Prevent & Channel Policy

Prevent and Channel Policy

The purpose of the prevent policy is to provide a safe, happy and relaxed environment where our staff and trainees can work to achieve their full potential. We recognise that extremism and exposure to experiences and views that can lead people astray are ever present and it is our aim to resist and oppose them. In doing this we recognise the need to challenge extremist views and to promote the British Value of democracy, the rule of law, ensure individual liberty and respect and tolerate those of different faith and beliefs. As such we regard Prevent as a safeguarding concern.

Prevent Policy

The Prevent Strategy introduced by the Government in 2011 is part of an overall counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. The aim of the prevent strategy is to reduce the threat to the

UK from terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. In the Act of Parliament this has been expressed as the need to “prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”.

Aims

The 2011 prevent strategy has three specific objectives:

1. Respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and of those who promote it.

2. Prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support.

3. Work with institutions and sectors where there is the risk of radicalisation that we need to address

The Prevent Duty

In June 2015 the Department for Education issued a document giving advice to everyone involved in education from early years learning to 16-19 academies. The advice is for proprietors, Governing bodies, management committees, managers, school leaders and staff.

From 1 July 2015 section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 placed an obligation on everyone involved in teaching and learning to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. This duty is called the Prevent Duty. It is intended to help education providers to think about what they can do to protect students from the risk of radicalisation and suggests how they can access support to do this.

Radicalisation:

Radicalisation refers to the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and forms of extremism leading to terrorism. During that process it is possible to intervene to prevent vulnerable people from being drawn into the terror-related activity.

The Government in defining extremism suggests that the Prevent Strategy should take account in particular of the following actions or attitudes: “vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and

mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs”. There is specific mention in the advice that “calling for the death of members of our armed forces” is regarded as extremism.

Vulnerability

The following are the main factors that make individuals vulnerable to radicalisation.

Identity crises

Distance from cultural/religious heritage and uncomfortable with their place in society.

Personal crises

Family tensions, sense of isolation, low self-esteem, disassociating from existing friendship groups, searching for answers to questions of identity, faith and belonging and adolescence.

Personal circumstances

Migration, local community tensions, events affecting country or region of origin, alienation from local values, having a sense of grievance that is triggered by personal experience of racism or discrimination or aspects of Government policy.

Unmet aspirations

Perceptions of injustice, feeling of failure or rejection of civic life.

Criminality

Experience of imprisonment, poor resettlement/reintegration or previous involvement with criminal groups.

Access to extremist influence

Person known to be involved in extremist groups, possession or distribution of extremist literature, or other media material likely to incite racial/religious hatred or acts of violence. Use of closed network groups via electronic media for the purpose of extremist activity.

Experience

Peer, social, family or faith group rejection. International events in areas of conflict or civil unrest that has resulted in a noticeable change in behaviour. Verbal or written terrorist attacks or first-hand experience of racial or religious hate crime.

More obvious and critical risk factors include

Being in contact with extremist recruiters, articulating support for extremist/recruiters, accessing extremist websites, possessing extremist literature, justifying the use of violence to solve social issues, joining extremist organisations and significant changes to

appearance/behaviour.

Referral and Intervention

Any identified concerns as a result of observed behaviour or reports of conversations to suggest that a person supports or might support terrorism and/or extremism must be reported to the designated safeguarding officer immediately or at the latest by the end of the working day.

Some concerns may have a security dimension to them and for that reason it is important that liaison be made with the police at an early stage.

Channel

What is Channel? 

Channel is a multi-agency approach, led by the local authority and the police. It provides support to individuals identified as being at risk of being drawn into terrorist related activity. It forms a key part of the Government’s Prevent strategy which aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting any form of terrorism. Channel seeks to: a. Safeguard individuals who might be vulnerable to being radicalised, so that they are not at risk of being drawn into terrorist related activity; b. Ensure that individuals and communities have the ability to resist all forms of terrorism and violent extremist activity likely to lead to terrorism 

How does Channel work? 

The Channel process identifies those most at risk of radicalisation, and refers them, via the police, for assessment by a multi-agency panel. The panel considers how best to safeguard them by ensuring they have access to support from mainstream services, such as health and education, through to specialist mentoring or faith guidance and wider diversionary activities. Each support package is monitored closely and reviewed regularly by the multi-agency panel. 

What factors can put people at risk? 

There is no single way of identifying who is likely to be vulnerable in this way. Factors may include: peer pressure, influence from other people or the internet, bullying, crime and anti-social behaviour, family tensions, race/hate crime, lack of self-esteem or identity and personal or political grievances. 

Who is involved in Channel? 

People working in front-line services across the public sector, Ministry of Justice, educational institutions or those who are already supporting vulnerable people, may often be the first to see signs of concern. 

Partners include: 

a. Local authorities 

b. Further & Higher Education 

c. Health 

d. Probation, Youth Offending Teams and Prisons 

e. Police, Fire and Ambulance Services 

What are Channel Assessment and Support Panels? 

These are statutory Panels, Chaired and managed by DBC. Members of the Panel must include the Local Authority and Durham Constabulary who coordinate the process. An individual referred to the Panel will be subject to an assessment and partners, with knowledge of the individual, will join the Panel and share information leading to the most appropriate delivery of support. A support plan is put in place to help prevent the individual being drawn into terrorism. 3.6 Who makes referrals to the Panel? Referrals are coordinated by the police and come from a wide range of sources, including (but not exclusively) members of the public, children and adult’s services, youth offending teams, health and education practitioners. 

What to do if you have a concern 

One of the key requirements of the Prevent Duty is that staff know how to identify people at risk of radicalisation or extremism and the safeguarding pathways they should use. If you are concerned that an individual may be at risk of radicalisation, you should treat this as you would any other safeguarding issue and the relevant safeguarding procedures should be followed. 

If you have a concern that a child or adult may be at risk of radicalisation or involvement in terrorism, you should speak with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)/Prevent Single Point of Contact (SPOC) - see details below. 

The DSL/SPOC will be the lead within the setting for safeguarding in relation to protecting individuals from radicalisation and involvement in terrorism. 

Please report any concerns to;

Safeguarding Officer:

Joe England – Director

Phone Number: 07967154016

E-mail: joe@elev8training.com

If a referral is then made to the Prevent team, and it is determined that there are concerns around radicalisation and violent extremism in relation to the referred individual, they can be supported through either Channel or Prevent Case Management processes

Apprentices and PREVENT 

All apprentices will receive PREVENT training at least twice a year about - This will include the ETF - Side by Side modules and training that relates to them being aware of the risks specific to their chosen place of work and/industry.