Information on hot topics, consultations, surveys and headlines to ensure that you are kept informed and have the opportunity to engage with on-going debates and consultations.
This page supplements the Safeguarding and Prevent Newsletter that brings together key statistics, data and research.
Below are Home Office/DfE endorsed messages and resource signposting regarding the recent distressing events in Israel/Gaza Strip.
Prevent Referrals
Prevent seeks to intervene early, to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Where someone is concerned a person may have been deliberately exposed to harmful terrorist narratives, it is right that they refer them to the necessary authorities. A Prevent referral does not amount to an accusation of criminality. Rather, it allows for a multi-agency assessment to be conducted and support to be provided to help divert people from engaging in harmful activity. Through this referral, the person will be able to receive the vital support they need.
All referrals to Prevent are carefully assessed based on the specific details of the case. If a person is found to not be at risk of radicalisation, the case is immediately closed to Prevent. They may be referred to other appropriate services, or no further action may be taken.
Lawful non-violent protest or activism does not meet the threshold for Prevent referrals. Holding legitimate political views is not an indicator for extremism provided they are not expressed or furthered by statements, deeds or actions which result in harassment, intimidation or threats of violence against individuals or society itself.
Encouragement of terrorism, including glorifying the commission or preparation of acts of terrorism, fundraising for the purposes of terrorism, and inviting support for a proscribed terrorist organisation, are all criminal offences. Hamas are a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK.
Prevent and Schools (relevant to FES organisations also)
Many young people will have a strong personal interest in these issues, and we are aware that in some schools this may lead to political activity by older pupils. Schools should ensure that political expression by pupils is done sensitively, avoiding disruption and feelings of intimidation or targeting for other pupils and staff. Schools should also make every effort to ensure that this activity does not extend to discriminatory bullying or involve the expression of antisemitic, anti-Muslim, or other discriminatory views. Where this does happen, the Department for Education expect schools to deal with these incidents with all due seriousness, in line with their behaviour policy.
Depending on the circumstances, safeguarding leads may also look to determine whether abusive and discriminatory views expressed or shared by pupils are representative a wider susceptibility, and consider the appropriateness of engaging with support through the Prevent programme. We trust teachers and other staff to exercise their professional judgment about whether a referral is appropriate, as they do for all other safeguarding risks. Further training and more discussion around radicalisation will help in addressing this, and advice and guidance is available on Educate Against Hate and GOV.UK to support safeguarding leads in making these decisions.
Schools should also be mindful of their legal duties regarding political impartiality and should always avoid working organisations that promote antisemitic, anti-Muslim or any other discriminatory views. The Department for Education has published clear and comprehensive guidance to help those working with and in schools to better understand legal duties on political impartiality. The guidance can be found here.
Further Resources
Particularly in relation to the conflict, and any antisemitic or anti-Muslim incidents emanating as a result of this, you may find the below links useful:
In addition, the ETF advise you to consider the following:
This blog by Educate Against Hate gives advice about discussing topics such as conflicts with students.
If you are concerned or stressed and feel that you need support, you will find useful contacts and resources on our Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing webpage.
The Prevent duty guidance has been refreshed and updated to reflect several recommendations of the
Independent Review of Prevent. This includes several changes to the guidance for education settings.
There are no new legal requirements or additional responsibilities for education settings, and changes aren’t anticipated to come into effect until 31st December 2023 at the earliest. You can read more about what the key changes are, how they affect different phases of education and what support is available by reading the ‘how we’re safeguarding learners from radicalisation’ blog post from the Department for Education.
Educate Against Hate have launched their new and improved calendar ready for the 2023/24 academic year. The calendar looks at the year ahead and highlights key awareness days and months, important anniversaries, and other opportunities to conduct conversations with your students around extremism and radicalisation. Each date has a list of relevant resources, tools and practical advice to support you in engaging with your students and building their resilience to extremism.
DIIS Report 2022: 06 – The Gamification of Jihad. This report reviews existing knowledge on the convergence between jihad and gaming, and identifies areas that need further attention from academics and practitioners concerned with the spread of transnational jihadism. As video gaming becomes ubiquitous, its growing influence also has an impact on jihadi mobilisation or other types of violent extremism. Investigating ways in which jihadists contextualise and take advantage of various gaming spaces, this report also presents examples of such conduct. The review briefly explores comparable and related fields of research, such as media and cultural studies as well as research on right-wing extremism.
