Online Privacy

If you have ticked 14 or more ‘yes’ boxes the case would currently meet the MARAC referral criteria.  If you have ticked less than 14 ‘yes’ boxes but it is your professional judgement that this is a ‘High Risk’ case you are dealing with, the case would also currently meet the MARAC referral criteria.

A reminder about ‘High Risk’:

'High Risk' : There is imminent risk of serious harm. The potential event is more likely than not to happen imminently and the impact could be serious. There may be need for immediate intervention. After discussion with your line manager/colleague, it may be necessary to notify the Police and / or Children and Young People’s Services immediately, without the consent of the victim. Where any agency assesses risk as ‘High’ an immediate referral to MARAC is normally required, with or without consent. Whilst it is best practice wherever possible to obtain the victim’s consent to make a referral to MARAC, it is not always safe or possible to do so. It is important to remember to complete the Information Sharing without Consent Form (72KB - pdf help), along with the MARAC Referral Form, if you are sharing information without consent. It is also important to stress that the police can and should be contacted in an emergency. Hand out the adva ‘Home is Where the Hurt is (28KB - pdf help)’ domestic abuse services leaflet with appropriate contact numbers for your area and ask the person to keep you informed about their safety.

'High Risk' = Professional judgement and / or the number of ‘ticks’ on this CAADA DASH checklist. If you have ticked 14 or more ‘yes’ boxes the case would currently meet the MARAC referral criteria.

MARAC Referral

There are 4 MARACs in Devon:

• Exeter MARAC
• East and Mid Devon MARAC
• Northern Devon MARAC
• South and West Devon MARAC

Please complete the MARAC referral form appropriate to the MARAC in your locality:

• Exeter MARAC referral form (69KB - pdf help)
• East and Mid Devon MARAC referral form (69KB - pdf help)
• Northern Devon MARAC referral form (69KB - pdf help)
• South and West Devon MARAC referral form (69KB - pdf help)

Please also complete a MARAC Research Form (64KB - pdf help) and / or a MARAC Information Sharing without Consent form (72KB - pdf help), should these be necessary.

Please send your completed MARAC Referral form, together with your completed CAADA DASH RIC (plus completed MARAC Information Sharing without Consent form and / or MARAC Research form if necessary) to your local MARAC Administrator (details on the MARAC Referral form).

MARAC referrals should be sent by secure email (encrypted) or other secure method. No form of post (registered or otherwise) is considered secure anymore for sharing personal information.

Sharing Information Securely

Sending personal information by fax:

Do not fax personal or confidential information unless it is absolutely necessary.

Secure (encrypted) email is the safest way to share personal or confidential information securely.  If you do not have access to a secure (encrypted) email, it is possible to fax such information providing you follow the procedures below carefully:

• Telephone the recipient to ensure that they are aware a confidential fax is about to be sent, to confirm that an identified individual will collect and deliver it and that safe receipt will be confirmed.
• Send a test sheet with ‘Please Ring Me to Confirm Receipt’ if this is the first time using the fax number.
• Mark the cover sheet ‘Strictly confidential, intended for the addressee only. In the event of an error please contact the sender immediately’.
• Information should be restricted to the minimum necessary and only those items that are essential to the purpose of the disclosure. Information should be anonymous where possible to limit identification of the service user when it is not relevant.
• Use pre-installed numbers wherever possible to minimise the risk of misdialling. Double check the fax number before sending.

Please note that secure (encrypted) email is the safest way to share personal or confidential information securely. Do not fax personal or confidential information unless it is absolutely necessary.

Please download a copy of the Sharing Information Securely guidance (38KB - pdf help) for your personal use.

For more information about MARACs in Devon, including MARAC Chairs and MARAC Administrators, please visit the adva website.