Helpful advice on how settings should comply with the Prevent of Duty
All childcare settings must comply with The Prevent of Duty to help protect children from extremism. For those working in early years settings, all employees must be vigilant and are required to inform the necessary agencies if they suspect children are being exposed to extremism. Protecting children from extremism should form part of settings safeguarding procedures.
It is leaders and managers responsibility to protect children under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015. The new common inspection framework makes reference to providers promoting children’s welfare and preventing radicalisation and extremism.
How can early year’s settings comply with The Prevent of Duty?
- Having clear and robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place that outline how the settings and those working directly with the children identify and manage risks.
- To understand own role and responsibilities on how to protect children from extremism.
- Understand how to identify specific children at risk eg change in behaviour or absent from nursery for periods of time.
- Know when and how to take action after identifying a child at risk.
- Ensure staff have up to date training that provides them with the knowledge on how to identify children at risk.
- Promote and embed fundamental British Values in the setting.
Children’s attendance
In early years settings it is about being vigilant and noticing possible signs of children at risk. Irregular attendance can be a possible sign that children may be at risk. It is practitioners responsibility to observe children’s attendance and notify the manager who will then look into this further. How does your setting keep a record of children attendance?
Training for childcare settings
In order for everyone working in childcare to be confident in identifying risks, training should be of a high priority. This training will give more knowledge of the definition of extremism and what to look out for.
Who to contact if you have a concern
Childcare settings should have local authority and police contact details for the Prevent programme.
What policies should managers add the Prevent of Duty to;
It is best practice that managers don’t create a separate policy, as The Prevent Duty can be added to existing policies such as e-safety, recruitment and safeguarding
What else should childcare settings be doing to prevent children from radicalisation
As settings are fully of aware of the requirements of promoting British Values, it is important that settings understand how promoting British Values is linked to the Prevent of Duty. The promotion of inclusion and British Values are a toolkit of anti-radicalisation and setting should see these as linked not separate.
To help comply with The Prevent of Duty settings should ensure the whole team are confident in being able to identify risks and know what to do in the case of a concern.
Click here to access The Prevent of Duty Quiz that you can print off and use during your next practitioner workshop.