Successful Mums Prevent Policy and Procedure and Safeguarding Links Documents to our Action Plan
Introduction
Prevent is part of a Government initiative to develop a robust counter terrorism programme.
The UK faces a range of terrorist threats. All the terrorist groups who pose a threat to us seek to radicalize and recruit people to their cause. The Prevent strategy seeks to:
- Respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and aspects of extremism, and the threat we face from those who promote these views.
- Provide practical help to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure they are given appropriate advice and support.
- Work with a wide range of sectors where there are risks of radicalisation which needs to be addressed, including education, criminal justice, faith, charities, the internet and health
Successful Mums has been looking to do this prior to these requirements and refers this to the Following:
- Prevent Action Plan
- Safeguarding Policy and Procedure
- Wellbeing
- Safe learners Policy and Procedure
- Equality and Diversity and Equal Opportunity Policy and Procedure
- Prevent Policy and Procedure
Successful Mums is committed to providing a secure environment for learners, and staff where learners feel safe and are kept safe. All adults at Successful Mums are aware and have explained that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility irrespective of the role they undertake or whether their role has direct contact or responsibility for learners or not.
In adhering to this policy, and the procedures therein, staff and visitors will contribute to Successful Mums’ ambition for safe learning and delivery of the outcomes to all learners, as set out in s10 (2) of the Children’s Act 2004. This Preventing Extremism and Radicalisation Safeguarding Policy is one element within our overall arrangements to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of all Learners in line with our statutory duties set out at s175 of the Education Act 2002.
“Preventing Extremism and Radicalisation Safeguarding Policy” also draws upon the guidance contained in the “London Child Protection Procedures” and DfE Guidance “Keeping Learners Safe in Education, 2014”; and specifically DCSF Resources “Learning Together to be Safe”, “Prevent: Resources Guide”, “Tackling Extremism in the UK”, DfE’s “Teaching Approaches that help Build Resilience to Extremism among Young People” and Peter Clarke’s Report of July 2014.
Company Ethos and Practice
When operating this policy the company uses the following accepted Government definition of extremism which is:
‘Vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs; and/or calls for the death of members of our armed forces, whether in this country or overseas’.
There is no place for extremist views of any kind in our company and facility, whether from internal sources – learners, staff or governors, or external sources – community, external agencies or individuals. Our learners see our training locations as safe places where they can explore controversial issues safely and where our teachers encourage and facilitate this; we have a duty to ensure this happens.
As a facility for learning we recognise that extremism and exposure to extremist materials and influences can lead to poor outcomes for learners and so should be addressed as a safeguarding concern as set out in this policy. We also recognise that if we fail to challenge extremist views we are failing to protect our learners.
Extremists of all persuasions aim to develop destructive relationships between different communities by promoting division, fear and mistrust of others based on ignorance or prejudice thereby limiting the life chances of young people. Education is a powerful weapon against this; equipping young people with the knowledge, skills and critical thinking, to challenge and debate in an informed way.
At Successful Mums, we will provide a broad and balanced tutorial programme, delivered by skilled professionals, so that our learners are enriched, understand and become tolerant of difference and diversity as well as ensuring they thrive and feel valued, not marginalized.
We are aware that young people can be exposed to extremist influences or prejudiced views from an early age emanating from a variety of sources and at times learners may themselves reflect or display views that may be discriminatory, prejudiced or extremist, including using derogatory language.
Any prejudice, discrimination or extremist views, including derogatory language, displayed by learners or staff will always be challenged and where appropriate dealt with in line with our Disciplinary Policy for learners and the Code of Behaviour for staff.
As part of wider safeguarding responsibilities Training Facility staff will be alert to:
- Disclosures by learners of their exposure to the extremist actions, views or materials of others outside of Training Facility, such as in their homes or community groups, especially where learners have not actively sought these out.
- Graffiti symbols, writing or art work promoting extremist messages or images
- Learners accessing extremist material online, including through social networking sites
- Parental reports of changes in behaviour, friendship or actions and requests for assistance
- Learners voicing opinions drawn from extremist ideologies and narratives
- Use of extremist or ‘hate’ terms to exclude others or incite violence
- Intolerance of difference, whether secular or religious or, in line with our equalities policy, views based on, but not exclusive to, gender, disability, homophobia, race, colour or culture
- Attempts to impose extremist views or practices on others
- Anti-Western or Anti-British views
We will closely follow any locally agreed procedure as set out by the Local Authority and/or Bexley Safeguarding children’s Board’s agreed processes and criteria for safeguarding individuals vulnerable to extremism and radicalisation.
Ethos and approach
We will all strive to eradicate the myths and assumptions that can lead to some young people becoming alienated and disempowered, especially where the narrow approaches learners may experience elsewhere may make it harder for them to challenge or question these radical influences. This guidance and support will be delivered in tutorials.
We will ensure that all of our support and approaches will help our learners build resilience to extremism and give them a positive sense of identity through the development of critical thinking skills. We will develop strategies and staff training to ensure that all of our staff are equipped to recognise extremism and are skilled and confident enough to challenge it.
