Decision details

Prevent

Decision Maker: External Scrutiny Committee

Decision status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: No

Decisions:

The Chair welcomed Pam Smith, Equality and Cohesion Manager CT/Prevent; Chris Coyle, Senior Manager Children's Social Care; and Detective Chief Inspector Scott Waddington, to the meeting.

 

The report presented updated the Committee on Prevent delivery across Lancashire including the Channel process. In June 2018 the Government launched their revised and strengthened CONTEST strategy. CONTEST was the UK's long term counter terrorism strategy. The updated strategy continued to include the 4 P's: Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare. The aim of Prevent was to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism, safeguarding individuals and communities. A copy of the presentation is set out in the minutes.

 

It was reported that prevent awareness training and workshops raising awareness of prevent (WRAP) were delivered by the council at no cost.  The Committee was informed that when the Prevent Duty became law in 2015 the government allocated £10k to each Tier 3 local authorities to help mainstream prevent and this was used to upgrade the Prevent for Schools P4S (preventforschools.org ) website.  A question was asked in relation to a previous allocation of funding to deliver prevent work. This had been used to roll out of a bespoke training programme for women to build their confidence as community leaders and raising awareness about prevent in communities. This programme was deemed an example of good practice by the Home Office. It was confirmed that currently the council did not have a budget for project work. Officers emphasised that training on the prevent agenda continued to be delivered to officers and members free of charge. The Committee was also informed that the Home Office also allocated funding around a tier process for those areas deemed to be at highest risk.

 

It was reported that over 1.5m frontline staff had been trained in spotting the signs of radicalisation. Bite size briefings on the prevent duty/channel process and personal security and online safety were also delivered to councillors.

 

On the role of councillors, it was confirmed that councillors were well placed to listen to and understand constituents’ concerns, and as community leaders could share not only their understanding of sources of community tension with the local authority, but to spread good news through their communities. Members were handed a copy of the role of a councillor document. A copy of this is set out in the minutes. In summary the role of councillors would be to:

 

·  Safeguard communities as community leader;

·  Listen and understand constituents concerns;

·  Challenge narratives of radicalisers and extremists;

·  Understand how to signpost concerns (concern@lancashire.pnn.police.uk);

·  Promote positive messages about community activities and relationships.

 

 

The Prevent Duty was placed on officers and councillors at County and District council level.

 

A query was raised in respect of social media activity and whether referrals of incidents to the Channel Panel of this nature was the appropriate place. It was reported that there was a moral and personal responsibility to refer. Prevent was about safeguarding if members felt an incident was inappropriate then advice was to report it (notice, check and share). A measured approach was in place to assess referrals. The Committee was informed that the Channel Panel (pan Lancashire) was viewed by the Home Office as an exemplar on the process with a robust governance structure in place.

 

After concerns had been referred to the Channel Panel, a question was asked on how much referrers were kept informed of progress as councillors were in a good position to advise and assist with community cohesion. It was reported that referrers were informed of progress. However, in some cases there would be exceptions to this.

 

In discussing potential recommendations the Committee felt that all county councillors be urged to undertake Prevent Duty training and for the Member Development Working Group to consider how best to approach and deliver this.

 

In addition it was also felt that the Cabinet Member for Community and Cultural Services consider the allocation of a small amount of funding to be made available for Prevent Duty project work to help raise awareness across Lancashire in particular for other groups and communities given the examples of what had already been undertaken and highlighted at the meeting.

 

Resolved: That;

 

1.  All County Councillors be urged to undertake Prevent Duty training; and

2.  The Cabinet Member for Community and Cultural Services consider the allocation of a small budget to fund Prevent Duty project work.

 

Report author: Pam Smith

Date of decision: 16/10/2018

Decided at meeting: 16/10/2018 - External Scrutiny Committee

Accompanying Documents: