Radicalisation, terrorism and extremism

Radicalisation is the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and forms of extremism leading to terrorism.

Reporting concerns

The police depend on information from the public about suspicious activity or behaviour. If you've seen or heard something that doesn't feel right, do not ignore it - report it.
 

In an emergency, call 999.

If you are:

• worried about someone, or a group of people, report it to Counter Terrorism Policing
• worried that a child or young person is at risk of harm, contact the Contact, Advice and Assessment Service (CAAS)
• worried that an adult is at risk of harm, contact the Safeguarding Adults Team

You can also contact the ACT Early Support Line to discuss your concerns.
 

If you are a professional, complete the National Prevent referral form [171KB] .

Identifying radicalisation, training and guidance

The Action Counters Terrorism website has information and guidance, including how to spot the signs of radicalisation.

If you're worried about your business or community, visit the Protect UK website.

The Educate Against Hate website has advice and training for schools, parents and students.

The CONTEST strategy

CONTEST is the UK's strategy for countering terrorism. The aim of CONTEST is to reduce the risk to the UK and its interests overseas from terrorism, so that people can go about their lives freely and with confidence.

CONTEST is organised into four parts, each with their own objectives:

• Pursue - to stop terrorist attacks
• Prevent - to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism
• Protect -  to strengthen our protection against a terrorist attack
• Prepare - to mitigate the impact of a terrorist attack

The Building Communities Together Team is involved in the Prevent part of the CONTEST Strategy.

Prevent

Prevent aims to provide early intervention support for people at risk of being radicalised. Read the Home Office Prevent and Channel Factsheet for more information.

Key principles of Prevent

1. Prevent aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.^. A referral should be made if there is concern that a person may be on a pathway that could lead to terrorism. Those making referrals should use professional judgement, supported by appropriate training and the National Referral Form (NRF). Like any safeguarding mechanism, it is far better to receive referrals which turn out not to be of concern than for someone who genuinely needs support to be missed.
2. Prevent is the only programme which offers multi-agency radicalisation risk management and support. It offers interventions to divert people from a path which could lead to terrorism and can run alongside and complement other safeguarding processes. Where it is considered that other services are providing comprehensive support and no additional intervention is required, Prevent should still provide case management with a regular radicalisation risk assessment.
3. While ideology is an important consideration, a clear identifiable ideology is not mandatory to make or adopt a Prevent referral. As the Independent Prevent Commissioner noted, 'adherence to an extreme ideology is in law neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for entry into Prevent or Channel'. As an early intervention programme, Prevent must consider susceptibility to terrorist ideology or involvement, rather than limiting Prevent to cases where a terrorist ideology has already taken hold. For some people, it might take spending time and building trust with a professional before an ideology becomes clear. It is important to consider that emerging movements could evolve to meet the definition of terrorism, and to remain alert to new potential threats.
4. Each case is unique and a range of considerations and factors should be considered to form a clearer picture. These factors are set out in the National Referral Form (NRF). A person's vulnerabilities may, or may not, be relevant to their susceptibility to radicalisation and to the early intervention approach that is required to divert them away from radicalisation. For example, vulnerabilities, such as mental ill-health or neurodivergence, should be considered as contextual factors, which may - or may not - affect a person's risk. Where Prevent concerns are present, these MUST NOT be dismissed or accounted for based on a person's mental health or neurodivergence. Mental health services may have a role in supporting people on Prevent, but do not have a remit to manage radicalisation risk. Unlike safeguarding or mental health services, Prevent will assess terrorism risk and consider both the harm from the person, as well as to the person.
5. If a person is considered at risk of being drawn into terrorism, a Prevent referral should be made or adopted to Channel. Where there is not a concern that a person is at risk of being drawn into terrorism, they are not eligible for Prevent support. For referrals which are assessed as not being relevant for Prevent support, alternative local support services should be considered.

Prevent training

The Home Office offer free Prevent online training for professionals. The training explains:

• the Prevent duty
• types of extremism and terrorism
• risks around radicalisation
• making Prevent referrals
• what support is available
   

Channel

Channel is an early intervention scheme and multi-agency process, which provides support to those who may be vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. Channel works by partners collaboratively assessing the nature and the extent of the risk and, where necessary, providing an appropriate support package tailored to an individual's needs. Channel is a voluntary programme.

See the Channel and Prevent Multi-Agency Panel (PMAP) guidance on GOV.UK for more information.