Guidance for multi-agency forums: Addressing perpetrators

This resource outlines guidance for multi-agency forums to address the abusive behaviour of perpetrators.

This guidance resource was co-created by two national scrutiny panels; the panels gather together experts from all core agencies required for an effective Marac to reflect on anonymised cases, with the aim of troubleshooting common issues. The national scrutiny panel is held at the Home Office.

This guidance supports the Marac process in working with those perpetrating abusive behaviour. While the central purpose of the Marac is to improve safety of the victim and children, this can only be achieved if the behaviour of those perpetrating abusive behaviour is addressed effectively.

It is critical that the Marac considers information about those perpetrating abuse, and that there are actions within the safety plan that directly address their abusive behaviour.

This guidance aims to reinforce our current advice on support for victims and children at Marac and should be read by both the Chair and Marac representatives. It is also useful Guidance for those involved in other multi-agency arrangements such as Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), Multi Agency Tasking and Coordination (MATAC) and Integrated Offender Management (IOM).

This guidance provides information on the role of Marac representatives regarding managing those perpetrating abusive behaviour, as well as the role of the Marac chair in identifying risks and action planning.