Prevent policy

Background:

As an independent education and training provider with responsibilities for training apprentices, Press Association Academy has a statutory duty to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act (2015).

Our Prevent strategy is a part of Press Association Academy's Safeguarding policy which aims to ensure the protection of all trainees and apprentices from harm.

Prevent is one of four strands of the Government's counter terrorism strategy – CONTEST.

The UK currently faces a range of terrorist threats. Terrorist groups who pose a threat to the UK seek to radicalise and recruit people to their cause. Therefore, early intervention is at the heart of Prevent which aims to divert people away from being drawn into terrorist activity.

Prevent happens before any criminal activity takes place by recognising, supporting and protecting people who might be susceptible to radicalisation. The national Prevent Duty confers mandatory duties and responsibilities on a range of public organisations, including Independent Training Providers, and seeks to

• Respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and aspects of extremism, and the threat we face from those who promote these views.
• Provide practical help to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and violent extremism and ensure they are given appropriate advice and support.
• Work with a wide range of sectors where there are risks of radicalisation which needs to be addressed, including education, criminal justice, faith, the internet and health.

Aim of this policy:

The aim of this policy is to outline how Press Association Academy complies with its Prevent duty including who is responsible for Prevent, raising awareness of Prevent, the promotion of British Values, risk assessment, relationship with Channel and to list existing policies and procedures that support Prevent.

Responsibilities:

Joint Prevent Lead. Rosalind McKenzie Rosalind.mckenzie@pa.training

Joint Prevent Lead. Sean Howe. Sean.howe@pa.training

They are responsible for making decisions regarding referrals to Local Authority Channel Panels (City of London Police and City of London Corporation for the Queen Street training centre).

Promoting and gaining commitment to the Prevent Policy:

Learners

Awareness of Prevent, alongside Safeguarding, are part of all our learners' induction programmes. Understanding of these concepts are checked during quarterly progress review meetings with employers and regularly referred to through an embedded curriculum. Clear guidance and reminders can be found through the use of posters and email bulletins. Apprentices and trainees must also have an awareness of Prevent and know how to report any concerns confidentially.

Staff

All Press Association Academy staff must undertake appropriate Prevent Duty training – at least once every 12 months – to understand the risk of radicalisation, implement the Duty effectively, know how to refer an individual who is vulnerable within Press Association Academy and ensure British Values are exemplified and promoted across the organisation.

They should report any concerns around extremism or radicalisation via safeguarding channels.

Employers

Employers are made aware of the Prevent Duty during the onboarding process. They are also invited to take part in Safeguarding/Prevent Press Association Academy webinars to raise awareness within their organisations.

For effective practice, Press Association Academy recommends that all employers should also have an identified person who takes responsibility for Safeguarding and Prevent within their organisations.

Promotion of British Values:

Key concepts:

British Values

These are defined as: "Democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs."

Mutual respect and tolerance includes encouraging trainees and apprentices to respect other people with particular regard to the protected characteristics of the Equality Act [2010]. These are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

Extremism

Extremism as is defined in law as: "vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those with 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."

From the Counter-terrorism and Security Act 2015

Ensuring apprentices and employees are resilient to extreme narratives

Teaching and Learning

To provide a curriculum that promotes British Values, knowledge, skills and understanding, to build the resilience of apprentices and trainees by undermining extremist ideology.

This will be achieved through:

• Embedding British Values, equality, diversity and inclusion, wellbeing and community cohesion throughout the curriculum, for example, discussion is promoted in the public affairs and media law curriculums.
• Promoting wider skills development such as social and emotional aspects of learning.
• A curriculum adapted to recognise local needs, challenge extremist narratives and promote universal rights.
• Teaching, learning and assessment strategies that explore controversial issues in a way that promotes critical analysis and pro-social values.
• Use of external programmes or groups to support discussion and challenge

Identifying changes in the behaviour of apprentices and employees

To ensure that staff take preventative and responsive steps. This will be achieved through:

• Strong, effective and responsive support services. Developing strong community links and being aware of what is happening in the locality, including within Press Association Academy's own communities.
• Implementing anti-bullying strategies and challenging discriminatory behaviour. Recognising factors that may increase risk to an apprentice/trainee/employee through the notice, check and share approach.

