Policy Context 

This policy relates to all activities of Swift.

All references to “learners” below should be recognised as pertaining to “apprentices” and vice versa.

As of August 2021, the UK threat from Terrorism and Extremism is “Substantial” which means a terrorist attack is considered to be likely.

Swift has a number of legal obligations pursuant to the Counterterrorism and Security Act 2015 and to report and general criminal activity to the police and to ensure that it does not provide a platform for the development and encouragement of extremist ideologies.

Has a training provider, Swift also has an obligation to promote freedom of speech and to encourage, discussion and debate around societal issues potentially impacting the lives of our learners.

This policy aims to ensure compliance with Swifts legal obligations as well as detailing how freedom of speech will be encouraged.

Policy Introduction 

Swift is fully committed to providing a secure and safe environment for its apprentices and staff, an environment where apprentices and staff feel protected and safe.

Swift adheres to the

Notice-Check-Share Referral Process (see Appendix 1)

This Policy details how Swift will fulfil its obligations to the UK Government Prevent Duty and CONTEST Strategy as detailed in the Counterterrorism and Security Act 2015 and the Prevent Duty Guidance for Further Education Providers.

In following this policy and all other relevant company policies and procedures based around health, safety, welfare, safeguarding and equality and diversity all Swift staff will contribute to the effective implementation and maintenance of all company policies and procedures. #

This policy is just one element within the general arrangements that safeguard and promote the welfare and wellbeing of all Apprentices associated with the statutory obligations set out in the Education Act 2002.

This policy also portrays the actual guidance taken from the following relevant resources:

– Keeping children safe in education.

– Learning together to be safe.

– “Prevent Strategy” resources guide.

– Tackling extremism in the United Kingdom.

– Teaching approaches that help build resilience to extremism among young people.

The appointed Strategic Designated Safeguarding Lead (SDSL) will be accountable for Swifts compliance to this policy and to its legal obligations pursuant to the Prevent Duty.

The current SDSL is Jack Edwards, the  Operational Designated Safeguarding lead (ODSL) is Jayne Hipkiss, who takes full control of the Prevent process and reporting.

Policy Objectives 

1.1. To detail how Swift will comply with its obligations to UK government pursuant to the Terrorism Act, Prevent Strategy and CONTEST Strategy.

1.2. To gain the commitment of all staff and stakeholders to this policy, its implementation and effectiveness within the organisation.

1.3. To create a culture and practice that protects apprentices and stakeholders from radicalising influences. This includes a comprehensive and effective training process that supports staff to identify changes in behaviour that could be linked to extremism and radicalisation.

1.4. To ensure that all stakeholders understand how to report concerns.

1.5. To support the development of resilient apprentices and stakeholders to extremist views and to encourage all stakeholders to see the value in diversity.

1.6. To train all employees to recognise the sign of radicalisation or extremist influences.

1.7. To support the aims of the CONTEST Strategy, which are:

– To RESPOND to the ideological challenge of terrorism

– To PREVENT our stakeholders from being drawn into terrorism and provide context, support and advice.

– COLLABORATE with other sectors to ensure a cross multi-agency approach to addressing the risks posed as a result of the promotion of terrorist views.

1.8. To promote this policy to all stakeholders and third parties including employees, learners, apprentices and employers.

Definitions 

Swift relies on the definitions provided in the Terrorism Act 2000 and Prevent Strategy:

Terrorism is defined as: “the use or threat which: involves serious violence against a person; involves serious damage to property; endangers a person’s life (other than that of the person committing the act); creates a serious risk to the health or safety of the public or section of the public; or is designed seriously to interfere with or seriously to disrupt an electronic system. The use or threat of such action must be designed to influence the government or an international governmental organisation or to intimidate the public or a section of the public and be undertaken for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.” 

Extremism is defined 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, and/or calls for the death of members in our armed forces, whether in this country or overseas”. 

Violent extremism is defined as: “the endorsement of violence to achieve extreme ends.” 

Radicalisation is defined as: “the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and forms of extremism leading to terrorism.” 

