Why is Prevent important?

This session will cover the high level training required for preventing radicalisation.

As preventing radicalisation training is usually tailored to a number of approaches, dependent on which area or group within the XL Team that you work, there may be elements of the prevent training that are not covered or even applicable to your area of work.

In such cases, where you are unsure of whether the training applies to your role or workplace, then you must refer to local policy or procedures.

Healthcare professionals have a key role to play in safeguarding vulnerable children or adults who may be at risk of being radicalised.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults is everyone’s responsibility and Prevent does not require health staff to do anything in addition to your normal duties.

What is important is that if you are concerned that a vulnerable individual is being exploited in this way, you can raise these concerns in accordance with your organisation’s safeguarding policies and procedures.

This training will provide you with an overview of the Prevent strategy and it will help you to spot the signs of vulnerability in an individual at risk. The training will also provide guidance on how you can raise your concerns within your department, which may be at risk. Staff/colleagues within an workplace are often well placed to notice the signs that someone is being radicalised.

Responsibilities

The threat that the UK faces from all forms of terrorism has never been greater nor more diverse. The pace by which vulnerable people have been radicalised and drawn into terrorism has accelerated in recent years, particularly with the growth of social media, online forums and gaming apps. These have afforded more opportunities for extremists to spread their harmful ideologies.

It is therefore important as health professionals that we are aware of and understand the risks posed to our patients and staff of being exploited by radicalisers, and those who seek to draw vulnerable individuals into criminal activity.

Prevent is a safeguarding process, which focuses on all forms of extremism and operates in a non-criminal space, providing appropriate support to vulnerable individuals at risk of being exploited or groomed into terrorist activity before any crimes are committed.

Legal Definitions

Terrorism

The current UK definition of Terrorism is given in the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT 2000).

In summary, this defines terrorism as “an action that endangers or causes serious violence to a person/people; causes serious damage to property; or seriously interferes or disrupts an electronic system. The use or threat must be designed to influence the government or to intimidate the public and is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause”.

Radicalisation

This refers to the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and forms of extremism leading to terrorism.

Extremism

This 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.

Vulnerability

This describes the condition of being capable of being injured; difficult to defend; or open to moral or ideological attack. Within Prevent, the word describes factors and characteristics associated with being susceptible to radicalisation

What is Prevent?

Prevent is part of the British Government’s programme for tackling terrorism. This programme is called CONTEST [1] and it has four key work streams.

Select the tabs for information about each of these.

Pursue

Trying to stop terrorist attacks from happening.

Prevent

Safeguarding and supporting those at most risk of radicalisation through early intervention, identifying them and offering support.

Enabling those who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate.

Tackling the causes of radicalisation and respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism.

Protect

Trying to strengthen our protection against a terrorist attack.

Prepare

Trying to mitigate the impact of a terrorist attack

Why is Prevent Important to me as a Healthcare Professional?

Almost everyone in Britain who has become involved with terrorism will have met healthcare workers at some point. So, we may have opportunities to identify people who are at risk.

Occasionally, healthcare workers have themselves become radicalised or drawn into terrorism. It could affect one of our colleagues.

Healthcare staff must be able to recognise signs of radicalisation and be confident in referring individuals who can then receive support before they go any further, and harm themselves or others.

Unfortunately, there are many examples of missed opportunities for healthcare professionals to intervene, sometimes resulting in tragic consequences.

Prevent does not require you to do anything in addition to your normal duties or safeguarding responsibilities.

However, if you are concerned that a patient or colleague is being exploited or influenced by a group that supports terrorism, you are expected to raise this concern in accordance with your organisation’s safeguarding policies and procedures.

You need to know how and when to do this – this is why you are doing this training.

The Aims of Prevent in the Healthcare Sector

Prevent is: Trying to stop individuals being drawn into terrorist related activity.

Terrorist acts

People who commit terrorist acts don’t start off as terrorists. They often start off as vulnerable people who are exploited by terrorist groups or influenced by terrorist propaganda.

Identifying people who are vulnerable

Prevent is about identifying people who are vulnerable to being exploited or ‘groomed’ or ‘radicalised’ by a terrorist organisation or its propaganda, but BEFORE they actually get involved in such organisations or commit any terrorist act.

Safeguarding

Prevent takes a ‘Safeguarding’ approach to such people, and tries to help them to choose a different path, offering them mentoring, or access to services and support tailored to their needs.

What are Healthcare Staff Expected to do?

You must be aware of your duty to protect vulnerable people and to take action where necessary for safeguarding and crime prevention purposes.

You must ensure that you:

Recognise when you should be concerned about someone who is vulnerable to being radicalised
Know how to contact your organisation’s Prevent lead (usually part of the Safeguarding team) about this
Understand how the Prevent lead will take this forward

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