Orkney Islands Council’s PREVENT duty
What is PREVENT?
PREVENT is part of the UK Government’s Counter-Terrorism strategy (also known as CONTEST). PREVENT means helping to safeguard people and communities from the threat of terrorism by helping to prevent people from becoming terrorists or supporting violent extremism.
PREVENT is about the significant threat posed by international terrorism and those in the UK who are inspired by it. It 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 in Northern Irish related terrorism.
What does PREVENT do?
PREVENT responds to the ideological challenge we face from terrorism and aspects of extremism, and the threat we face from those who promote these views.
PREVENT provides practical help to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism; safeguards and supports those most at risk of radicalisation through early advice and support; and enables those who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate.
PREVENT provides a framework for working with a wide range of sectors (including colleges, universities, the Scottish Prison Service, education services, criminal justice services, faith groups, charities, community groups and health services) where there are risks of radicalisation that we need to deal with.
What is Orkney Islands Council legally obliged to do?
Like other Councils and public bodies, from 2015 Orkney Islands Council has had a legal duty to help prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. The Scottish Government has given us guidance on what this means in practice for Orkney Islands Council. We have taken a proportionate approach to this duty, based on the national and local risks that the police have told us are relevant to Orkney’s communities.
In addition to the duty to help prevent people from becoming terrorists or supporting violent extremism, the Council has a specific duty to chair and manage a process to help people who are in danger of being drawn into terrorism or violent extremism. This is called the PREVENT Professional Concerns Process.
A measured and proportionate approach is taken in the delivery of PREVENT in Orkney, with the aim of responding to the risks the police have told us are relevant to our communities. Together we want to keep staff and communities safer and more aware.
Look Again
Police Scotland is highlighting the important role communities play in the fight against terrorism by supporting the latest UK wide Action Counters Terrorism campaign which launched on Wednesday 23 January, with Counter Terrorism Policing launching a new public information film ‘Look Again’ which will be shown in UK cinemas and across Police social media accounts.
A link to the short film is available from the 'Related Sites' section of this page.
Contacts
If you are a member of the community and you have a non-emergency concern, you can contact Police Scotland on 101.
To report an immediate threat to life or property call 999 or the police anti-terrorist hotline on 0800789321.
If you are a member of Orkney Islands Council staff please contact your line manager and refer to the OIC CONTEST Policy which can be found on the Information Portal.
