are at high risk of harm
- The perpetrator(s) should never be told of the MARAC referral
- The referral form will be received by Surrey's MARAC administrators
- Following a referral, the survivor is assigned an independent Domestic Abuse Outreach Worker who will contact the survivor to offer support and represent them at MARAC
- The MARAC takes place and relevant information is shared by all attendees, who should ensure they are clear on the actions they can and will take, and by when, to ensure the safety of the survivor, their children and any other dependents
- Following the meeting minutes and agreed actions are sent out to all attending agencies
If you require further information or help in making a MARAC referral please contact: MARAC@surreycc.gov.uk
Please note that the MARAC email inbox is monitored regularly, however there may be a delay in response during particularly busy times. If your enquiry is urgent, or you feel that an emergency MARAC is required, please highlight this in the subject field of your email and mark it as urgent and/or tag as high importance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the victim have to consent to share their information?
It is always advised to gain consent from the survivor because safety planning will be more effective if she or he agrees to work with the independent Domestic Abuse Outreach Workers. However, when considering the safety of clients who are at high risk of harm, gaining consent is not always necessary.
What if the case does not reach the criteria for MARAC?
If a survivor does not meet the criteria, they can still be referred to the local domestic abuse service who provide free impartial services giving practical help and emotional support, as well as providing information on a wide range of issues including housing, benefits, safety planning and the needs of children affected by domestic abuse.
What happens after the MARAC?
The independent Domestic Abuse Outreach Worker or lead professional will let the survivor know about the safety plan, and the support available to them. The safety plan will outline actions to support the survivor, and any children, to reduce the risk from the perpetrator.
What happens if the abuse continues?
If a survivor whose case has already been considered at a MARAC later reports an incident to any agency, that agency must refer the case back to the MARAC as a repeat case. This allows the MARAC to re-design the safety plan, taking any new information into account.
More information for MARAC attendees
Safe Lives is a national charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse. The SafeLives Knowledge Hub provides professionals with tools and resources to help the effective operation of MARACs, including a toolkit which offers national guidance and good practice for representatives of MARAC.
Before the meeting
- A Microsoft Teams invite is sent out prior to the MARAC meeting to all MARAC representatives with the details of the call, time and date
- A separate email will be sent to MARAC representatives with a link to a secure SharePoint folder containing the agenda for that meeting
- MARAC representatives are expected to research the cases and speak to the relevant worker about their role with that family and their knowledge of the abuse
- MARAC representatives should log into the modus system (a secure online domestic abuse case management system) prior to the meeting and log into the appropriate area MARAC
- MARAC representatives should look at each listed case and update the MARAC Information form with relevant information on the survivor, any children and the perpetrator
- Information shared must be relevant to the domestic abuse and the home situation and not generalised
At the meeting
- MARAC representatives will be asked by the Chair to update those present at the meeting on their role, and any relevant information they have on the people involved to assist safety planning
- MARAC administrators will minute the meetings, including actions agreed
- MARAC representatives must stay for the whole meeting, unless previously agreed, even if the case does not seem relevant to them. All MARAC representatives have a voice and can put their ideas forward
After the meeting
- MARAC administrators will upload the minutes and all actions agreed onto modus
- MARAC representatives to pass on any actions from the MARAC to relevant professionals
- Actions must be completed in the time agreed by the MARAC Chair and the MARAC representative must ensure actions completed are updated on modus (or via the MARAC administrators if they cannot access modus)
- If actions cannot be completed in the agreed time, this must also be updated in modus
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Privacy Notice for Surrey Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference
Our privacy notice explains how the multi-agency risk assessment conference uses information about you and how we protect your privacy.