Notice: They should be aware of any behaviour which leads to any safeguarding concerns including Prevent duty related ones.

Check: They should check the concerns.

Share: They should refer any concerns to the safeguarding officer or team.

• Risk factors can include vulnerability, disadvantage or hardship, rejection from peers or family, pressure from persons linked to extremism, identity confusion, under achievement, victim or witness to a hate crime.
• Ensuring that apprentices, trainees and staff know how to access support in-house and in their workplace through explicit signposting of Prevent in the course handbook and induction sessions.
• Supporting 'at risk' learners through safeguarding and crime prevention processes.
• Focusing on narrowing the attainment gap between the different groups of learners.

What to do in the event of a disclosure or a concern (to be read alongside Safeguarding policy)

• The Prevent Duty is regarded as everyone's responsibility and employees are reminded that it is their duty to report any concerns to the DSO.
• If employees, in the course of their work at Press Association Academy, have cause for concern, they must treat this as a priority over other work and address the issue immediately.
• If employees wish to seek guidance with regard to a specific incident or area of concern, confidential advice should be sought from the DSO.
• If a learner makes a disclosure, an employee should tell them they have a 'duty of care' to pass on the information to the DSO to ensure the safety of themselves or others. Although assurances of confidentiality cannot be given, it will remain confidential within the safeguarding team.
• Suspicions should not be discussed with anyone other than the lead DSOs.

Risk assessment

Press Association Academy has a Prevent risk assessment and action plan, which is updated on an annual basis. It takes account of the following factors:

• Staff, apprentice and trainees have training and knowledge of the Prevent duty.
• Safeguarding policies and procedures – Prevent duty should be embedded in these policies.
• IT and cyber-security – mitigating risk of access to extremist material. There is significant evidence that online materials and social media are used to radicalise young people.
• Premises security – signing in visitors, usage of staff passes.
• Monitoring of literature/posters/group social media accounts – extremist content should be removed, where possible, and reported.
• Letting of Press Association Academy premises – external organisations should be researched thoroughly.
• External speakers and obligation to freedom of expression. Press Association Academy must balance its obligation to secure free speech through challenging and robust debate with the duty to ensure that the law is observed. Speakers whose who express views may breach the law or incite intimidation or violence are prohibited.
• Whistle-blowing procedures – in place for staff and trainees/apprentices to report concerns in confidence.
• Information sharing – in accordance with GDPR practices and Safeguarding.
• Critical management plan – in place to deal with threats or incident within Press Association Academy.
• Placements for students including apprentices – assessing the awareness and preparedness of third parties and employers about Prevent duties.

Channel

Channel is an early intervention multi-agency process designed to safeguard vulnerable people from being drawn into violent extremist or terrorist behaviour. It is designed to work with individuals of any age who are at risk from being exploited by extremist ideologies and operates in a non-criminal space.

Each Channel Panel is chaired by a local authority which brings together multi-agency partners to collectively assess risk and decide whether a support package is needed.

Anyone who is referred to a Channel Panel is always informed first to check if they would benefit from the support. It is voluntary.

Channel Panel contacts:

City of London Police. Prevent Team, 020 7601 2442 (8am – 4pm) prevent@cityoflondon.police.uk https://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/t/prevent/prevent/ claire.doyle@cityoflondon.pnn.police.uk

City of London Corporation Prevent Coordinator, Tanveer Dhillon tanveer.dhillon@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Department for Education Regional Prevent lead, Jennie Fisher jennie.fisher@education.co.uk 07880 469588

Supporting policies and procedures:

• Safeguarding
• Health and Safety
• Equality and Diversity
• Whistleblowing procedure
• GDPR

Government legislation

• Counter-Terrorism and Security Act (2015)
• Prevent Strategy (2011)
• Information Sharing (2015)
• Equality Act (2010)
• The Prevent Duty (2015)