Violent Extremism and Radicalisation - Prevent

With effect from 1st July 2015 the Counter Terrorism and Security Act gave specified authorities a legal duty to have "due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism". 

Preventing Radicalisation (Cumberland) 

Preventing Radicalisation (Westmorland and Furness) 

Supporting Children and Young People vulnerable to Violent Extremism and Radicalisation - Prevent

Prevents aim is to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

As children grow and become more independent, it is not unusual for them to take risks, explore new things and push boundaries.  Teenage years are often a time when young people will be searching for answers to questions about identify, faith and belonging, as well as looking for adventure and excitement.  This can mean that they are particularly vulnerable to extremist groups and because they know young people are vulnerable, extremist groups often target them using the internet and social medial to spared their ideology.

We work in partnership with all partner agencies from Education, Health, Prison, Probation, Youth Offending, Fire Service, Police and key organisations within the private sector to support vulnerable people.

The purpose of this page is to provide practical advice and support to anyone with an interest in keeping children safe from the dangers of extremism.

If you are worried about anyone who is at risk of being radicalised by people who are involved in, or support, terrorism please contact:

Cumbria Prevent Referral Form 

If it is an emergency, dial 999 or the Anti-Terror Hotline - 0800 789 321.

The CSCP has a policy for Supporting Children and Young People Vulnerable to Violent Extremism and Radicalisation you can access this though our multi agency procedures online.

IF YOU SUSPECT IT, REPORT IT!

Training

Mandatory training for all staff who work with children/young people and their families in Cumbria.

Prevent duty training: Learn how to support people susceptible to radicalisation - Prevent sits alongside long-established safeguarding duties on professionals to protect people from a range of other harms such as substance abuse, involvement in gangs and physical and sexual exploitation. Prevent is one part of the government's overall counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST.

What is Channel?

The multi-agency approach to protect people at risk from radicalisation is called Channel. This uses existing collaboration between local authorities, statutory partners (such as the education and health sectors, social care, children and youth services, specialist youth service and offender management services), the police and the local community to: 

  • identify individuals at risk of radicalisation or involvement in terrorism 
  • assess the nature and extent of that risk 
  • develop the most appropriate support plan for the individuals concerned.

Channel is about safeguarding children and adults from being drawn into involvement in terrorism. It is about early intervention to address vulnerabilities, and divert people from harm.

Within Cumbria, there are two Channel Panels, one for Cumberland and the other for Westmorland and Furness, chaired by the local authorities. The panels meet on a regular basis to discuss prevent referrals and the purpose of this meeting to discuss the referral and if required to put in place a package of measures to support individuals who are at risk of becoming radicalised.

Further Resources and Guidance

Cumbria Police - Is it an emergency, if you suspect an immediate danger, please move away and call 999 now. Reporting possible terrorist or extremist activity helps us prevent terrorism and save lives. Any piece of information could be important. Even if you’re not sure, please let us know so that we can investigate. Action will only be taken after the appropriate checks have been carried out.

Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) - Suspicious Activity - Report possible terrorist or extremist activity. If you’ve seen or heard something that could potentially be related to terrorism, trust your instincts and report it. Your actions could save lives.

Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) - Act Early - Prevent Radicalisation and Extremism by Acting Early. It can be hard to know what to do if you’re worried someone close is expressing extreme views or hatred, which could lead to them harming themselves or others. Working with other organisations, the police protect vulnerable people from being exploited by extremists through a Home Office programme called Prevent.

Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) - What you can do - Counter Terrorism Policing in collaboration with the PSHE Association and Girlguiding have produced a Run, Hide, Tell resource pack for teachers to use to inform 11-16 year olds on how best to react to a gun or knife terror attack.  The resource includes training films, lesson plans for key stage 3 and key stage 4 as well as teacher guidance on how to deliver this material confidently and safely. 

NSPCC - have launched a free 24-hour service to support adults who have concerns about children and young people being radicalised or who need advice on how to talk to their children about issues related to terrorism. NSPCC helpline practitioners have been trained to spot the warning signs of radicalisation so they can advise adults who are worried about a child being groomed. The training included how recruiters might befriend vulnerable young people, feed them ideologies or persuade them to commit terrorist attacks. If you’re worried, you can call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or visit their website

Educate Against Hate - Practical advice and information on protecting children from extremism and radicalisation.

The Prevent Duty: Safeguarding learners vulnerable to radicalisation (guidance) - Support for those working in education settings with safeguarding responsibilities.