Prevent Duty – Working together to defeat terrorism
Recently the Government introduced the Prevent Duty Guidance for Further Education colleges and Independent Training Providers (ITPs) to help reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism and to help people who may be at risk of being radicalised, supporting a terrorist organisation or becoming terrorists.
Terrorism is a real and serious threat to us all and we have seen that terrorists can strike at any time and any place without warning. Our focus at Arena Learning is to work with, for and on behalf of the students, staff and visitors we serve. We need the support and confidence of our communities to improve a two-way flow of information in order to identify those most vulnerable and in need of support and interventions. Our priority is to keep students, staff and visitors safe, by working together with key partner agencies and all our communities to tackle any extremism.
The media is full of news about acts of terrorism across the globe. Though there is not a single definition of what a terrorist looks like or what terrorists believe in, what is clear that terrorists do not represent the majority view of the faiths and/or cultures they claim to represent. Terrorist groups exploit vulnerable people to influence and transform them into sharing extreme views and ideologies and in some cases, to then support or even participate in terrorist groups or acts.
It is imperative that everyone feels Arena Learning is a safe place where they can discuss and explore controversial issues safely and in an unbiased way and where our staff encourage and facilitate this. We recognise that extremism and exposure to extremist materials and influences can lead to poor outcomes for our students. We also recognise that if we fail to challenge extremist views we are failing to protect our students.
Arena Learning has a duty to safeguard all of our students. You may hear or see something that makes you feel uncomfortable or makes you think ‘it’s probably nothing but…’
If you have a concern or you see something that just doesn’t feel right then please say something. Please don’t rely on others, ‘if you suspect it, report it’. This is a key message from the Police, at a time when terrorism is a serious concern and threat to the United Kingdom.
If you have any concerns then either report them to Arena Learning Safeguarding Officer, Student Services staff or your tutor. If you would prefer, please email your concern to safeguarding@arenalearning.co.uk. If you report the matter, you can always ask our staff not to mention your name when they speak to the person.