Preventing radicalisation
The aim of Prevent is to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
At the heart of Prevent is safeguarding adults and children by providing early intervention to protect and divert people away from being drawn into terrorist activity.
Prevent operates in a pre-criminal space, providing support and re-direction to individuals at risk of being radicalised into terrorist activities before any crimes are committed.
What is radicalisation?
Radicalisation is the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and extremist ideologies.
There are many factors that can make someone susceptible to radicalisation. It can happen to anyone of:
- any age
- social class
- religion
- ethnicity
- educational background
We tackle all ideologies and concerns that may cause a terrorist threat.
How you can help someone at risk of radicalisation
If you’re a family or friend
Act early and seek help. The sooner you reach out, the quicker we can protect the person you care about from being groomed and exploited by extremists.
To find out more about how to help someone close to you visit Act Early or call the support line on 0800 011 3764 from 9am to 5pm everyday. You can share your concerns with specially trained officers.
There is no single route to radicalisation. However, there are certain behaviours you can watch out for that is often seen when someone is being led down the path of extremism.
These behaviours include:
- being influenced or controlled by a group
- mental health issues
- spending an increasing amount of time online and sharing extreme views on social media
- looking to blame others
If you do have any concerns, you can email prevent@redbridge.gov.uk
If you’re a professional
You’ll often be the first to notice if someone displays concerning behaviour.
There could be many different reasons for these behaviours, not just radicalisation. It’s important to understand the context and why these changes are happening.
Discuss your concerns with colleagues/your safeguarding lead.
Once you have gathered relevant information it’s essential to share your concern and make a referral.
Making a referral
Anyone can make a referral.
What happens after?
Your referral is reviewed by a panel of professionals which can include the local police, counter terrorism police, teachers, social workers.
Individuals may be referred to a voluntary, confidential, early intervention programme. This is known as Channel and this supports people who may be at risk of being drawn into terrorism.
How to report suspicious activity
If you have seen or heard something that could be related to terrorism, trust your instincts and report it. Your actions could save lives.
It only takes a moment to make a report online. Tell us about possible terrorist activity.
You can also report suspicious activity by contacting the Police in confidence on 0800 789 321.
See information at Action Counters Terrorism
Awareness training
We can offer training to schools, communities and professionals to help understand and recognise signs of radicalisation and extremism.
- Workshop to raise awareness about prevent (WRAP) - 90 minutes
- Prevent refresher - 60 minutes
- Online safety, British values and radicalisation and extremism for years 5 and 6 - 45 to 60 minutes
- Online safety, British values and radicalisation and extremism for years 7 to 13 - 20 to 30 minutes
- Threat briefing
For more information contact prevent@redbridge.gov.uk
