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Prevent Duty (Counter-terrorism) Policy

Policy Statement

This policy is written in line with the UK Government’s statutory guidance issued under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 and national and local strategies, including for safeguarding. It should be used with reference to the policy, Safeguarding Service Users Who Are Vulnerable to Adopting Extremist and Radical Ideologies.

This care service is committed to the UK Government’s policy to reduce the risk of terrorist attacks (known as CONTEST) through its Prevent strategy, particularly in the light of atttacks that have cost many lives. It understands that Government policy is based on four main assumptions.

1. Prevent — by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
2. Protect — by strengthening borders, infrastructure and public spaces from any attacks.
3. Prepare — by responding effectively to reduce the impact of any attack.
4. Pursue — to disrupt or stop terrorist attacks.

{{org_field_name}} will help in whatever ways it can to achieve the Government’s objectives, as stated in its Revised Prevent Guidance (2021):

• to respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat faced from those who promote it
• to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support
• to work with sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation that should be addressed.

{{org_field_name}} thus aims to put Prevent in practice through the following.

• Challenging violent extremist ideology and support for it.
• Disrupting those who promote violent extremism and in the places where they may be active.
• Supporting individuals who are being targeted and recruited to the cause of violent extremism.
• Increasing the resilience of the service as a whole to withstanding radicalisation and extremism particularly where the risks are relatively high.
• Addressing the political, religious, social, cultural and economic grievances that are being exploited through the extremist ideology and behaviour.

Background

{{org_field_name}} understands “terrorism” and “terrorists” to refer to the definitions found in the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 .

As in the health care sector generally, it is the Prevent element with which a care service is mainly concerned in line with its other safeguarding responsibilities and duty of care.

Accordingly, this care service understands the Prevent element of the wider strategy requires it to identify and respond to any of the people who use its services who appear to be at risk of supporting or taking part in terrorist acts as defined in the Government’s strategy guidance. The need for vigilance is required because it is known that vulnerable people are often targeted by terrorist groups and organisations for the purposes of radicalisation and potential participation in terrorist activities.

By “identification” is meant becoming aware of and recognising when individuals or groups of vulnerable people receiving our services are at risk of being or have been radicalised into an ideology that achieves its ends through terrorist acts.

By “responding” is meant the safeguarding of that individual or group from further exposure to the risk of radicalisation and possible taking part in terrorist acts. “Responding” includes the reporting of any concerns about anyone who is expressing a close interest in terrorist thinking and activities and anyone who is suspected of having been radicalised and who might be taking part in illegal acts.

(See also separate Safeguarding Service Users Who Are Vulnerable to Adopting Extremist and Radical Ideologies Policy.)

Procedures

Identification

All staff as a result of understanding this policy and training need to recognise when any vulnerable individual or group might be exploited by other individuals or groups for the purpose of involving them in terrorist acts. They also need to become aware if any individual or group is becoming exposed to material or influences that place them at risk of exploitation or actively taking part in terrorist acts. Sources of exposure include membership of institutions that are known to promote terrorist thinking and radicalisation (including self-radicalisation), social networks and the internet including social media.

Responding

Staff are expected to report to their line manager (and/or designated safeguarding manager) any concerns and information indicating that a vulnerable individual or group is being exposed to harmful influences that could result in their taking part in terrorist acts or suspicions or evidence that they are taking part in terrorist acts.

The manager will then assess the situation, which will include assessing the risks of any escalation of the terrorist threats posed by the individual or group. The outcome of this assessment will decide the course of action that follows. The aim will be to prevent and protect people from being caught up in terrorist activities so that they do not suffer significant harm and expose others to significant harm.

Examples

Where the concerns and risks are relatively small or the situation is in the early stages, the outcome might well be reflected in adjustments to the individual’s service plan to divert or minimise further exposure or contact, eg by providing advice, monitoring or controlling access to harmful information on the internet.

Where there is evidence that the individual is at more serious risk of being harmed as a result of exposure or contact to radicalisation (or self-radicalisation) the appropriate action will be to inform the local safeguarding adults board and following its procedures so that further assessment and an appropriate protection plan can be put into place.

Where there is evidence that the individual/group has already engaged in illegal terrorist activities or is about to do so, thereby posing a risk to public safety, the police will be immediately informed (together with/followed by notification to the safeguarding adults authority and care regulator).

In taking any action to prevent, divert or formally report the activities of the people who use its services who are at risk of radicalisation or are suspected of taking part in activities that could result in terrorism, the service is mindful of the need to protect people’s freedoms and human rights of individuals to think and act independently within the law.

The service recognises the importance of involving the person or persons in its actions and (in other than possibly the reporting of illegal acts) obtaining their consent to any proposed course of action designed to keep them safe from further harm in these respects. Individuals who might lack the mental capacity to take their own decisions in respect of being exposed to or having contact with harmful influences, which might lead them into terrorism, are made subject to best interests assessments and decisions in line with mental capacity/incapacity law.

{{org_field_name}} will continue to work with the local authority agencies to assess all identified risks to the people who use its services of being drawn into potential acts of terrorism, and acting promptly to reduce those risks in line with local plans.

Training

The service is committed to making sure that all staff have the competences to identify and report behaviour that puts an individual at risk of radicalisation and becoming a terrorist. It seeks to do this by key staff taking part in locally available Department of Health Approved Health Workshops to Raise Awareness of Prevent (WRAP) events, which can be cascaded down to other staff and included where relevant into their general safeguarding training (including induction training).

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}

Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}

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