Possible Signs of Radicalisation 

Swift recognises the relevance of the Channel Process that focuses on providing early support and intervention for those identified as being susceptible to being drawn into terrorism.  Swift is proactive in supporting learners who are referred through the Channel process, and understands the requirement for them to provide their consent before any support through the programme can be provided.

Swift has adopted a culture of Safeguarding that supports the identification of vulnerability and abuse.

The legislation is not prescriptive on the possible signs of radicalisation, although it is assumed that the most obvious signs will be extreme changes in behaviour, which will vary in its obviousness from case to case.

Possible indicators are:

– General changes in demeanour, behaviour or viewpoint

– Changes in faith

– Becoming involved with a narrow view of politics#

– Isolation

– Expressing views that are “them” and “us”

– Association with known terrorist organisations.

Swift recognises some Apprentices may be in social and domestic situations that may make them susceptible to terrorism, to include (mental health issues, single parent families, involvement in gangs). These Apprentices may be at greater risk of radicalisation than other Apprentices.

Swift will closely follow any locally agreed procedures set out by all local authorities for safeguarding individuals who are vulnerable to extremism and radicalisation.

Identifying and managing risk of Radicalisation

Managing risk of radicalisation in your education setting – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

According to the above .Gov guidance, the levels of risk are:

low risk

at risk

medium risk

high risk

Swift is aware that a child, young person or adult learner can move very quickly between the risk categories, and our duty to deal with any escalation of risk immediately.

Swift will seek the advice and support of the following agencies and services:

the local children’s social care team in regard to the location of the learner (find contact details at report child abuse to a local council)

our local authority Prevent team

other Prevent partners

And, we will always make a Prevent referral if we are unsure.

Low risk: 

Where there is low risk, Swift will:

talk informally to the learner about the changes in their behaviour

provide an opportunity to debate controversial issues in a safe space

offer information about how to keep safe online

Swift promotes itself as safe space in which learners can understand and discuss sensitive topics, including terrorism and the extremist ideas that are part of terrorist ideology, and to learn how to challenge these ideas.

At risk

A learner at risk may be showing behaviours that could increase their risk and vulnerability to radicalisation.

If a learner is showing at risk behaviour, Swift will explore this further to assess the need to make a Prevent referral.

If we feel a learner is at risk, Swift will gather information about behaviours and anything significant, that may guide us to make a full assessment of risk and harm.

We will consider:

if we have enough information to make a comprehensive assessment

what’s happened in the past to trigger the incident

if this is an isolated incident or a pattern of behaviour

what else we know and if there any relevant vulnerability factors

if there are any relevant contextual factors – for example, previous safeguarding concerns, behaviour, attendance, attainment, general wellbeing

if there are any protective factors – for example, supportive personal relationships with peers and family, environmental factors such as school, college, provider or home life

Swift will:

talk to the learner in a safe space

talk to the parents or carers (if under 18) about your concerns

make a holistic assessment of vulnerability by examining risk and protective factors

If there is any doubt, Swift will make a Prevent referral.

Swift will always consider the best person to speak to a learner, in terms of who has the best relationship with them.

Swift will always follow our Prevent referral procedures.

Medium risk means a learner is at heightened risk of radicalisation. There may be several indicators of risk.

If the learner is at risk of harm, Swift will make a Prevent referral immediately.

Medium risk behaviour includes:

legitimising the use of violence to defend ideology or cause

accessing extremist or terrorist websites, forums and publications

expressing dehumanising views

expressing an interest to travel to a conflict zone

being in contact with a group or individuals known to support a violent extremist ideology, either online or in real life

expressing persistent intolerance towards groups of people perceived as ‘other’ – this may be based on protected characteristics such as gender, religion or ethnicity, but not exclusively

demonstrating a fixation with weaponry or explosives (this may include posing in concerning photographs or videos with weaponry), without an otherwise reasonable explanation

being obsessed with massacre, or extreme or mass violence, without targeting a particular group (for example, high school shootings)

If Swift suspects a learner is at medium risk, we will always assess their vulnerability and examine the risk and protective factors.

