Marac research form

Consistent and accurate research helps Marac attendees to build up a comprehensive picture of a case at the meeting.

Most agencies will frequently be unaware of information held by others. Therefore if research is carried out before the meeting, it can be shared where appropriate and an action plan can be established in the timeliest way possible.

We recommend that the research is conducted with the following considerations in mind:

• When undertaking research in advance of the Marac, it is important that agencies do not automatically contact the victim unless they need to take immediate actions to address risk. In most cases, the Idva service will contact the victim in advance of the meeting and agencies should contact either the Idva service or the referring agency in the first instance
• Some agencies will be working with either children or the perpetrator; in this case the Marac research form may need to be adapted to reflect their particular source of information
• The Marac research form should be completed by the designated agency representative themselves or they may contact the relevant officer or support / key worker
• The information within the research form should be current, accurate and, where necessary make a distinction between fact and professional opinion
• Expectations about the use of a common research form by agencies should be addressed in the Marac operating protocol (MOP). SafeLives would recommend that research forms are internal documents for use by the relevant agency and the information contained within them should be shared verbally at the Marac meeting, where relevant and proportionate
• It is possible that you will record info on the research form that you decide isn’t relevant to share at the Marac. You may wish to write this and the reasons for not sharing the information on the research form.