What is Prevent?
The Prevent Duty requires Local Authorities and other named bodies to give due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. Local Authorities should focus their activity where there is most need.
Prevent covers all forms of terrorism and seeks to challenge any ideology which legitimises terrorism.
In Camden, Prevent is about early intervention and safeguarding of adults and children.
Camden’s approach recognises that people at risk of being drawn into terrorism may also be at risk of other forms of harm such as criminal exploitation, grooming, sexual exploitation, modern slavery, and serious violence.
Work is carried out in partnership with communities and partners named in the Prevent duty (schools and registered childcare providers, health, police, prisons, and probation), to respond to the ideological challenges of terrorism and provide holistic support to those who are vulnerable. This ensures that those working with children and adults are supported to understand the risk of terrorism, identify when an individual is at risk of radicalisation and know what to do and how to get help.
Act Early has been developed to give more information about how Prevent protects and safeguards people.
Camden Safeguarding Children’s Partnership have resources specifically for those working with children and one for parents. Also available in Camden’s most widely spoken languages: Somali, Arabic and Bengali.
Educate Against Hate gives more information about how Prevent works to protect children.
What is Channel?
Channel is part of the Prevent Strategy. It is a multi-agency safeguarding panel, similar to other safeguarding panels. It aims to protect vulnerable adults and children from becoming involved in terrorist related activity. Channel is confidential and the panel is voluntary.
Channel aims to:
- identify whether a referred individual is at risk
- assess the nature and extent of that risk
- develop the most appropriate support plan for the individual concerned
In Camden, multi-agency professionals meet monthly. Any safeguarding support plan is led by the most appropriate agency. It may include support around drugs, alcohol, housing, education, employment, mental health, social and community networks etc. It can also include support with critical thinking around ideologies.
Each support package is assessed on a case-by-case basis and is entirely bespoke to the needs of the individual.