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Radicalisation and Extremism

From 1 July 2015 all schools and registered childcare providers are subject to a duty under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, in the exercise of their functions, to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.

The London Child Protection Procedures and Practice Guidance can be found here: Safeguarding Children Exposed to Extremist Ideology

For further guidance:

Download Prevent Duty Guidance

The Prevent duty Departmental advice for schools and childcare providers June 2015. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/439598/prevent-duty-departmental-advice-v6.pdf

In order to fulfil this legal duty schools must understand what is expected of them. They must be aware of the practical steps that they can take to implement effective safeguarding systems, and must develop a good understanding of the nature of these rapidly evolving issues.

Extremism is not a new topic in education, but schools now have a statutory obligation to stay abreast of the latest legislation and developments, and to remain proactive and strategic.

Prevent Duty: catalogue of training courses – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

This Department for Education resource  examines common myths that exist surrounding the Prevent duty in schools and higher education institutions, and counters these myths with the facts.  Prevent Mythbusting

Anyone who is concerned about a young person or adult at risk of extremism or radicalisation may make a referral to the Channel Programme.

Referral for young people up to and including age 18 (up to 25 with learning disability) should be made on a CAF (Common Assessment Framework) to Duty&Assess@harrow.gov.uk.cjsm.net  detailing your concerns about the young person and relevant   history.

Referrals for people aged 19 and over should be made on the Prevent Referral Form which can be obtained via enquiry to prevent@harrow.gov.uk

The Governments counter- terrorism strategy CONTEST aims to reduce the risk to the UK and its interests from terrorism. The CONTEST strategy is made up of four key areas. One of these areas is Prevent which aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

The Channel Programme is a key element in the Prevent area and aims to stop people being drawn into extremism or radicalisation. Channel is a multi-agency partnership led by the local authority with the police and other services to protect and divert children and adults from being drawn in to committing terrorist-related activity. Channel addresses all forms of extremism.

Channel/PMAP is a programme which focuses on providing support at an early stage to people who are identified as being vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. Channel refers to panels operating in England and Wales, while PMAP operates in Scotland.

The programme uses a multi-agency approach to protect vulnerable people by:

  • identifying individuals at risk
  • assessing the nature and extent of that risk
  • developing the most appropriate support plan for the individuals concerned

Sections 36 to 41 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 set out the duty on local authorities and partners of local panels to provide support for people vulnerable to being drawn into any form of terrorism.

This guidance has been issued under sections 36(7) and 38(6) of the act to support panel members and partners of local panels.

The documents:

  • provide guidance for Channel panels and PMAPs
  • provide guidance for panel partners on panel delivery (that is, those authorities listed in Schedule 7 to the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 who are required to co-operate with panels and the police in carrying out their functions in Chapter 2 of Part 5 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015)
  • explain why people may be vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism and describes signs to look for
  • provide guidance on the support that can be provided to safeguard those at risk of being drawn into terrorism

Channel/PMAP may be appropriate for anyone who is vulnerable to being drawn into any form of terrorism. Channel/PMAP is about ensuring that vulnerable children and adults of any faith, ethnicity or background receive support before their vulnerabilities are exploited by those that would want them to embrace terrorism, and before they become involved in criminal terrorist activity.

Channel Duty Guidance: Protecting people vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism

Download Channel Information Leaflet 

Preventing extremism is about safeguarding; it is a safety net and that safety net is stronger if we all play our part. Schools engaging with young people would not hesitate to share a concern if they felt there was the potential risk of a child being sexually exploited, groomed online, bullied, at risk of FGM or was at risk of falling into gun or knife crime. We would share the concern and share the risk following the referrals pathways that already exist and are established in every school with designated child protection or safeguarding leads. Current legislation regarding radicalisation dictates that schools follow exactly the same procedure with a proportionate response. Whilst the risk is rare, it is not one we can ignore. Teachers have the skills to recognise vulnerable individuals and, working with parents, are integral to the success of protecting them from extremism. They can help a young person make a decision to not carry on down a path from which there may be no return.

The we will inspire website has lots of information for schools.

http://www.wewillinspire.com/working-with-schools/school-resources/

There is a 24 minute film debunking many myths about Islam and ISIS; https://social.shorthand.com/bristol247/ny7uwXa2Z/a-community-fights-back?fb_action_ids=10153516397857577&fb_action_types=og.shares

The DVD is accompanied by facilitator notes and a lesson plan. More details can be found via the school resources link above. There is also two Inspire produced resources have been used by schools to initiate discussion and debate which are short

Another excellent link to resources is http://www.preventforschools.org/

The Lancashire based ˜P4S site was originally launched in 2012 by the Pan-Lancashire Prevent for Education Group. Following immensely positive feedback and an unprecedented growth in use by schools across the UK, the site has seen recent revisions to ensure currency.  As with the original P4S site, 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. There are materials to use in primary/secondary and at F.E. level.  Materials can be used in any group setting

The top right hand red buttons are also worth browsing as they contain lots of links to further resources

FAST (Families Against Stress and Trauma)

FAST was established in 2007 and is a UK-based organisation providing support to vulnerable families and individuals. FAST is publicly funded and all our services are totally free of charge. They welcome everyone regardless of ethnicity, background or religion and promise to treat you with respect.

FAST will engage external agencies whenever necessary to match a family’s needs. These can include, but are not limited to, scholars, advisors, the Probation Service, or local council departments, such as housing, employment and health agencies.

Its vital that we understand the risks our children face and are able to engage with them in order to have a frank, honest two-way conversation about this complicated subject. The following information will help you understand the issues and how you can help your children if they need it.

Please click the link below for more information

http://www.familiesmatter.org.uk/

The government has published new advised in the rare eventuality of a firearm or weapon attack- see here for more information