Swift will consider:

if there’s reasonable cause to suspect that the learner is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm

what the risks are and what would happen if these needs are not met – what the impact will be on the learner – (what we are worried about)

what else you know and if there are any relevant vulnerability factors

if there are any relevant contextual factors – for example, previous safeguarding concerns, behaviour, attendance and attainment records and general wellbeing

if there are any protective factors – for example, supportive personal relationships with peers and family, environmental factors such as school, college, provider or home life

If the learner is suffering from or is at risk of harm including radicalisation, Swift will immediately and follow our internal safeguarding policy, including considering making a referral to Prevent .

Channel is a multi-agency partnership that supports people identified as at risk of being drawn into terrorism. Channel focuses on early intervention to provide support at an early stage.

Swift understands its responsibility to carry out an assessment to identify whether any needs should be met by more than one agency, for example child and adolescent mental health services.

Swift will aim to get parental consent before making any referral for someone under the age of 18, but only if it is safe to do so. We WILL NOT put the young person in more danger.

High risk means a learner is at significant risk. There’s evidence that they’re currently exposed to terrorist or extremist activity and there’s a significant risk to their safety.

If a learner is showing high risk, criminal behaviour, swift will inform the police immediately.

High risk, criminal behaviour includes:

verbally or physically attacking someone due to their race, religion, sexuality and so on

committing violent acts guided by a violent extremist ideology or group

taking part in any proscribed violent extremist group (financing, sharing material online, recruiting others and so on)

having a ‘kill list’ or detailed plan to carry out mass violence

producing or sharing terrorist material offline or online

recruiting others to a proscribed terrorist group or organisation

Swift will consider if the learner:

needs support from more than one agency

is about to put themselves or others in danger

is at risk due to actions of their parents or carers, or wider family members

has made violent threats regarding Swift

swift has a duty to tell the police immediately if we suspect a learner:

is about to put themselves or others in danger by travelling to join a proscribed organisation, or

appears to be involved in planning to carry out a criminal offence

It is imperative that, if Swift suspects a learner is likely to commit an attack on either our premises or staff, we contact the police and local authority for immediate support.

Prevention 

IT Usage and the PREVENT Duty 

Swift acknowledges that learners of all ages can be exposed to extremist influences or prejudiced views during their learning. This can be derived from a number of influences including via the internet through social media, in chat rooms and in other online platforms or applications.

Swift has Acceptable Use of IT Policies that are issued to all learners and individuals utilising Swift hardware and software. Swift also carries out filtering tests on a regular basis, which are recorded on our Filtering and Monitoring Tracker.

Safety online is embedded in all programmes within Swift’s provision and reinforced by Assessors during progress reviews.

Engaging and Training Apprentices and Staff in Committing to this Policy 

All Swift staff undergo Radicalisation, Extremism and PREVENT training as part of their employee induction, and all Apprentices as part of their Apprenticeship induction. This includes training around recognising possible early signs of radicalisation and how to report concerns.

All Swift staff undertake annual refresher training on Radicalisation, Extremism and the PREVENT Duty, along with regular, topical CPD sessions throughout the year, to ensure their knowledge is up to date.

Fundamental British Values and the concept of free speech are embedded into all programmes and contextualised to the sector of delivery. Discussion around these topics is encouraged by assessors.

Governance 

Swift holds quarterly Safeguarding Focus Group Meetings with the designated Safeguarding team, to identify trends, areas of concern and areas of improvement to shape, review and inform Safeguarding and Prevent Policy & Process. Concerns around Radicalisation, Extremism and PREVENT are an integral part of these meetings and are highlighted at the focus groups to allow for effective future planning.

Senior Leaders and Governors discuss the outputs of these meetings regular and offer strategic advice around enhancing commitment, promotion and process.

Promoting this Policy 

Swift recognises the importance of guiding apprentices of all ages to be intolerant of all forms of extremism, it is SWIFT aim to build upon a mutual respect and understanding that promotes and maintains effective communication processes and language that does not use violence as a form of conflict resolution.

British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs are embedded into all programmes within the provision.

Concepts of mutual respect, tolerance and inclusivity are embedded into curricula and Assessors actively encourage discussion around these policies.

