Preventing radicalisation
At the heart of Prevent is safeguarding adults and children by providing early intervention to protect and divert people away from being drawn into terrorist activity.
The aim of Prevent is to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
Prevent operates in a pre-criminal space, providing support and re-direction to people at risk of being radicalised into terrorist activities before any crimes are committed.
Prevent is 1 of the key pillars of the Governments counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. Its aim is to reduce the risk from terrorism in the UK, its citizens and interests overseas, so that people can go about their lives freely and with confidence.
What should I do if I think someone is at risk of radicalisation?
Radicalisation is the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and extremist ideologies. There are many factors that can make someone susceptible to radicalisation, it can happen to anyone of any age, social class, religion, ethnicity or educational background.
Safeguarding people from radicalisation is no different from safeguarding from other forms of harm.
Friends and family are best placed to spot the signs, so trust your instincts.
There is no single route to radicalisation. However, there are certain behaviours you can watch out for that is often seen when someone is being led down the path of extremism. These behaviours include:
- being influenced or controlled by a group
- mental health issues
- spending an increasing amount of time online and sharing extremist views on social media
- looking to blame others
More important than any one specific sign is the sense that something is not quite right with the person you are worried about. If you are worried someone close to you is becoming radicalised, act early and seek help. The sooner you reach out, the quicker professionals can protect the person you care about from being groomed and exploited by extremists.
To find out more about how to help someone close to you visit Act Earlyor call the ACT early support line on 0800 011 3764 where, in confidence, you can share your concerns with specially trained officers. Lines are open 09.00am to 5.00pm every day. In an emergency dial 999.
How to report terrorist or violent extremist content found online
If you see terrorist or violent extremist material or online content that supports, directs or glorifies terrorism please report it. You can report things like:
- articles, images, speeches or videos that promote terrorism or encourage violence
- websites made by terrorists or extremist organisations
- videos of terrorist attacks
You can make your report without leaving your name or contact details online.
How to report suspicious activity
If you've seen or heard something that could potentially be related to terrorism, trust your instincts and report it. Your actions could save lives. It only takes a moment to make a report online. You can also report suspicious activity by contacting the Police in confidence on 0800 789 321. In an emergency dial 999.
Every year thousands of reports from the public help the Police to keep communities safe from terrorism.
Further information can be found at: Action Counters Terrorism.
Local Prevent Delivery
While Prevent is a national strategy, it is delivered locally by a wide range of partners across Southend.
Section 26 of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 placed a duty on specified agencies to have "due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism".
Partners also deliver frontline staff training, deliver projects to increase understanding and manage a referral service called Channel Panel.
You can also find practical help and guidance from the ACT Early website which provides a wealth of information relating to online radicalisation and spotting the signs of radicalisation.
Or if you are a frontline practitioner and you need more support, please visit the Southend Safeguarding Adults Partnership section on Prevent and CHANNEL.
Please see the Southend Community Safety Partnership page for some details. The website will help you to find out how to report suspicious activity, what to do if you think someone is at risk of radicalisation, and what the Prevent duty is.
In an emergency, or if you need urgent Police assistance, you should always call 999.
If you have concerns about anyone, please contact our Contact Centre via our online Portal or if you do not have access to the internet, by calling the Contact Centre on 01702 215008.
Guidance for professionals
If you have an urgent safeguarding situation that presents an imminent risk to a child or adult that does not require 999 or 101, please call our Contact Centre on 01702 215008 or Children's Social Care on 01702 215007.
For non-urgent prevent referrals, please complete the National Prevent Referral form on the Southend Safeguarding Adults Partnership website.