VU22733 - Identify and provide initial response to family violence risk

Assessment tasks will be designed to reinforce & extend knowledge and skill competence within set & controlled parameters in accordance with each unit’s learning outcomes & performance criteria requirements, including the setting of work based practical application tasks designed to provide evidence of competence outcomes, within periodic and scheduled timelines.

Students will be expected to demonstrate the following required skills:
**Observational skills to:

• identify risk of family violence
• determine risks to own safety
  *Communication skills to:
• listen to victim survivors’ to build trust and understand their individual circumstances and needs
• recognise and support Aboriginal people to access the service of their choice
• use culturally sensitive and respectful approaches to gather information and assess the risk of family violence, appropriate to the age of the universal service user
• explain service user rights and responsibilities, and support/services available
• make referrals and share information with relevant agencies
  • Interpersonal skills to:
• apply active listening and focused attention for service user engagement
• convey sensitivity, respect, empathy, validation and non-judgemental behaviours
• avoid stereotyping and collusion with perpetrators
• empower the victim survivor by supporting their input into decision-making
  •Problem solving skills to:
• identify family violence
• determine risks to own safety
• identify risk factors according to established policy frameworks
  •Initiative skills to:
• make reports to relevant authorities in cases of high risk harm, including to children and young people
• make referrals to relevant services as determined by organisational policies and procedures.
  •Learning skills to:
• follow organisational policies and procedures in relation to the identification of risk or disclosure of family violence
• identify family violence responsibilities within scope of job role
  •Literacy skills to:
• interpret Family Violence Assessment and Risk Management frameworks
• identify appropriate information for referrals and service support

Students will also be expected to demonstrate the following knowledge:
*Legislation, policies, procedures an standards relevant to role/sphere of influence including:

• the Family Violence Protection Act (2008) and the professional obligations under Victoria’s Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework; including an understanding of other responsibilities and levels of assessment and management under the Framework
• Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework principles and their influence on all areas of consideration and practice.
• mandatory reporting requirements and Child Safe Standards in regard to children and young people
• information sharing laws and regulations
  *Concepts, nature and dynamics of family violence, including:
• forms of family violence as defined in section 5 of the Family Violence Protection Act (2008)
• broader definition of family violence and understanding of family within Aboriginal communities, as defined by Dhelk Dja: Safe Our Way: Strong Culture, Strong Peoples, Strong Families (2018-2028)
• signs, risk indicators and observable behaviours that indicate current or past experiences or perpetration of family violence; in particular those relating to different cohorts serviced by own organisation (e.g. children/young people, people with a disability, CALD communities)
• victim survivors are not responsible for family violence and their safety decisions need to be respected
• family violence myths that lead to victim blaming and victim invisibility
• that perpetrators choose to use violence and the range of behaviours and tactics (including the use of technology) perpetrators may utilise within different relationships and/or forms of family violence
• prevalence of family violence and sexual assault, and their co-occurrence
• gendered nature and drivers of family violence and violence against women and children, including contributing beliefs, attitudes and norms
• intersectional factors (including, but not limited to patriarchy, colonisation, racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, homophobia and transphobia) that are reflective of structural inequality and discrimination and amplify barriers to disclosure and service access
• distinction between violence experienced and perpetrated by men and women
• family violence used by adolescents (i.e. individuals aged 10-19 years) is a distinct and different form of family violence, and requires different therapeutic and service responses
  *Family violence risk and risk factors, including:
• evidence-based risk factors in the approved Family Violence Risk Assessment and Management Framework
• spectrum of seriousness of risk and presentations as outlined in the approved Family Violence Risk Assessment and Management Framework
• dynamic nature of risk (and therefore the need to monitor risk levels over time)
• risks around misidentification of perpetrators of family violence and the significant impacts on systems response to a victim survivor in these situations
• risks to victim survivors’ safety with engaging/challenging perpetrators
• relationship between risk levels and intersectional factors
• specific family violence risk indicators for children and young people and people from diverse communities and specific cohorts, particularly those cohorts associated with additional risks or barriers
  *The cumulative and traumatic impacts of family violence and the impacts on the parent-child relationship on women and children victim survivors, including children who are indirectly exposed to its effects
  *The unique status and experiences of Aboriginal communities as First Nations people, including experiences of colonisation, systemic violence and discrimination
  *Practitioners and services involved with multi agency responses to family violence; including those for people from diverse communities
  *The extent and limitations of own role in relation to family violence identification and response