Preventing terrorism (Prevent and Channel)

Prevent is a strand of the governments' counter-terrorism strategy (CONTEST). It aims to stop people becoming terrorists and supporting terrorism. It focuses on safeguarding and supporting those individuals who are susceptible to being drawn into terrorism.

Channel is a multi-agency, safeguarding programme run in every local authority in England and Wales. Channel aims to protect adults, children and young people from being drawn into terrorism and provides a range of tailored support such as mentoring, counselling and help with education and employment.

Prevent

Prevent works in a similar way to programmes designed to safeguard people from gangs, drug abuse, and physical and sexual abuse. To help we need to:

tackle the causes of radicalisation in communities and online
continue to give effective support to those who are vulnerable to radicalisation
help people find a way out if they're already engaged in or supporters of terrorism

Prevent will:

help tackle the causes of radicalisation and respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism
safeguard and support those most at risk of radicalisation through early help, finding out who they are and offering support
help those who have already engaged in terrorism to get out and rehabilitate

Prevent duty

We have a duty under Section 26 of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 to help to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. Other authorities who also have a duty include the police, schools, further and higher education establishments, health services, prisons and probation services.

Responsibilities under the Prevent duty include understanding why people may be susceptible to being drawn into terrorism, spotting the signs and knowing what to do where there are concerns about an individual, and knowing how to refer people who there may be safeguarding concerns about.

Channel and referrals

Channel is a multi-agency approach to safeguarding, supporting and protecting children, young people and vulnerable adults at risk of radicalisation, extremism or terrorist related activity. We work with a wide range of partners including our adults and children's social care teams, the NHS, education settings and South Yorkshire Police to facilitate the programme.

The Barnsley Channel Panel aims to:

find individuals at risk of being drawn into extremism
look at the nature and extent of the risk
develop the most appropriate support plan for the people concerned

Participation in Channel is voluntary, and individuals (or their parents/carers for children aged under 18) must consent to receiving support. Taking part in the Channel process does not lead to a criminal record.

If you're worried someone is becoming radicalised

If you're worried someone is becoming radicalised, act early and seek help. The sooner you reach out, the quicker the person can be protected from being groomed and exploited by extremists. Friends and family are best placed to spot the signs, so trust your instincts and share your concerns in confidence. You won't be wasting police time and you won't ruin lives, but you might save someone.

Who to contact

In an emergency where your own or others' safety is at risk, call 999.
If you're worried about someone being drawn into terrorism, contact the South Yorkshire Police Prevent Team by emailing preventsouth@ctpne.police.uk or calling 101. You can also call the Anti-Terrorist Hotline anonymously on 0800 789321.
If you've found any illegal terrorist information, pictures or videos online, you can report online material promoting terrorism or extremism on GOV.UK.
If you want to make a complaint or raise a concern about how the Prevent duty has been applied, you can make a complaint about Prevent on GOV.UK.

Prevent and Channel training

We offer training to organisations, community groups, schools, colleges, and staff who engage with individuals or groups who may be susceptible radicalisation or being drawn into extremist narratives. Email prevent@barnsley.gov.uk or call 07809 103453 to talk to us about your requirements and book.

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