Status:
Finished

Activity details

We led the development of a new best-practice National Family and Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Framework. We did this in collaboration with states, territories and relevant Commonwealth agencies. The framework includes best-practice national risk assessment guidance, including on system, workforce and practice environments. These support effective responses to risk and safety. The national risk assessment principles underpin safe, consistent and person-centred risk assessment practice across all settings. 

We engaged Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS) to update the national risk assessment principles and risk factors (originally published in 2018). The refreshed principles and risk factors are embedded within the framework.

The Australian Government committed $2.0 million (GST exclusive) over three years from 2024–25 to deliver this activity.

Implementation progress update

This activity was announced following the September 2024 National Cabinet meeting on gender-based violence. As part of this commitment, all First Ministers agreed to update their FDV risk assessment and management frameworks to align with the Framework.

The framework was endorsed by all states and territories at a meeting of National Cabinet on 26 August 2026.

On request of the Women and Women’s Safety Ministerial Council on 7 February 2025, the Data and Digital Ministers Meeting (DDMM) agreed to produce national guidance. This was to enable best-practice FDV information sharing under its Fourth National Data Sharing Work Program. We co-led this project with the Victorian Government, in consultation with the Western Australian Government.  DDMM endorsed the outcomes of the FDV information sharing project in early 2026. This guidance is intended to support jurisdictions' FDV risk assessment and management approaches.

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More information

DSS4379 | Permalink: www.dss.gov.au/node/4379