Safeguarding learners vulnerable to extremism
Preventing the radicalisation of students is part of a Government initiative to develop a robust counter terrorism programme. The UK faces a range of terrorist threats. All the terrorist groups who pose a threat to us seek to radicalise and recruit people to their cause. The Government Prevent strategy seeks to:
• Respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and aspects of extremism, and the threat we face from those who promote these views
• Provide practical help to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure they are given appropriate advice and support
• Work with a wide range of sectors where there are risks of radicalisation which needs to be addressed, including education, criminal justice, faith, charities, the internet and health
A system of threat level has been created which represents the likelihood of an attack in the near future. The five levels are:
• Critical - an attack is expected imminently
• Severe – an attack is highly likely
• Substantial – an attack is a strong possibility
• Moderate – an attack is possible but not likely
• Low – an attack is unlikely
Further Education Providers are major education and training providers for the 16 – 25 year age group, particularly young people from ethnically diverse, and socially and economically disadvantaged areas. The age and profile of our students make it crucial to be involved in the Prevent strategy. Providers have a part to play in fostering shared values and promoting cohesion. Providers should focus on the risks of violent extremism, which represents the greatest threat at national level, while recognising that other forms of violence and extremism can and do manifest themselves within training settings. This strategy has five key objectives:
1. To promote and reinforce shared values; to create space for free and open debate; and to listen and support the learner voice.
2. To break down segregation among different student communities including by supporting inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue and understanding, and to engage all students in playing a full and active role in wider engagement in society
3. To ensure student safety and that we are free from bullying, harassment and discrimination
4. To provide support for students who may be at risk and appropriate sources of advice and guidance
5. To ensure that students and staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities in preventing violent extremism.
In order to achieve these objectives the strategy will concentrate on the following areas;
Leadership and Values
To provide an ethos which upholds core values of shared responsibility and wellbeing for all students, staff and visitors and promotes respect, equality and diversity and understanding. This will be achieved through:
• Promoting core values of respect, equality and diversity, democratic society, learner voice and participation
• Building staff and student understanding of the issues and confidence to deal with them
• Deepening engagement with local communities
• Actively working with local schools, local authorities, police and other agencies
Teaching and Learning
To provide a curriculum which promotes knowledge, skills and understanding to build the resilience of students, by undermining extremist ideology and supporting the learner voice. This will be achieved through:
• Embedding equality, diversity and inclusion, wellbeing and community cohesion
• Promoting wider skill development such as social and emotional aspects of learning
• A curriculum adapted to recognise local needs, challenge extremist narratives and promote universal rights
• Teaching and learning strategies which explore controversial issues in a way which promotes critical analysis and pro social values
• Use of external programmes or groups to support learning while ensuring that the input supports college goals and values.
• Encouraging active citizenship and learner voice.
Student Support
To ensure that staff are confident to take preventative and responsive steps working with partner professionals, families and communities. This will be achieved through:
• Establishing strong and effective student support services
• Listening to what is happening in the College and the community
• Implementing anti-bullying strategies and challenging discriminatory behaviour
• Helping students and staff know how to access support in College and or through community partners
• Supporting problem solving and repair of harm
• Supporting at risk students through safeguarding and crime prevention processes
Focussing on narrowing the attainment gap for all students
Where funded learners are engaged with learning the Government places providers with direct responsibility to ensure the training takes place in a safe environment, and like with the vetting for health and safety compliance, safeguarding/prevent is high on the agenda. As the provider our duty is to ensure the employee is not exposed to threats or dangers. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure employees working alongside our learners will not pose any threat or danger to the learner. OFSTED will request access to the learner and ask questions of the employer on the basis of safeguarding/prevent requirements. Employers will need to ensure they are aware of the means of reporting any concerns raised
County Lines
County lines is a major, cross cutting issue involving drugs, violence, gangs, safeguarding, criminal and sexual exploitation, modern slavery and missing persons; and the response to tackle it involves the police, the National Crime Agency, a wide range of Government departments, local government agencies and VCS (voluntary and community sector) organisations.
The UK Government defines county lines as:
County lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into one or more importing areas within the UK, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of ‘deal line’. They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons.
County lines activity and the associated violence, drug dealing, and exploitation has a devastating impact on young people, vulnerable adults and local communities.
