Prevent Strategy

Prevent Strategy - Code Your Future - July 2021

1 Introduction

Code Your Future acknowledges and accepts its legal duty to have due regard to the risk of people being drawn into terrorism and radicalisation. It also believes that individuals being drawn into terrorism is a form of harm and accepts the obligations arising from the Prevent legislation as an important element of its general duty to protect its staff and students from all forms of harm. Code Your Future must balance the requirements of Prevent with its core belief that the cultural, religious and ethnic diversity of its staff and students should be celebrated. It must also meet its legal and moral obligation to allow and promote academic freedom and free speech which are vital elements of a successful community of students, volunteers and the staff who support them.

1.1 Purpose

1.1.1 This policy provides the management direction to ensure that the requirements of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (hereafter referred to as “Prevent”), specifically the duty of Code Your Future to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism, is incorporated into all its relevant policies, procedures, systems, working practices and partnership arrangements.

1.1.2 The policy’s key purpose is to assign high-level responsibilities for ensuring Code Your Future compliance with Prevent.

1.2 Scope

1.2.1 This policy will apply to all in the Code Your Future community: staff, students, contractors, and volunteers.

1.3 Definitions

1.3.1

Prevent – the anti-radicalisation agenda embedded in the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 iscalled Prevent in this policy.
Vulnerable individual – an individual shown to be, on some significant level, a risk to themselves or others, if assistance is not provided.
Academic freedom – the expectation that staff, volunteers and students shall, have freedom within the law to question and test received wisdom and to put forward new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions, without placing themselves in jeopardy of losing their jobs or privileges
Radicalisation – Process by which an individual comes to adopt extreme political, social or religious views, giving rise to a concern that they will act illegally

2 Policy Principles

2.1 Code Your Future accepts its legal responsibility to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. In accepting this responsibility, it must also balance detailed Prevent requirements against its core mission to ensure that certain fundamental standards, vital to a thriving community, are preserved.

2.1.1 Education. Critical to supporting our students, volunteers and staff so that they are less susceptible to radicalisation is to educate and support them about equality, diversity and inclusion. We do this through training, communication, positive monitoring and targeted safeguarding. It is important that our approach is one of care and support.

2.1.2 Safeguarding. Preventing vulnerable individuals from being drawn into terrorism is a safeguarding issue and Code Your Future policies and procedures in place to help safeguard staff, volunteers and students should take into account the Prevent requirements. By aligning our support and care for vulnerable students, ongoing awareness and maintaining an escalation process, there is less ability for a case to fall through the gaps.

2.1.3 Staff awareness. All staff are aware of this policy and are expected to take part in group discussions around Prevent. Relevant staff as determined by the Prevent Lead, should receive more detailed Prevent training, including in ways that ensure they remain sensitive to the diversity of Code Your Future community.

2.1.4 Senior accountability. Senior Code Your Future officers will maintain a risk register and will monitor the institutional risk of the members being drawn into terrorism. A designated senior member of staff will be assigned lead responsibility in this policy for all Prevent-related policies and measures.

2.1.5 Celebrating diversity. The culturally diverse nature of Code Your Future must be actively celebrated and promoted to counter the threat of radicalisation from internal and external influences

2.1.6 Multi-faith. The provision of adequate facilities to allow groups to observe their faith, coupled with effective chaplaincy arrangements, are essential to harmonious community relations and inter-faith dialogue so are an important element of Code Your Future’s Prevent approach.

2.1.7 Information sharing. Some internal and external information sharing will be necessary but only under appropriately controlled conditions. This does not amount to an agreement to share personal data on anything other than a needs based and case by case basis.

2.1.8 Freedom of speech. The ability of students, volunteers and staff to research, teach and debate any topic will not normally be fettered unless, on a case by case basis, a specific threat is identified or a clear Prevent requirement exists. Policies and procedures relating to the management of events (such as graduations), speakers and promotional materials must balance the obligation to enable free speech with the requirements of Prevent.

2.1.9 Social media. Social media, whilst ostensibly just another medium for communication, social interaction and debate, requires specific guidance and monitoring consistent with Code Your Future’s free speech obligations. Social media is a vehicle by which vulnerable individuals are particularly susceptible to radicalisation.

2.1.10 Partnerships. Where required, Code Your Future will work in partnership with statutory agencies, including the Department for Education Prevent Coordinators, other HEIs, local authorities, the Police and other bodies to assess and respond to the risk of people being drawn into terrorism.

2.2 Purpose

2.2.1 As the purpose of this policy is to outline Code Your Future’s agreed principles underpinning its approach to implementing the Prevent requirements, detailed procedures will not be included.

2.2.2 Policies governing the behaviour of students, staff, volunteers and contractors, the rules relating to safeguarding, the approach to planning and managing events and the maintenance of free speech are in place and contain detailed procedures which all staff are expected to comply with. As these policies will be reviewed and updated to advance the principles of this policy, staff, volunteers and students should consult them for instruction and guidance on specific procedures.

2.3 Responsibility

Responsibility for Code Your Future’s compliance with the Prevent duty rests with the trustees. Responsibility for this overarching policy rests with the Safeguarding Lead, Alec McCrindle who is the nominated lead for Code Your Future’s Prevent agenda. The Safeguarding Lead will ensure that any changes to policies, processes and working practices will be consistent with this policy’s principles. They will also ensure that all communications and training advance the principles of this policy. Most of the operational measures necessary to ensure compliance with Prevent will be covered by specific policies originating in the various functional departments of Code Your Future.

3 Governance Requirements

3.1 Implementation / Communication Plan

3.1.1 A communication plan reviewed along with this Policy update which aligns with the principles of this policy has been prepared and implemented. Specific policies arising in various functional areas will be communicated and implemented according to their own approved plans.

3.2 Exceptions to this Policy

3.2.1 This is an overarching policy setting out high level principles rather than detailed procedures so scope for exemptions does exist but will be expected to be applied on a case by case basis with appropriate justification.

3.2.2 Any member of staff, volunteers or student seeking an exception to a requirement of a policy in the Action Plan should secure the authorisation of the Director of Operations.

3.2.3 Any activity or process that might conflict with the principles of this policy should be authorised by the Head of Operations and Safeguarding Lead.

3.3 Review and Update

3.3.1 This Policy shall be reviewed every three years.

3.3.2 Any interim minor changes will be made by the Head of Operations.

3.3.3 Any interim substantial changes or full reviews will be approved by the Board of Trustees.

Date of last review: June 2024