The Prevent Duty In Education

Prevent overview

Prevent is a national programme that aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It works to ensure that people who are susceptible to radicalisation are offered appropriate interventions, and communities are protected against radicalising influences.

The Prevent Duty requires all education providers ‘to help prevent the risk of people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism’. This includes safeguarding learners from extremist ideologies and radicalisation.

For more information about your statutory duty see The Prevent Duty Guidance

Radicalisation can happen when a person develops extreme views or beliefs that support terrorist groups or activities.

The objectives of Prevent are:

tackle the ideological causes of terrorism
intervene early to support people susceptible to radicalisation
enable people who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate.

Protecting children and young people from the risk of radicalisation, is a key part of your setting’s overall safeguarding responsibilities, it’s important that all staff and governors know how to protect them from this threat. Understanding how to embed the Prevent duty as part of your wider approach to safeguarding and across the curriculum will help you to protect children, young people, from the risks of radicalisation, violent extremism, becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

What to do if I have a Prevent concern?

The key considerations for Prevent would be whether you feel an individual may be susceptible to becoming involved in or supporting terrorism, and to check if there is a sufficient concern of radicalisation to terrorism. Any prevent referral is designed to explore concerns further to reduce any risk that may be present.

If a person, child or adult, is at immediate risk, report this to the Police through 999 and follow the school’s child protection procedure where appropriate.

Notice - Are you worried that a person is at risk of being radicalised into extremism and/or supporting terrorism?

Observe concern, listen to disclosure
Record concern on organisation safeguarding recording form

Check - Can you find out more?

If your concern is about a child and if appropriate, check the concern with a parent or carer unless it could put the child at further risk of harm
If appropriate speak to the person of concern to better understand the situation
If appropriate find out further contextual information i.e. online activity.
Talk with Prevent Designated Safeguarding Person

Share - Do you still have concerns after checking?

Complete National Referral Form (below)
Remember: Whilst parental consent is NOT needed when making Prevent referrals, transparency with parents is recommended
Consent will be sought if concern is adopted by the Channel Panel
Update your organisation's recording systems

If you would like to speak to a member of the Kent and Medway Prevent Team you can find the details in the Kent and Medway Prevent team leaflet 2024 (PDF, 749.1 KB)

Prevent Referral Form

Make a referral (PDF, 281.0 KB)

Please note completed referrals should be sent to the Kent Police email address enclosed on the form.

What is Channel?

Channel is a voluntary, confidential support programme which focuses on providing support at an early stage to people who are identified as being vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. Prevent referrals may be passed to a multi-agency Channel panel, which will discuss the individual referred to determine whether they are vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism and consider the appropriate support required. A representative from the school or college will be asked to attend the Channel panel to help with this assessment. An individual’s engagement with the programme is entirely voluntary at all stages. For those requiring support an appropriate package is offered based on an assessment of their vulnerability.

Please find further information on Channel:

Kent and Medway Prevent Team

Assistant Director Contest and Serious Organised Crime - Nick Wilkinson

Strategic lead for Prevent and Channel at Kent County Council, Chair of Kent and Medway Channel Panel. Chair of Southeast Prevent and Channel Chairs meeting. Lead officer for Kent Community Safety Agreement priority of Preventing Extremism and Hate.

Email: Nick.Wilkinson@kent.gov.uk

Prevent and Channel Manager - Jess Harman

Coordinates Prevent activity across Kent and Medway, promotes the Prevent Strategy across both statutory and non-statutory partners, develops and oversees a partnership Prevent plan and Counter Terrorism risk assessment and delivers Prevent training to a range of agencies.

Email: Jess.Harman@kent.gov.uk

Prevent Education Officers (PEO) - Sally Green (Medway and North and West Kent) and Rachel Murray (South and East Kent)

Supporting educational establishments across Kent and Medway up to secondary level to implement Prevent through teaching, training, and guidance. Partnership working with the Department of Education and network of PEO's.

Emails: Sally.Green2@kent.gov.uk and Rachel.Murray@kent.gov.uk

Prevent Community Engagement Officer (PCEO) - Nadine Permaul

Supporting Kent and Medway communities and encouraging engagement with Prevent. Promoting awareness and addressing misconceptions of Prevent to build resilience and confidence within communities. Improving outreach and awareness and working with partners to ensure local and emerging needs are addressed.

Email: Nadine.Permaul@kent.gov.uk

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