How to appropriately record family violence consultations and manage the legal requirements

The aims of the session are:

• To support GPs to appropriately record consultations where family violence presents
• To determine the legal requirements and obligations of GPs responding to family violence.

The Victorian Government’s Royal Commission into Family Violence identified GPs as playing a significant role in potentially saving the lives of women and children experiencing family violence and were declared the most trusted person outside of a family member or close friend. In accordance with these findings, changes have been made to the  Family Violence Information Sharing  Scheme to enable GPs, practice nurses and practice teams to appropriately respond and participate in a multidisciplinary approach to better support their patients who are victims of family violence.

The Primary Care Pathways to Safety program aims to support GPs and practice teams to ask about family violence when a patient presents with pertinent symptoms or signs. Consultations can be complex and time-consuming. Health outcomes related to family violence can be diverse with the main presentations being mental health issues including insomnia, anxiety and depression.  

This session aims to respond to questions raised by GPs during their family violence education and training. Participants will be given the opportunity to ask questions of the expert panellists and learn how to safely document their findings, address issues of consent, assess risk and provide support consistent with their professional and clinical requirements. 

Speakers

Magdalena Simonis AM, Associate Professor - University of Melbourne

Clinical Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis is a leading women’s health expert, government advisor and a senior honorary research fellow at the University of Melbourne’s Department of General Practice.  

She has helped develop resources with Safer Families specifically around information sharing and the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM). She continues to deliver family violence training through Safer Families and RACGP. Magdalena is a long-standing member of the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care and is the elected Australian Medical Association Federal General Practice Representative.

Rebecca Kovacs, Medical Indemnity Insurer - Avant

Rebecca is a medico-legal lawyer at Avant, the medical indemnity insurer, and has been practising in health law for over 10 years. During this time, she has represented medical practitioners in regulatory investigations including AHPRA, Medicare and coronial investigations. Rebecca’s experience includes acting as in-house counsel for AHPRA and the 15 national boards regulating registered health practitioners and defending public health services in medical negligence litigation.

Gordon Porter

Gordon Porter has been a barrister for 10 years. He retired from Victoria Police after a 32-year career, predominately as a prosecutor. Throughout, he was a strong advocate for victim survivors of domestic violence. 

He has a wealth of experience as an advocate, having worked in and around Magistrates’ Courts for over 40 years. When not in the courtroom he has been active in driving reform within Victoria Police, Koori Court, and Mental Health lists. He was Senior Advisor to the Vanuatu State Prosecution’s Department, where he also helped drive awareness for the rights of women, particularly against domestic violence. 

Gordon was also the founding member of Voice For Harmony, an anti-discrimination community group. He has been recognised for his work in the criminal justice system in the establishment of the Koori Court, for his services to ethnic and the Koori communities. Gordon received a commendation from Victoria Police for his cross examination of an expert witness in a highly complex case.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Demonstrate how to assess level of risk when family violence or intimate partner violence has been identified. 
• Demonstrate how to assess the legal needs of patients experiencing family violence. 
• Demonstrate how to complete documentation and safe record keeping consistent with professional obligations for responding to family violence. 
• Determine key reporting considerations when responding to family violence, including responding to requests for information.