Community MARAC Terms of reference

introduction

The Islington Community Multi-agency Risk Assessment Conference (CMARAC) is a multi-agency meeting where information is shared on complex/ high risk cases involving vulnerable victims/perpetrators of Anti-Social behaviour.

It is attended by representatives from the local authority, local police, mental health and substance use services, housing practitioners, safeguarding advisors, Out-of-Hours ASB/Noise Team, London Fire brigade, Victim support and the health trust as well other specialists from the statutory and voluntary sectors.

All relevant information is shared about victims, witnesses and perpetrators in order to inform a collective assessment of risks. The panel will develop and action plan to address problematic behaviour and agree on an effective safety planning strategy to manage the overall risk to the victim, perpetrator or community.

The primary focus of the CMARAC is to safeguard the victims and witnesses, and prevent further victimisation.

The CMARAC will also make links with other partners to safeguard children and manage the behaviour of the perpetrators

Aims of the Community MARAC

The aims of the CMARAC are to:

• share information in order to increase the safety, health and well-being of victims and / or witnesses, both adults and children;
• ensure multi agency working and multi-agency effective communication
• encourage integrity, openness and honesty between agencies; and foster trust amongst partners by valuing their participation and empowering them to ensure positive outcomes
• determine whether the perpetrators pose a risk to any particular individual or to the general community
• construct jointly and implement, a risk management plan that provides professional support to all those at risk and that reduces the risk of harm;
• reduce repeat victimisation
• improve agency accountability, and improve support for staff involved in cases
• encourage creativity and innovative ways of working
• provide opportunities to improve partnership working
• encourage problem solving
• promote the use of early interventions
• important Note
• the CMARAC is not an agency and does not have a case management function. A lead officer for each case will be nominated at the meeting. The responsibility to take appropriate actions rests with individual agencies, it is not transferred to the Community MARAC. 

Islington CMARAC

The CMARAC is co-ordinated by Islington Council’s Community Safety Team, and is chaired by the Community Safety Team CMARAC lead and by the Police Inspector or appointed deputy on their behalf.

CMARAC Membership consists of a number of Core Members who will be present on a regular basis, as well as other partners who attend as and when required.
Core group members will be:

• Community Safety Team
• Police
• LBI & PFI Housing & other Registered Social Landlords as required
• Camden & Islington Foundation Trust (Mental Health Services)
• Better Lives
• Adult Safeguarding
• Victim Support/Mediation Services
• Single Homeless Project Floating Support
• London Fire brigade
• Whittington Health NHS Trust
• Out-of-Hours ASB/Noise Team 

The CMARAC is not a public information-sharing panel. Attendance will be restricted to the core group members and other members who can provide a contribution to the cases discussed.

The CMARAC will discuss and process highly confidential and/or restricted information. By attendance at the CMARAC or receipt of CMARAC documentation, members and their representatives accept to comply with the principles of the Islington Information Sharing Protocol of the Islington Information Sharing Agreement and the legislation upon which it is based.

Each agency attending the CMARAC will consist of a lead contact for their organisation and a deputy (if the lead cannot attend the CMARAC).
All CMARAC members should be of a suitable management level, as decisions will need to be made on behalf of their organisations and will expected to have an understanding of complex/high risk case management and its affects.

Members should also have an understanding of the referral process, the referral form and the risk checklist in order to understand the level of risk posed.