There are a number of different resources available which provide additional information including data, new and emerging trends, and the scale of the issue:
• County Lines Violence, Exploitation & Drug Supply 2017, National Briefing Report, November 2017, on National Crime Agency (NCA)
The issue of county lines was discussed in the House of Commons (HoC) on 17 January 2018. A transcript of the debate is available on the Parliament website (Hansard Volume 634). There are a number of useful films on YouTube, including a news report which features case studies and a Radio 4 – File on 4 Programme – Crossing the Line – Britain’s Teenage Drug Mules.
For parents, carers or staff that are concerned that a child or vulnerable adult is being groomed to join a gang, there is guidance available from the organisation Gangfree.org
Managing Risks and Responding to Events
To ensure that NCL monitors risks and is ready to deal appropriately with issues which arise. It will do this through:
• Understanding the nature of the threat from violent extremism and how this may impact directly or indirectly on the Service
• Understanding and managing potential risks within the Service and from external influences
• Responding appropriately to events in local, national or international news that may impact on students and communities
• Ensuring measures are in place to minimise the potential for acts of violent extremist within NCL
• Ensuring plans are in place to respond appropriately to a threat or incident within NCL
• Developing effective ICT security and responsible user policies
Our Aim
Newcastle City Learning values freedom of speech and the expansion of beliefs/ideology as fundamental rights underpinning our society’s values. Both students and staff have the right to speak freely and voice their opinions. However, freedom comes with responsibility and free speech designed to manipulate the vulnerable or that leads to violence and harm of others goes against the moral principles in which freedom of speech is valued. Free speech is not an unqualified privilege; it is subject to laws and policies governing equality, human rights, community safety and community cohesion.
Every member of staff within Newcastle City Learning recognises that safeguarding against radicalisation and extremism is no different to safeguarding against any other vulnerability in today’s society. This policy sets out our beliefs, strategies and procedures to protect vulnerable individuals from being radicalised or exposed to extremist views, by identifying who they are and promptly providing them with support.
Links to other policies:
This Policy links to the following NCL policies;
• Safeguarding
• Equality Policy
• E-Safety Policy.
The following national guidelines should also be read in conjunction with this policy;
• PREVENT Strategy HM Government
• Safe Newcastle Overview for the Prevent Framework for Supporting Individuals Vulnerable to Recruitment by Violent Extremists
• Channel: vulnerability assessment Framework; Protecting vulnerable people from being drawn into terrorism
• Prevent Duty Guidance: for England and Wales
Risk
The current threat from terrorism in the United Kingdom may include the exploitation of vulnerable people, to involve them in terrorism or in activity in support of terrorism. The normalisation of extreme views may also make children and young people vulnerable to future manipulation and exploitation. NCL is clear that this exploitation and radicalisation should be viewed as a safeguarding concern.
Risk Reduction
The Core Leadership Team and the Lead Designated Safeguarding Officer will assess the level of risk within the Service and put actions in place to reduce that risk. Risk assessment may include, consideration of the use of our premises by external agencies, curriculum offer, provision specifically targeting vulnerable groups, disclosed safeguarding cases, anti-bullying policy, equal society statement and other issues specific to the Service’s profile, community and philosophy.
Designated Lead and Contacts
When a member of staff has any concerns that a student may be at risk of radicalisation or involvement in terrorism, they should speak with the Designated Safeguarding Officer.
The lead within NCL for safeguarding in relation to protecting individuals from radicalisation and involvement in terrorism is the Designated Safeguarding Officer.
The Single Point of Contact is: Colleen Pittman at colleen.pittman@newcastle.gov.uk
Interventions
Numerous factors can contribute to and influence the range of behaviours that are defined as violent extremism, but most people do not become involved in extremist action. For this reason the appropriate interventions in any particular case may not have any specific connection to the threat of radicalisation, for example they may address mental health, relationship or drug/alcohol issues.
Indicators of vulnerability to radicalisation
Radicalisation refers to the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and forms of extremism leading to terrorism.
Extremism is defined by the Government in the Prevent Strategy as:
• Vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.
• We also include in our definition of extremism calls for the death of members of our armed forces, whether in this country or overseas.
Extremism is defined by the Crown Prosecution Service as:
• The demonstration of unacceptable behaviour by using any means or medium to express views which:
• Encourage, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs;
• Seek to provoke others to terrorist acts;
• Encourage other serious criminal activity or seek to provoke others to serious criminal acts; or
• Foster hatred which might lead to inter-community violence in the UK.