It is important that within the safeguarding and education spheres we remain aware of the latest reports and directions coming from the government. This month the UK Government has published its State of the Nation report, into children and young people’s wellbeing throughout the country. As such it is recommended reading for professionals within this sphere, and you can get hold of that document by following the link below. Across its 172 pages, it deals with the report’s key findings on the topics of personal wellbeing, mental and physical health, education and skills and relationships. It also includes a discussion of what direction should be taken to address the issues presented in the report.
Improvement in security measures will place a requirement on those responsible for certain locations and activities (including education) to consider the threat from terrorism and implement appropriate and proportionate mitigation measures.
Premises drawn into the Duty must qualify 3 tests:
Date to be confirmed when it will come into force. See the fact sheet for more information.
Andrew Tate, social media “influencer” was banned from YouTube, TikTok and Meta platforms for misogynistic content of videos. See Misogyny and Prevent resources.
You may have staff and learners who are shocked by the recent shootings in Buffalo, New York and at the elementary school in Texas, and who may be seeking reassurance about the safety of their place of work and education. You may well wish to offer messages of reassurance and demonstrating an active role in protective security may assist with this:
Protect UK is the new counter-terrorism platform which contains a whole range of guidance including on lockdown and invacuation. Type ‘MTA’ into the search bar and you will find guidance on Marauding Terrorist Attacks including a supplementary document specifically on lockdown procedures which is very useful and applicable across a whole range of venues. There is also free CT Awareness training plus an excellent package called SCAN (See, Check and Notify) which aims to raise awareness of staff and promote a more security minded culture that deters hostiles from choosing your venue as a target.
In addition, following events like this, the Run, Hide, Tell video and advice can be helpful and reassuring to staff and learners and provides them simple but robust advice on how they might respond to a range of emergency events that they could become caught up in. Stay Safe Film – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is distressing and concerning for colleagues and learners alike.
The Government’s Education Hub features some advice and resources to aid conversations about this distressing event, including help spotting disinformation. Although primarily aimed at younger students, can be helpful with all learners.
If you are concerned or stressed and feel that you need support, you will find useful contacts and resources on our Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing webpage.
Whose resilience it anyway? – ETF Associate Polly Harrow considers the meaning of ‘resilience’ and how to apply it in the FE and Training sector, looking at why it is important and how it is developed in young people.
Trauma Aware Practice – ETF Associate Polly Harrow considers trauma aware practice, looking at the neuroscience that underpins our understanding, the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences on teenage brain development, and the importance of the Emotional Available Adult.
ETF Associate Selina Stewart considers why extremism is even more of a risk during the Covid pandemic with a series of topical Blogs exploring:
There have been several instances of Russian propaganda being sent or forwarded to education providers as part of a wider disinformation campaign from the Russian State to support the invasion of Ukraine. There is no evidence at present to suggest UK education settings or students are being directly targeted by the campaign but it is likely that a range of individuals will come across material on social media.
If you do receive any please forward to me so this can be passed along internally to the relevant team, and then delete the email from your system without forwarding further. It may be helpful if your teams or learners are seeing this kind of material to signpost the SHARE checklist.
In addition, please refer to guidance available here from the National Cyber Security Centre – National Cyber Security Centre – NCSC.GOV.UK – on actions to take when the cyber risk is heightened.
The National Youth Agency (NYA) have pulled together some age appropriate resource. Within these pages you will find guides, toolkits and signposts for those working with young people in England to help you navigate conversations about the crisis in Ukraine.
| Topic | Resource Name | Organisation | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding conflict | British Red Cross Teaching Resource: Rules of War | British Red Cross | Access the resource |
| Understanding conflict | British Red Cross Teaching Resource: Ukraine photo activity | British Red Cross | Access the resource |
| Understanding conflict | How to talk to children about war | Save the Children | Access the resource |
| Understanding conflict | Talking to children about war | Barnardo’s | Access the resource |
| Refugees | Refugee Children | Mentally Healthy Schools | Access the resource |
| Refugees | Support for people affected by crisis in Ukraine | Refugee Council | Access the resource |
| UNICEF | Refugee and Migrant Children Europe | UNICEF | Access the resource |
| UNICEF | Children in Ukraine | UNICEF | Access the resource |
| Media Literacy | Media Literacy and Fact Finding | Be Internet Citizens | Access the resource |
| Resilience | Mental Health resources for young people | Boing Boing | Access the resource |
War in Ukraine: What do all the Words Mean?
History of the Conflict of Russia and Ukraine Explained
From the National Safeguarding Forum for Designated Safeguarding Leads recent forum, we have developed some useful Safeguarding, Prevent and SEND resources, which we discussed in the forum.
Access these vital Safeguarding tools on the Excellence Gateway SEND website.