Prevent (radicalisation and extremism) – resources for practitioners

Prevent is designed to stop people from supporting terrorism or becoming terrorists themselves. The aim is to identify those susceptible to violent extremism and provide access to appropriate interventions.

Prevent addresses radicalisation to all forms of terrorism, including the extreme right-wing, for example, and the non-violent, which can popularise views that terrorists exploit.

Manchester has been a Prevent priority area since 2008 and the Community Safety Partnership lead this work; for more information visit their website at www.makingmanchestersafer.com

If you have concerns about an individual potentially being radicalised please ring 101 quoting Channel or the Anti-Terrorism Hotline on 0800 789 321. If it is an emergency please ring 999.

The Manchester Prevent and Community Cohesion Coordinator is Samiya Butt – contact by email at s.butt@manchester.gov.uk or call 0161 234 1489.

The Channel Team is based at GMP Headquarters within the North West Counter-Terrorism Unit – contact by email at channel.project@gmp.police.uk or call 0161 856 6362.

Prevent
Prevent is part of the government’s counter-terrorism strategy. Prevent is about safeguarding people and communities from the threat of terrorism. This includes supporting individuals, including young people, who are at risk of radicalisation, from becoming involved in terrorism.

Prevent is one of the four elements of CONTEST, the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy. It aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

Support may be provided via the Channel process which is a multi-agency partnership that evaluates referrals of individuals at risk of being drawn into terrorism, working alongside safeguarding partnerships and crime reduction panels.

The Department for Education has launched a helpline for anyone concerned about a child who may be at risk of extremism, or about extremism within an organisation working with children and young people – email the team at counter.extremism@education.gsi.gov.uk or call 020 7340 7264 or visit the website at www.gov.uk/protecting-children-from-radicalisation-the-prevent-duty

Prevent is about safeguarding people and communities from the threat of terrorism. At the heart of Prevent is safeguarding children and adults and providing early intervention to protect and divert people away from being drawn into terrorist activity – for more information visit their website www.ltai.info/what-is-prevent/

Channel Project
The Channel Project is an early intervention strategy aimed at identifying and supporting individuals (including children) vulnerable to recruitment by violent extremists. It is a mechanism for ensuring these individuals are assessed and supported by professionals using statutory safeguarding frameworks and multi-agency working.

Free training is available for managers and front line practitioners. For further information contact the Channel Team – by email at channel.project@gmp.pnn.police.uk or call 0161 856 6362 / 6345 / 6368

Through the Channel process partners are able to work together to assess the nature and extent of the risk and, where necessary, provide an appropriate support package tailored to the individual’s needs. A multi-agency panel, chaired by the local authority, decides on the most appropriate action to safeguard an individual and this is monitored closely and reviewed regularly.

The support provided will vary according to the nature and extent of the risk that has been identified by the multi-agency panel and may include targeted support (including faith guidance, counselling and mentoring or diversionary activities) or by providing access to specific services such as health or education.

For further information about CONTEST and Prevent in Manchester visit the GMP website at www.gmp.police.uk

The MSB has issued the MSB Briefing: Prevent Duty and Safeguarding Individuals from being drawn into Terrorism (published March 2018) which provides information to staff around Channel in Manchester and the referral process.

The Prevent Team have published a 7 Minute briefing Prevent Referral May 2019 to assist practitioners.

Across Greater Manchester, Channel has been embedded into existing Adults and Children safeguarding policies and procedures and is delivered in line with the principles of Working Together to Safeguard Children, the Care Act 2014 and Making Safeguarding Personal.

The Department for Education has issued advice and social media guidance to schools and childcare providers to help them keep children safe from the risk of radicalisation and extremism, including:

• Protecting children from radicalisation: the prevent duty (July 2015) and
• The use of social media for online radicalisation (July 2015)

As with other forms of safeguarding strategies, early intervention is always preferable. Schools, working with other local partners, families and communities, play a key role in ensuring young people and their communities are safe from the threat of terrorism.

Prevent duty guidance: for further education institutions and Prevent duty guidance: for higher education institutions can be found on the government website at www.gov.uk/prevent-duty-guidance

Information for Health Professionals: Building Partnerships, Staying Safe (DoH 2011) is the health sector contribution to the Prevent strategy.

Guidance for partner agencies on the Channel process is available on the government website at www.gov.uk/channel-guidance.  This provides local partner agencies in England and Wales with advice on implementing Channel and details of the support it can provide for vulnerable individuals.

The full suite of Prevent duty guidance can be found o the government website at www.gov.uk/prevent-duty-guidance and at  www.legislation.gov.uk/

The Channel General Awareness online resource helps raise awareness and can be accessed at course.ncalt.com/Channel_General_Awareness

Prevent for Schools (P4S)
The Lancashire P4S site was originally launched in 2012 by the Pan-Lancashire Prevent for Education Group. This resource provides a variety of practical materials and broader guidance to support schools with educating and safeguarding pupils against the dangers of radicalisation and violent extremism; split to primary, secondary and further education pages – visit their website at www.preventforschools.org/

HM Passport Office has published a guide explaining how to request the cancellation of the passport of a child under 16 at risk of radicalisation – visit their website at HM Passport Office 25 August 2015 guidance

Educate against hate provides practical advice for parents, teachers and schools leaders on protecting children from extremism and radicalisation (government sponsored site) – visit their website at educateagainsthate.com/

Families against stress and trauma (FAST) provides information to help parents understand the issues in order to have a frank, honest conversation about this complicated subject and to help children if they need it – visit their website at www.familymattersuk.org

In March 2016 the government published a catalogue of training courses to help individuals covered by the requirements of the Prevent Duty – find these on the government website at www.gov.uk/prevent-duty-catalogue-of-training-courses

Some professionals should note that this online course may not be sufficient and they should complete a Workshop to Raise Awareness of Prevent (WRAP) training through their organisation.

Teachers, parents and school leaders can find out more on the website at educateagainsthate.com