Agenda item

Briefing note about the Prevent programme, its key priorities and local delivery.

The Partnership received a report which provided an update on Prevent as set out at pages 21-23 of the agenda pack. The Partnership also received a short presentation which provided an overview of the key aims, work undertaken by the team, the local context and local trends. The report and presentation were introduced by Karina Kaur, Strategic Lead of Communities. 

The Partnership undertook a workshop exercise and were allocated around 10 minutes to give some thought and provide feedback on the following questions:

1. What is your role in preventing extremism and radicalisation in the Borough?
2. What are your barriers to preventing extremism and radicalisation in the Borough?
3. How can the Prevent team support you to overcome these barriers?

The following key suggestions were noted in the workshop exercise

Regarding question 1 on role of individuals in preventing extremism and radicalisation:

·         Training and awareness of frontline staff and services who come in contact with young people and vulnerable individuals:

- to identify vulnerabilities, such as mental health and domestic abuse

- to provide support on mechanisms to identify and raise concerns, such as a package around vulnerabilities

·         Need a multi-agency approach, including other safeguarding issues and holding accountable in implementing what Prevent are doing

Regarding question 2 on the barriers to preventing extremism and radicalisation:

• Resourcing and capacity within organisations, for example there was a will to be part of the response, but it would be a challenge to attend all the relevant meetings due to capacity issues
• Knowing how to deal with identified concerns
• Balancing trust of clients with a duty of care
• Requiring knowledge of the referral pathway and resources available for identified subjects
• Uncertainty around Brexit and the links to far-right issues
• Difficulties in obtaining information, for example by police
• Engagement levels of subjects once they have been referred, for example individuals with Counter Terrorism risks
• Competing messages from different communities and agencies
• Socio-economic disparities

Regarding question 3 on how the Prevent team can support individuals to overcome the barriers:

• Working with the community and providing support when the political narrative changes locally and nationally
• Informing and educating hard to reach groups, to ensure engagement with those groups continued and not losing groups within the community
• Looking at how to manage the dark web as a lot of recruitment came from that space
• Ensuring there was enough intel on the radicalisation of people in prisons
• Knowledge on high risk locations and managing emerging risks, such as contingency plans
• Ensuring families and communities were not marginalised

In response to the marginalisation point, the Strategic Lead of Communities clarified that Prevent was a pre-criminal space, and she emphasised that Prevent was a supporting safeguarding panel. 

Regarding the suggestions made by the Partnership, the Strategic Lead of Communities noted that a lot of the points made were myths around Prevent, and this could be resolved through further training. It was suggested that in-depth training could be provided, for example on how to manage risks and understanding the threshold of cases taken by Prevent. In terms of probation, it was noted that there were pathways in place for those in prisons, such as training in prisons, but this could be extended as it was found that there was a lot of vulnerability in prison spaces.The Strategic Lead of Communities advised the Partnership to contact her for any further discussions, questions or requests for training. 

RESOLVED

That the content of the report was noted.