Meeting the PREVENT Duty – understanding the roles and responsibilities of Managers

PREVENT is part of the Government’s longer-term counter-terrorism strategy to stop people becoming radicalised, supporting terrorism or becoming terrorists themselves.

PREVENT focuses on preventing all forms of radicalisation and terrorism. It aims to provide support and redirection to vulnerable individuals and those at risk of being groomed in to terrorist activity. It is categorised as part of the “Safeguarding” agenda.

Those working in the educational and young people’s sectors are considered to be in a pivotal position, legislation requires teaching, training and learning providers, in the exercise of their functions, to pay due regard to the need to prevent people being drawn into terrorism. There is a statutory duty on UK educational organisations to demonstrate that they are taking positive action to combat radicalisation and extremism, and prevent it building into potential or real terrorism.

Consequently all those working in the public, educational and young/vulnerable persons sectors need to understand the overarching aims of the PREVENT strategy and what they need to do to support it

This one-day workshop is to bring participants up to date on the latest developments in terms of PREVENT and provide a platform to review the strategies they currently have in place, how and where these could be improved.

For Whom
this workshop is for all managers, leaders and quality assurance staff who are involved with teaching and training or lead staff who support young people, children, vulnerable adults and their parents/carers.

Content can be aligned to other staff and situations including:

1. Teaching/training staff and support staff
2. Governors and governing body members
3. Organisations, management and staff who are not involved in teaching and training

Aims and Objectives
to ensure participants understand:

• The objectives and key elements of the Governments PREVENT strategy
• What their professional responsibilities are in relation to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, children and young people;
• How PREVENT applies to them and what they need to do in role to meet their responsibilities
• The vulnerability factors that can make individuals susceptible to radicalisation or a risk to others
• How they and their organisation can plan, implement, manage and review practical responses to support safeguarding activity in relation to radicalisation and extremism.
• How they can demonstrate action in its compliance with the legislative requirements for prevention of radicalisation and extremism.

CONTENT

1. PREVENT – Key Definitions and Terms

• British Values
  • Democracy
  • Rule of Law
  • Individual Liberty
  • Mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith
• Extremism
• Radicalisation
• Other key terms such as terrorism, de-radicalisation and vulnerabilities

2. Scope, rationale and background of the PREVENT Duty

• The PreventDuty
• The impact of Brexit on the Counter Terrorism agenda
• The Legislative Framework for Prevent
• Other related key laws & regulations
• Ofsted Guidance on the Prevent Duty
• Key agencies
• “Channel” – the multi-agency approach for supporting those at risk
• Pros and Cons
• Subjective v Objective Assessments

3. Specific responsibilities of managers, leaders and quality staff under PREVENT

• Curriculum & Training Programme Quality and Assessment
• Supporting Training and Support Staff
• Evidencing action and compliance with the PREVENT duty

4. Auditing for PREVENT including oversight of curriculum and training content
   with a focus on Students, Stakeholders and Staff.

• Curriculum audits, session plans, schemes of work and action plans
• Information sources and critical thinking ideology
• Observation of teaching, training and learning
• Work with local community organisations
• Staff and learner surveys and focus groups
• Performance reviews, staff appraisals and CPD training,
• Sub-contracted provision
• Pastoral programmes, wider college events and extra-curricular activity

5. Risk Assessments for PREVENT

• The importance of risk assessment
• How to Risk Assess
• Potential hazards and risks
• An example risk assessment template

6. Supporting and managing staff
   identification of vulnerabilities and spotting signs. Including:

• Types of Extremism
  • Religious
  • Right Wing
  • Left Wing
  • Pathological
  • Issue Orientated
  • Separatist
• Vulnerabilities and the impact of influence on vulnerable individuals
• Spotting the signs – potential indicators that an individual might be vulnerable to radicalisation
• Responding to signs and potential causes of concern
  • Organisational Policies and Procedures
  • The initial response
• Sources of advice when a radicalisation risk is suspected
  • Who to contact and when
  • Other sources of professional help and guidance
  • The importance of sharing information & the consequences of failing to do so
  • Managing privacy and confidentiality issues

7. Joining PREVENT up to all other appropriate corporate policies and procedures

• Other corporate policies that need to incorporate Prevent
• A few examples would include:
  • Training: mandatory PREVENT training for staff, subcontractors
  • HR: disrepute, reasonable requests, codes of conduct
  • Security: premises management, access, external lettings
• Connections between given policies and the PREVENT Duty
• Maintaining awareness of latest policies and responsibilities