Policy to Support the Prevention of Extremism and Radicalisation (PREVENT)
Any member of staff or learner at STN Training who has any concerns regarding the issues identified within this policy should report them immediately and no later than the end of the working day to the Designated Senior Person for Safeguarding (DSP)/ Single Point of Contact (SPOC).
Designated Senior Person for Safeguarding and Single Point of Contact (SPOC) –Sue Halawa
Introduction
The current threat from Terrorism and Extremism in the United Kingdom is real and can involve the exploitation of vulnerable people, including children and young people. This policy is designed to provide a clear framework to structure and inform our response to safeguarding concerns for those learners, particularly young people, who may be vulnerable to the messages of extremism.
In addition, it provides details of the local interagency process and expectations in identifying appropriate interventions based on the threshold of need and intervention model and the Channel process (see below).
Radicalisation is defined as the process by which people come to support terrorism and extremism and, in some cases, to then participate in terrorist groups.
Extremism is 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. We also include in our definition of extremism calls for the death of members of our armed forces, whether in this country or overseas (HM Government Prevent Strategy, 2011).
Policy statement
Stand Together Network is committed to providing a secure environment for all customers, where they feel safe and are kept safe. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility irrespective of the role they undertake within our Company or whether their role has direct contact or responsibility for learners and customers.
There is no place for extremist views of any kind in Stand Together Network, whether from internal sources (customers, staff, non–executives or associates) or external sources (wider communities, external agencies or individuals).
Our customers have a right to experience service delivery environments, including those for training, workplace, employability programmes, that are safe, where they can explore controversial issues safely, and where our staff encourage and facilitate this – we have a duty to ensure this happens.
As an organisation we recognise that extremism and exposure to extremist materials and influences can lead to poor outcomes for all and so should be addressed as a safeguarding concern as set out in this policy. We also recognise that if we fail to challenge extremist views, we are failing to protect our customers.
Extremists of all persuasions aim to develop destructive relationships between different communities by promoting division, fear and mistrust of others based on ignorance or prejudice and thereby limiting the life chances of young and vulnerable people. Education is a powerful weapon against this; equipping people with the knowledge, skills and critical thinking, to challenge and debate in an informed way. At Stand Together Network we therefore aim to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, delivered by skilled professionals, so that our customers are enriched, understand and become tolerant of difference and diversity and also to ensure that they thrive, feel valued and not marginalized.
Furthermore, at Stand Together Network we are also aware that young and vulnerable people can be exposed to extremist influences or prejudiced views from an early age which emanate from a variety of sources and media, including via the internet. At times customers may themselves reflect or display views that may be discriminatory, prejudiced or extremist, including using derogatory language.
Any prejudice, discrimination or extremist views, including derogatory language, displayed by customers, staff, partners, suppliers and other individuals will always be challenged and where appropriate dealt with in line with our behaviour policies for customers and the Code of Conduct for staff. Where misconduct by a member of staff is proven, the matter will be referred to the Police for their consideration as to whether to a Prohibition Order is warranted.
This Policy is one element of our overall arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of all customers in line with our statutory duties set out in the Education Act 2002.
In adhering to this policy and procedures staff, visitors, partners and suppliers will contribute to our delivery of the outcomes as set out in the Children Act, supporting Stand Together Network ’s overall commitment to safeguard children and vulnerable adults in all of our activities.
Communication
All staff will be made aware of this policy as part of their staff induction. It will be available on the Stand Together Network Cloud shared drive to promote full access.
Whole organisation training will be provided for staff, partners and all non-executive directors on an annual basis and will comply with the prevailing arrangements agreed by the Local Authority and the Local Safeguarding Children Board.
The Stand Together Network Executive Board of Directors will undertake appropriate training to ensure that they are clear about their role and the parameters of their responsibilities including their statutory safeguarding duties.
The Designated Safeguarding Manager will attend training courses as necessary and the appropriate inter-agency training organised by the Safeguarding Children Board at least every two years. This will include training on extremism and radicalisation and its safeguarding implications.
All parents, guardians and carers can be issued with a hard copy of this policy on request.
This Policy will also be made available to staff.
Associated Policies
This Policy and associated procedures should be read in conjunction with the following Policies:
Definitions
The accepted governmental definition of extremism is:
‘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; and/or calls for the death of members of our armed forces, whether in this country or overseas’.
This Policy draws on:
- Guidance in the London Child Protection Procedures DfE Guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2014
- DCSF Resources: Learning Together to be Safe, prevent: Resources Guide, Tackling Extremism in the UK
- DfE’s Teaching Approaches that help Build Resilience to Extremism among Young People
- Preventing Extremism & Radicalisation
- Report into allegations concerning Birmingham schools arising from the Trojan Horse
- letter by Peter Clarke, July 2014
- Training and refresher training delivered to all staff during Induction and annually through Marshall Training
The full Government Prevent Strategy can be viewed at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance
Signs that may cause concern
- Students talking about exposure to extremist materials or views outside the [centre/ department] (in this event, information must be shared with relevant local authorities)
- Changes in behaviour, e.g. becoming isolated
- Fall in the standard of work, poor attendance, disengagement
- Changes in attitude, e.g. intolerant of differences/ having closed mind • Asking questions about certain topics (e.g. connected to extremism)
- Offering opinions that appear to have come from extremist ideologies
- Attempts to impose own views/ beliefs on others
- Use of extremist vocabulary to exclude others or incite violence
- Accessing extremist material online or via social network sites
- Overt new religious practices
- Drawings or posters (e.g. in accommodation) showing extremist ideology/ views/ symbols
- Students voicing concerns about anyone NB: Any concerns relating to a person under 18 are safeguarding issues and should be dealt with by safeguarding staff (if different from Prevent staff) and, where necessary, the STN contacted
How and when to react to concerns
- Everyone given name of who to contact (lead person/persons), how to contact them (email, phone etc) and contact details
- Confidentiality assured for the person reporting a concern
- Everyone told to report any concern or incident, however small.