There is no such thing as a “typical extremist”: those who become involved in extremist actions come from a range of backgrounds and experiences, and most individuals, even those who hold radical views, do not become involved in violent extremist activity.
Students may become susceptible to radicalisation through a range of social, personal and environmental factors - it is known that violent extremists exploit vulnerabilities in individuals to drive a wedge between them and their families and communities. It is vital that staff are able to recognise those vulnerabilities.
Indicators of vulnerability include:
• Identity Crisis – the student is distanced from their cultural / religious heritage and experiences discomfort about their place in society;
• Personal Crisis – the student may be experiencing family tensions; a sense of isolation; and low self-esteem; they may have dissociated from their existing friendship group and become involved with a new and different group of friends; they may be searching for answers to questions about identity, faith and belonging;
• Personal Circumstances – migration; local community tensions; and events affecting the student’s country or region of origin may contribute to a sense of grievance that is triggered by personal experience of racism or discrimination or aspects of Government policy;
• Unmet Aspirations – the learner may have perceptions of injustice; a feeling of failure; rejection of civic life;
• Experiences of Criminality – which may include involvement with criminal groups, imprisonment, and poor resettlement / reintegration;
• Learning Support Needs – students may experience difficulties with social interaction, empathy with others, understanding the consequences of their actions and awareness of the motivations of others.
This list is not exhaustive, nor does it mean that all people experiencing the above are at risk of radicalisation for the purposes of violent extremism.
More critical risk factors could include:
• Being in contact with extremist recruiters;
• Accessing violent extremist websites, especially those with a social networking element;
• Possessing or accessing violent extremist literature;
• Using extremist narratives and a global ideology to explain personal disadvantage;
• Justifying the use of violence to solve societal issues;
• Joining or seeking to join extremist organisations; and
• Significant changes to appearance and / or behaviour;
• Experiencing a high level of social isolation resulting in issues of identity crisis and / or personal crisis.
Procedures for Referrals
Although serious incidents involving radicalisation have not occurred at NCL to date, it is important for us to be constantly vigilant and remain fully informed about the issues which affect the local area, city and society in which we teach. Staff are reminded to suspend any ‘professional disbelief’ that instances of radicalisation ‘could not happen here’ and to be ‘professionally inquisitive’ where concerns arise, referring any concerns through the appropriate channels.
We believe that it is possible to intervene to protect people who are vulnerable. Early intervention is vital and staff must be aware of the established processes for front line professionals to refer concerns about individuals and/or groups. We must have the confidence to challenge, the confidence to intervene and ensure that we have strong safeguarding practices based on the most up-to-date guidance and best practice.
All queries should be direct to Colleen Pittman at colleen.pittman@newcastle.gov.uk
Appendix 1
Newcastle Channel Panel: Common Vulnerability Factors
In Newcastle, the Channel Panel process will consistently assess vulnerability by application of a framework built around three dimensions:
• A person’s engagement with a group, cause or ideology
• A person’s intent to cause harm; and
• A person’s capability to cause harm
Factors will be consistently applied regardless of where potential radicalisation might come from, be that, for example, the extreme far right or internationally-inspired terrorism, eg Daesh (so called ISIS).
Indicators someone might be engaged with an extremist group cause or ideology:
• Spending time in the company of suspected terrorists
• Changing style of personal appearance. eg dress, to accord with a group
• Day-to-day behaviour becoming increasingly centred on an extremist ideology, group or cause
• Loss of interest in friends/activities not associated with the extremist ideology, group or cause
• Possession of materials or symbols associated with an extremist cause, eg swastika
• Attempts to recruit others to the ideology, group or cause of an extremist cause
• Communication with others suggesting identification with an extremist ideology, group or cause
Indicators someone has the intention to cause harm by violence/other illegal means:
• Identifying others as threatened what they stand for/blaming that group for social/political ills
• Using insulting or derogatory language to reference another group
• Speaking about immense harm from another group and the importance of action now
• Expressing attitudes that justify offending on behalf of an ideology, group or cause
• Condoning or supporting violence towards others
• Plotting or conspiring with others
Indicators someone is capable of contributing directly/indirectly to acts of terrorism:
• Having a history of violence
• Being criminally versatile/using criminal networks to support extremist ideology, group or cause
• Having occupational skill that can enable acts of terror
• Having technical expertise that can be deployed towards an act of terror
Further Reading:
Channel Panel guidance
Protecting the UK against terrorism (library)
Updated November 2024