We will be flexible enough to adapt our teaching approaches, as appropriate and address specific issues so as to become even more relevant to the current issues of extremism and radicalisation. In doing so we will apply the methodologies set out in that document following the three broad categories of:
- Making a connection with learners through positive engagement and a learner centered
- Facilitating a “safe space‟ for dialogue, and
- Equipping our learners with the appropriate skills, knowledge, understanding and awareness for
Therefore this approach will be embedded within the ethos of our Training Facility so that learners know and understand what safe and acceptable behaviour is in the context of extremism and any radicalisation. This will work in conjunction with our approach to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of learners.
Our goal is to build mutual respect and understanding and to promote the use of dialogue not violence as a form of conflict resolution. We will achieve this by using an approach that includes:
- Citizenship information
- Open discussion and debate
- Work on anti-violence and a restorative approach to conflict resolution
- Targeted programmes for British Values
- Equality and Diversity
At Successful Mums we promote the values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs. We will teach and encourage learners to respect one another and to respect and tolerate difference, especially those of a different faith or no faith.
Use of External Agencies and Speakers
We encourage the use of external agencies or speakers to enrich the experiences of our learners; however we will positively vet those external agencies, individuals or speakers who we engage to provide such learning opportunities or experiences for our learners.
Such vetting is to ensure that we do not unwittingly use agencies that contradict each other with their messages or that are inconsistent with, or are in complete opposition to, our values and ethos.
We assess the suitability and effectiveness of input from external agencies or individuals to ensure that:
- Any messages communicated to learners are consistent with the ethos of Successful Mums and do not marginalise any communities, groups or individuals
- Any messages do not seek to glorify criminal activity or violent extremism or seek to radicalise learners through extreme or narrow views of faith, religion or culture or other ideologies
- Activities are matched to the needs of learners
- Activities are carefully evaluated to ensure that they are effective
We recognise, however, that the ethos of Successful Mums is to encourage learners to understand opposing views and ideologies, understanding and abilities, and to be able to actively engage with them in informed debate, and we may use external agencies or speakers to facilitate and support this. Therefore by delivering a broad and balanced tutorial programme, augmented by the use of external sources where appropriate, we will strive to ensure our learners recognise risk and build resilience to manage any such risk but also to help learners develop the critical thinking skills needed to engage in informed debate.
Whistle Blowing
Where there are concerns of extremism or radicalisation, learners and staff will be encouraged to make use of our internal systems to Whistle Blow or raise any issue in confidence.
Staff can raise issues with the Safeguarding Designated Lead Person Jane Knight or other designated senior manager under the Procedure (the ‘Whistleblowing’ procedure).
Safeguarding
Please refer to our Safeguarding Policy for the full procedural framework on our Safeguarding duties.
Staff at Successful Mums will be alert to the fact that whilst Extremism and Radicalisation is broadly a safeguarding issue there may be some instances where a child or learners may be at direct risk of harm or neglect. For example; this could be due to a learner displaying risky behaviours in terms of the activities they are involved in or the groups they are associated with or staff may be aware of information about a learner’s family that may equally place a young person at risk of harm.
Therefore all adults working for Successful Mums are required to report instances where they believe a young person may be at risk of harm or neglect to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
The Safeguarding reporting arrangements are set out fully in our Safeguarding Policy and are summarised here, as follows:
Staff complete the Safeguarding Referral Form and forward to the lead Safeguarding Officer.
The Lead on Safeguarding: Jane Knight, Founder of Successful Mums.
Role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead
The Designated Safeguarding Lead is the focus person for staff who may have concerns about an individual child’s safety or well-being and is the first point of contact for external agencies
In line with Recommendation 2 of Peter Clarke’s Report; In Lambeth Training Facility the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead will be extended, at the appropriate time, to include the responsibilities of the PREVENT strand of the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy.
Training
The Designated Safeguarding Lead will attend training courses as necessary and the appropriate inter-agency training organised by the Bexley Safeguarding Learners Board at least every two years, again this will include training on extremism and radicalisation and its safeguarding implications.
Recruitment
The arrangements for recruiting all staff, permanent and volunteers, to our company will include, but not be limited to, ensuring that DBS checks are always made at the appropriate level, that references are always received and checked and that we complete and maintain a single central record of such vetting checks.
We will apply safer recruitment best practice principles and sound employment practice in general and in doing so will deny opportunities for inappropriate recruitment.
We will be alert to the possibility that persons may seek to gain positions within our Organization so as to unduly influence our company character and ethos. We are aware that such persons seek to limit the opportunities for our learners thereby rendering them vulnerable to extremist views and radicalisation as a consequence.
Therefore, by adhering to safer recruitment best practice techniques and by ensuring that there is an ongoing culture of vigilance within our organization, we will minimise the opportunities for extremist views to prevail.
Learners, parents and guardians will be issued with a hard copy of this policy on request and will be available on our website and Notice Boards.
This document will link and relate to our Forms for Safeguarding
This document will link to our Action Plan for Prevent
This document links and relates to all training and Development of both learners and staff also in relation to the visitors in what so ever capacity.
Jane Knight will be designated prevent officer as of 3rd October 2016.
[1] the physical, mental health and emotional well-being of children; the protection of children from harm and neglect; the education, training and recreation of children; the contribution made by them to society; and their social and economic well-being.
