Government issues updated guidance on Prevent Duty

The Home Office has issued an updated version of its guidance on the Prevent Duty for specified authorities in England and Wales.

Under Prevent, local authorities are required to establish or use existing multi-agency groups at the local level, work with partners to assess the threat in a particular area, coordinate Prevent activities, and have in place arrangements to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding work.

The refreshed draft Prevent duty guidance was published last week (7 September), alongside a statutory instrument laid in the House of Commons to bring it into force under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act, “aiding frontline professionals in stopping people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism”, the Home Office revealed.

It said the updated guidance delivers on several key recommendations of the Independent Review  of Prevent, led by William Shawcross, “making it clear that Prevent’s objective is to tackle the ideological causes of terrorism”.

The Home Office added that the guidance would help frontline professionals in healthcare, education, local authorities, prisons, probation and the police comply with the Prevent duty.

Further, “strengthened due diligence checks” on civil society organisations will ensure that under no circumstances will Prevent work with or fund those who legitimise or support extremists, the Home Office said.

The updated guidance came as the Government claimed it is “on track” to fulfil the majority of the recommendations from the Shawcross Review by February 2024.

The Shawcross Review criticised various failings of Prevent, noting that “all too often those who commit terrorist acts in this country have been previously referred to Prevent.”

The Government has revealed that since the review in February 2023, ten out of the 34 recommendations have been “delivered in full”, and “progress has been made against every single recommendation”, with 68 of the 120 required tasks completed.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “Terrorists seek to destroy the freedoms and values we cherish. It is the duty of government to disrupt this enduring and evolving threat.

“Ongoing improvements to Prevent are paving the way for a stronger, more transparent and proportionate approach to tackling radicalisation in this country. This includes ensuring that we are no longer working with or funding groups who legitimise extremists.

“The updated Prevent duty guidance provides frontline professionals in education, healthcare and local government with a renewed focus as well as new tools and information to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.”

The Home Office revealed that new training on the ideological foundations of extremism and terrorism is also being rolled out throughout the country.

Further, a “refreshed” ministerial oversight board will meet in the coming months to oversee continued implementation of the review and ensure delivery remains in line with Shawcross’ recommendations.

In February, Shawcross found the Prevent duty to be “especially effective in schools”, but said that the focus of Prevent should shift from safeguarding – i.e. an emphasis on protecting those referred into Prevent from harm – to protecting the public from those inclined to pose a security threat.

Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, said: “Our schools are committed to protecting pupils from radicalisation and extremist influences, and this guidance along with the support of frontline workers will be pivotal to achieving that.

“These changes will provide greater clarity, practical advice and access to best practice for all teachers and education settings.”

Delivery of Prevent has moved from a national to a regional model which provides support for all local authorities in England and Wales.

The Government noted that the areas with the highest radicalisation risk will also receive multi-year funding to combat the local threat.

Lottie Winson