Prevent Radicalisation and Extremism

Please read this page in conjunction with the relevant procedure:

https://www.wirralsafeguarding.co.uk/procedures/6-31-safeguarding-children-young-people-radicalisation-violent-extremism/

The purpose of the Channel Panel is to review cases referred in to ensure children and young people are protected from being radicalized. The panel will enable partners to work together to safeguard children and to identify support agencies,  patterns and trends of activity, and to test and measure the effectiveness of the partnership response to extremism and radicalization.

Prevent

Prevent is part of the UK counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. Its aim is to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Prevent will address all forms of terrorism but continue to prioritise according to the threat they pose to our national security. At present, the majority of our resources and efforts will continue to be devoted to stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. There is a commitment to protecting freedom of speech in this country. But preventing terrorism will mean challenging extremist (and non-violent) ideas that are also part of a terrorist ideology. Prevent will also mean intervening to stop people moving from extremist groups or from extremism into terrorist-related activity.

The Prevent strategy will specifically:

  • respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat we face from those
    who promote it;
  • prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given
    appropriate advice and support; and
  • work with sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation which need
    to be addressed.

The link below will take you to the government’s full Prevent Strategy 2011 document, where each of the three elements of the strategy are provided in more detail

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/97976/prevent-strategy-review.pdf

Below are two 7 Minute Briefings to consider:

https://www.wirralsafeguarding.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Prevent-Agenda-7-min-briefing-July-2022.pdf

https://www.wirralsafeguarding.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Radicalisation-7-min-briefing-July-2022.pdf

The following two links provide access to the Prevent Duty Guidance and the Channel Duty Guidance which came into effect as of 1st July 2015:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/channel-guidance

Prevent and Schools

Following an informal consultation process with headteachers and local authority children’s services in early 2008, the Department published a toolkit to help schools prevent what was described as ‘violent extremism’. Following requests for more practical advice, DfE developed a ‘workbook’, based on the Ofsted self-evaluation framework, which linked Prevent in to other school safety and improvement policies. In 2009, ACPO produced guidance entitled ‘Prevent, Police and Schools’ to help police officers work more effectively with teachers and school staff. ACPO have also developed an initiative called ‘Act Now’ which helps stimulate debate on violent extremism.

Several guidance documents are provided below for schools including details of their reporting duty, a self-assessment tool and a template for incorporating radicalisation and extremism into their safeguarding policies:

Managing Prevent in Schools – Accessing advice, support and guidance

Schools Prevent Duty DfE Advice
Prevent Self-Assessment for Schools Mar 2015
DfE Briefing Note – How social media is used to radicalise young people

Hammersmith and Fulham Council have developed a series of resources for schools for schools including lesson plans about Prevent. The resources can be downloaded from their website:

https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/children-and-young-people/schools-and-colleges/school-staff-zone/prevent-and-schools/prevent-and-schools-resources-and-lesson-plans

Channel

Channel is a national project that has been put in place to safeguard individuals who may be vulnerable to recruitment by violent extremists.

The majority of referrals to the Channel programme have been under 25, with most aged between 15 and 19. Very few have been younger.

The aim of the process is:

  • To support and protect people who might be susceptible to radicalisation at a very early stage so that they are not drawn into criminal activity which may affect their prospects in later life.
  • To ensure that individuals and communities have the resilience to resist all forms of violent extremism whether that be from an international threat, extreme right wing/left wing or domestically related for example environmental extremism.
  • Channel is not about prosecuting or stigmatising individuals who have been referred.

What can put people at risk?

There is no single profile of a terrorist or violent extremist. Factors which may make people more vulnerable include:

  • Substance and alcohol misuse
  • Peer pressure
  • Influence from older people or via the Internet
  • Bullying
  • Crime and anti-social behaviour
  • Domestic violence
  • Family tensions
  • Race/hate crime
  • Lack of self-esteem or identity
  • Grievances (personal or political)
  • Migration

How does it work?

Channel assesses the nature and extent of the potential risk to an individual and, where necessary, provides an appropriate support package tailored to their needs. This decision is made by a multi-agency panel and may include diversionary activities and/or support from services such as education, housing, employment and mentoring designed to help them resist those who may be seeking to harm them or others.

Local community issues and tensions can sometimes contribute to an individual’s behaviour. The context of a situation is always taken into account.

Police Advice

Merseyside Police have a dedicated Prevent team who can be contacted for advice:

Telephone: 0151 777 8506  or email [email protected]

Referral

To make a referral into the Wirral Channel panel professionals should use the Channel Panel Referral and Assessment form which can be accessed here:

Prevent Referral form

Please note that referral into the Channel Panel does not replace usual safeguarding reporting procedures which must always be used if you believe a child, young person or adult is at risk of harm, abuse or neglect.

Resources

Prevent and Channel Factsheet 2023 HM Government

Illustrations of Far Right Numbers and Symbols

Educate Against Hate website

NSPCC website radicalisation page

E-Learning

1. Home Office e-learning:

Prevent Overview: https://www.elearning.prevent.homeoffice.gov.uk/

Prevent Referrals: https://www.elearning.prevent.homeoffice.gov.uk/preventreferrals

Channel Awareness: https://www.elearning.prevent.homeoffice.gov.uk/channelawareness

Channel/Prevent Panel Course: https://www.support-people-vulnerable-to-radicalisation.service.gov.uk/portal#channel-or-prevent-multi-agency-panel-pmap-course

 

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