Key takeaways
Updated Prevent Duty guidance published
The DfE has issued updated and consolidated guidance for designated safeguarding leads.
Greater focus on integration with safeguarding frameworks
Schools and education settings should ensure the Duty is embedded within existing safeguarding.
Review and refresh Prevent training
Organisations should ensure Prevent training is up to date.
The Department for Education (DfE) has recently updated its guidance on the Prevent Duty having published three new guidance documents aimed at designated safeguarding leads (DSL):
The Prevent duty: practical guidance for designated safeguarding leads (the Guidance).
Channel meetings: practical guidance for designated safeguarding leads.
Safeguarding learners susceptible to radicalisation: next-step checklists.
These guidance documents are essential reading for any DSL or for individuals with safeguarding responsibilities in schools and further education settings and should be read alongside Keeping Children Safe in Education. In this article we look at what is included in the Guidance and what actions DSLs should now take to ensure ongoing compliance.
The Prevent Duty
Teachers and those working in schools will be familiar with the requirements of the Prevent Duty (Prevent). Prevent is a statutory safeguarding duty imposed on schools and educational settings by section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 and forms part of the government’s wider Prevent strategy to prevent radicalisation and people becoming terrorists. Importantly, Prevent is not a separate disciplinary or behavioural regime, rather, it sits alongside a school’s existing safeguarding responsibilities and aims to protect children and young people from being exploited by extremist ideologies in the same way that schools protect pupils from other forms of harm.
What is new for DSLs?
It is important to note that the Guidance does not change the underlying Prevent Duty that already exists in school settings, rather, it seeks to provide detailed operational guidance for DSLs to allow them to embed Prevent through existing safeguarding approaches.
A key message of the Guidance is that existing safeguarding structures should be used to deliver Prevent rather than standalone policies. In particular, that DSLs should manage concerns about radicalisation as a safeguarding concern. This is due to the strong links between susceptibility to radicalisation and other safeguarding concerns such as abuse, neglect, online harm and serious harm. The Guidance also emphasises that a DSL should consider how a pupil’s special educational needs or disability (SEND) may impact upon the way in which concerns present. Whilst the Guidance stresses that SEND does not cause radicalisation it stresses that where needs are missed or unsupported vulnerability can increase.
What should DSLs now do?
As a starting point, DSLs should ensure that they are familiar with the Guidance and the further information set out in the ‘Channel meeting’’ guidance. The DfE has also prepared a ‘radicalisation checklist’ that will allow DSLs and other safeguarding professionals to assess a learner’s susceptibility to radicalisation
From a practical perspective, DSLs should ensure that existing safeguarding policies and procedures are reviewed to identify further measures to identify and support learners at risk of radicalisation. It is important to note that no standalone Prevent policy is required.
DSLs should also ensure that they receive Prevent training at least every 2 years, however, this need not come at any additional cost as free training is available via the DfE’s co-ordinators and some local authorities. However, if training is being secured by an external provider the DSL should ensure that it is from a reputable provider. This training will support wider engagement with staff at your setting to ensure that they understand how to identify, respond to and report concerns about radicalisation.
Next steps
We are experienced in supporting academy trusts and other educational settings in advising on safeguarding and wider regulatory matters. We also offer a full service to our Education sector clients, whether you require advice on a transactional or commercial project, such as a school transfer, contract review, negotiation or settlement, or on day-to-day pupil, parent and staffing matters. Find out more about our Education team or contact us today to discuss how we can support you.
This article was co-authored by Trainee Solicitor, India Hall.