- Reassurance that all will be dealt with sensitively and carefully
Our Approach
As part of wider safeguarding responsibilities Stand Together Network staff will be alert to:
Disclosures by customers of their exposure to the extremist actions, views or materials of others outside of the training or programme environment, such as in their homes or community groups, especially where customers have not actively
sought these out.
Graffiti symbols, writing or artwork promoting extremist messages or images.
Individuals accessing extremist material online, including through social networking sites.
Parental and or family reports of changes in behaviour, friendship or actions and requests for assistance
Partner organisations, local authority services, and police reports of issues affecting customers in other settings
Individuals voicing opinions drawn from extremist ideologies and narratives
Use of extremist or ‘hate’ terms to exclude others or incite violence
Intolerance of difference, whether secular or religious or, in line with our Equalities policy, views based on, but not exclusive to, gender, disability, homophobia, race, colour or culture
Attempts to impose extremist views or practices on others Anti-Western or Anti-British views
Social media
Customers and staff access to our internet connection, regardless of location, is heavily restricted and monitored, using approved and kite marked systems and guidance provided by government. All use of our internet connection is logged and can be reviewed on request. Use of our internet connection can be actively monitored for any customer or staff member on request.
Stand Together Network will closely follow any locally agreed procedure as set out by the Local Authority and/or local Safeguarding Children Board’s (LSCBs) agreed processes and criteria for safeguarding individuals vulnerable to extremism and radicalisation.
Teaching Approaches
We will all strive to eradicate the myths and assumptions that can lead to some young and vulnerable people becoming alienated and disempowered, especially where the narrow approaches some customers may experience elsewhere may make it harder for them to challenge or question these radical influences. In our programmes this will be achieved by good teaching, promotion of Preventing Extremism & Radicalisation, citizenship reinforcement of safeguarding and equality and diversity policies and through effective PSD and Ethics training.
In every programme there is a specific focus on preventing radicalisation and extremism through the following integrated and embedded areas for free discussion:
What is an extremist?
What causes extremism?
Free speech and right to religion Crime and Punishment
Extremism lesson in Community Cohesion Peace and Conflict
Religious Experience Fundamentalism
In addition to the above, Stand Together Network also adopts the methods outlined in the Government’s guidance ‘Teaching approaches that help build resilience to extremism among young (and vulnerable) people’ DfE 2011.
We will ensure that all of our teaching approaches help our customers build resilience to extremism and give them a positive sense of identity through the development of critical thinking skills. We will ensure that all of our staff and partners are equipped to recognise extremism and are skilled and confident enough to challenge it.
We will be flexible enough to adapt our teaching approaches to address specific issues in order to become even more relevant to the current issues of extremism and radicalisation. In doing so we will follow 3 key principles:
- Making a connection with young and vulnerable people through good teaching design and a learning centred approach.
- Facilitating a ‘safe space’ for dialogue, and
- Equipping our customers and learners with the appropriate skills, knowledge and understanding and awareness of resilience.
This approach will be embedded within the ethos of our organisation so that customers, staff and partners know and understand what safe and acceptable behaviour is in the context of extremism and radicalisation. This will work in conjunction with Stand Together Network ’s approach to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of customers as defined in Ofsted’s Common Inspection Framework standards and will include the further promotion of this rounded development of our participants on all programmes.
Stand Together Network ’s goal is to build mutual respect and understanding and to promote the use of dialogue, not violence as a form of conflict resolution. We will achieve this by using a curriculum that includes:
Citizenship programmes
Open discussion and debate
Work on anti-violence and a restorative approach addressed throughout curriculum
Focussed training programmes
Collaboration with stakeholders
Stand Together Network will work with local partners, wider stakeholders and communities in our efforts to ensure our organisation understands and embraces our local context and values in challenging extremist views and to assist in the broadening of our participant’s experiences and horizons.
We will help support those who may be vulnerable to such influences as part of our wider safeguarding responsibilities and where we believe any learner or customer is being directly affected by extremist materials or influences, we will ensure that that they are offered support. Additionally, in such instances we will seek external support from the Local Authority and/or local partnership structures working to prevent extremism.
Stand Together Network will promote the values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs. We will teach and encourage all participants to respect one another and to respect and tolerate difference, especially those of a different faith or no faith. It is indeed our most fundamental responsibility to keep our customers safe and prepare them for life in modern multi-cultural Britain and globally.