All Staff and apprentices are comprehensively trained around all aspects of Safeguarding and the Prevent Strategy during their respective induction. This is regularly refreshed.

This Policy is available on the company Intranet system and can be accessed by all staff, apprentices and employers.

Apprentices are issued workbooks during their learning journey that support the aims and objectives of the policy and promote resilience to extreme narratives and protection from radicalising influences.

Staff will undergo annual refresher training to ensure their understanding of the PREVENT duty and their responsibilities within this are maintained.

Apprentices are engaged around Prevent and the concepts of radicalisation and extremism during initial engagement. Assessors will discuss these with them on a regular basis during progress reviews. Hot Topic discussions are shared with employers and regular discussions are conducted to understand their effectiveness.

Reporting Concerns 

Concerns may be raised by any stakeholder, guest to site or third party based on behaviour they have observed. These concerns may range from minor changes in behaviour to an expression of extremist ideology.

In the first instance, concerns should be referred to the designated safeguarding lead who will investigate in accordance with the safeguarding policy.

The exact nature of the intervention required will be determined by the ODSL who will take the necessary action and will agree a date on which this will be reviewed. This will be recorded on the learner’s file. During the review, the case will be assessed again, and the appropriate actions taken (if necessary).

The ODSL may decide to refer to the Channel Process for further support. Where a referral is made, the ODSL will attend the relevant meetings.

A referral to the police may be made in situations where there is an immediate fear of harm to the individual or others within their lives.

Safeguarding 

Refer to the Swift Safeguarding policy and Safeguarding Process for specific guidance on safeguarding procedures which should be followed where any staff member, employer or Apprentice expresses a concern relating to Radicalisation and Extremism.

All staff will remain fully alert to the fact that whilst extremism and radicalisation is broadly a safeguarding issue there may be some instances when Apprentices of any age may be at direct risk of harm or neglect. For example, this could be due to an Apprentice displaying “at risk behaviours” in terms of the activities they are involved in or the groups they are associated with.

Monitoring and Review 

The Senior Leadership Team will be responsible for monitoring and reviewing the Policy.

Monitoring will include assessing how this Policy, and any supporting action plan, are working in practice, reviewing them annually, and considering and taking action to address any issues.

Quarterly Safeguarding Focus Groups, involving all Safeguarding Representatives, will highlight trends, areas of concern, changes in processes and referral agencies to ensure that Safeguarding Policy and Process is continually monitored and reviewed. ‘

Where there are any legislative changes to UK Government Policy on Prevent, Extremism and Radicalisation, the review date of this policy will be brought forward accordingly to ensure any changes are reflected within this policy.

Version 2

Author: Jayne Hipkiss

Review date: 18/08/2023

Reviewed by: Jayne Hipkiss

Next review date: 17/08/2024

Authorisation by the Managing Director:

Name: Greg Morrall

Appendix 1: Regional Prevent Coordinators:

Northeast and Yorkshire        

Contact: Chris Sybeng

Email: chris.sybenga@education.gov.u

Telephone: 07384 456 640

   West Midland

Contact: Alamgir Sheriyar   

Email: alamgir.sheriyar@education.gov.u

Telephone: 07468 714 372

   East Midlands  

Contact: Sam Slac

Email: sam.slack@education.gov.u

Telephone: 07384 452 156

   Eastern Englan

Contact: Dave Layton-Scot

Email: david.layton-scott@education.gov.u

Telephone: 07384 452 155

   Southeas

Contact: Alamgir Sheriya

Email: alamgir.sheriyar@education.gov.u

Telephone: 07468 714 372

   Londo

Contact: Jennie Fishe

Email: jennie.fisher@education.gov.u

Telephone: 07880 469 58

Appendix 2:

Notice-Check-Share Referral Process

Once we know the warning signals that something isn’t quite right – What do we do

NOTICE

You notice a change or are concerned about a particular behaviour, it’s that feeling/niggle you have about someone or something

CHECK

You still have concerns, check your concerns with a colleague/manager/learning mentor/friend/anyone (remember safeguarding and don’t give names to someone who is not employed by the school)

SHARE:
 If you still have a concern, share it with the relevant people