Prevent

Information and Overview

Updated October 2013, Education Office

Context

• Young people in the UK are potentially vulnerable to engagement with extremist ideologies or to targeting by extremist organisations.

• Universities, and other organisations who interact with young people, should be aware of these risks and familiar with the support networks and processes in place to protect vulnerable individuals from becoming radicalised or drawn into terrorism.

• The Home Office and the Police have developed a strategy to help support organisations to prevent individuals from being drawn into terrorism (The Prevent Strategy)

• The College has developed internal support mechanisms and referral processes and also has links with external partners who can provide training and support in this area.

College protocol

• The College has developed a protocol for ‘Detecting and preventing radicalisation’ .

• This protocol outlines who staff and students should contact with any concerns about fellow staff or students (further details on next slide).

• If, once internal processes are completed, it is considered that additional external support or referral is required this can be arranged.

• External referral will normally involve an individual being asked to voluntarily receive tailored support from relevant external individuals or organisations.

College referral process

• Students who have concerns about fellow students should contact a College Tutor.

• Staff with concerns about a student should contact the Director of Student Support

• Staff with concerns about a member of staff should contact the Director of Human Resources.

• The full protocol is available online here:

https://workspace.imperial.ac.uk/college/Public/pdfs/

DetectingPreventingRadicalisation.pdf

Freedom of Speech

• The Education Act requires that universities ensure that Freedom of Speech is secured for its staff and students and for visiting speakers.

• The Imperial College Freedom of Speech: Code of Practice covers the following types of event:

• Any meeting or other activity on College premises where there is a real likelihood that the speaker may not be able to enter or leave College premises safely and/or deliver his or her speech or that a criminal offence may occur….

The full code of practice is available online: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/secretariat/collegegovernance/provisions/policies/freedomofspeech

• The College fully upholds the right to freedom of speech within the law, but must balance this with the need to challenge extremist ideas, such as those which promote racial or religious hatred, which can form part of a terrorist ideology.

• The College and Imperial College Union have clear room booking processes and policies in place to support this.

Further training and information

• The College Deterring Terrorist Activities website contains information and links to relevant processes and information: www.imperial.ac.uk/secretariat/dta

• The UUK Safe Campus Communities contains further information and case studies

relating to Prevent and Higher Education:

http://www.safecampuscommunities.ac.uk/the-prevent-agenda

Further Training• If you, or your team, wish to receive further training or information relating to Prevent then

this can be provided by external partners. • The College has links with the local Metropolitan Police Prevent Team and London HE

and FE Prevent co-ordinators (government funded), who can deliver tailored interactive training sessions on request.

• For further information or if you would like request training please contact Riccardo Feasey in Central Secretariat: riccardo.feasey@imperial.ac.uk