Preventing Radicalisation (Prevent)

Preventing terrorism and radicalisation within our communities.

What is Prevent?

The Prevent Strategy is focused on safeguarding individuals who are vulnerable to radicalisation by stopping them from being drawn into terrorism or extremism. The threat we face from terrorism is real, and the Prevent Strategy aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. 

The focus of Prevent is on the significant threat posed by international terrorism and those in the UK who are inspired by it. The Prevent Strategy is also concerned with reducing threats, risks and vulnerabilities posed by domestic extremists such as those from the far right and far left, extreme animal rights activists and those involved with Northern Irish terrorism. Prevent will address all forms of terrorism but continue to prioritise according to the threat they pose to our national security. 

Prevent is supported by three objectives: 

1. respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat we face from those who promote it
2. prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure they are given appropriate advice and support
3. work with key sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation and address risks

Focusing on early intervention before any illegal activity takes place. It is not about catching terrorists, it is about identifying people who are, or may be at risk of radicalisation, and supporting them to change direction in a way that will help them. 

Safeguarding vulnerable people from radicalisation is no different from safeguarding from other forms of harm or abuse. 

In Wirral, Prevent work has been undertaken through the Wirral Prevent Strategic Partnership. The group works to deliver the actions in our action plan, which is reviewed annually, based on Home Office Inspections and the Counter Terrorism Local Profile (CTLP) produced by Merseyside Police. 

You can also contact the national police Prevent advice line in confidence, to share your concerns with specially trained officers:

• Telephone: 0800 011 3764

If you see online material promoting terrorism or extremism, you can report it here anonymously  

Channel 

Channel is a national project that has been put in place to safeguard adults and young people who may be vulnerable to recruitment by violent extremists. Channel is about early intervention to address vulnerabilities and divert people from harm.  

Channel Panel reviews cases referred in to ensure adults and young people are protected from being radicalised. The panel will enable partners to work together to safeguard, identify support agencies, patterns, and trends of activity. 

The aim of the process is: 

• to support and protect people who might be susceptible to radicalisation at a very early stage so that they are not drawn into criminal activity which may affect their prospects in later life
• to ensure that individuals and communities have the resilience to resist all forms of violent extremism whether that be from an international threat, extreme right wing/left wing or domestically related for example environmental extremism
• Channel is not about prosecuting or stigmatising individuals who have been referred

Report a non-Prevent safeguarding concern