Inform

Preventing terrorism in East Lothian

Amongst our council’s varied responsibilities is working with our partners to help keep local residents safe. We do this in a number of ways across different services and teams.

A topic that has become of increased importance nationally in recent years is taking action to stop people from becoming drawn into or supporting terrorism.

In this Q&A, Lindsey Byrne – our Chief Social Work Officer – highlights how colleagues can play their part in supporting East Lothian Council’s work under the UK Government Prevent strategy.

Can you explain what Prevent means?

“There is a national counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, which aims to reduce the risk from terrorism to the UK. Under CONTEST, there are a number of supporting pillars. One of these, called Prevent, is about stopping people from being drawn into supporting terrorism or becoming terrorists. It also covers the rehabilitation and disengagement of those who have become involved in terrorism.”

What is your own role in relation to Prevent?

“Prevent duty guidance for Scotland identifies a range of practical actions that enable councils to work with partners to meet statutory duties in responding to Prevent concerns. As Chief Social Work Officer, I’m tasked with providing local leadership and co-ordination of activity related to Prevent.

“That’s why the council has a Prevent working group which, guided by the Prevent duty guidance for Scotland, works to identify areas for development and keeps track of national developments.”

How does this affect East Lothian?

“While it might at first seem unlikely that some of us would encounter people at risk of being drawn into terrorism, it’s not something we can ever be complacent about and this is a real issue and challenge in all parts of the country. We may be small local authority but most risks in this area take place online. People can gain access to extremely dangerous content regardless of their postcode, so we must remain vigilant.

“It’s important that all colleagues know that, in the event they have concerns or concerns are raised with the about an individual who is considered susceptible or potentially susceptible to be being drawn into terrorism, they can contact me as our Prevent Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to discuss further. NHS Lothian’s Director Public Protection is the Prevent SPOC for health staff. East Lothian Council and NHS Lothian also have deputy SPOCs who can be contacted in the absence of the SPOC.

“In the event of a concern being identified, I would liaise with the Prevent Delivery Unit, a specialist team of officers who deliver Prevent functions for Police Scotland. We would jointly consider whether the information warrants a Prevent referral and for further information to be gathered. Ultimately, it’s about establishing whether the individual requires any support or intervention so that the risk of radicalisation can be reduced.

“It is important that people feel confident that they would notice a concern that could be related to the Prevent agenda, that they check this out with a manager and that they share it with the Prevent SPOC or deputy SPOC. You will be fully supported if your concerns do lead to a Prevent referral. Even if you are not completely sure about what it is you have noticed, please check it out with the right people.”

How would I know if it was appropriate to make a referral to the SPOC?

“As council employees, many of us interact with people living in local communities in various ways and we can be well placed to notice changes in someone’s behaviour.

“There is no exhaustive checklist for identifying a suitable Prevent referral and please remember you do not need to be completely sure to have initial discussions. You might notice someone having a concerning interest in a particular cause, accessing extremist materials, promoting scripted ideological narratives, demonstrating concerning behaviour changes or being acutely intolerant towards people with a perceived difference. The most important thing you can do is contact a SPOC or deputy to have an initial conversation, and we will guide you through the next steps.

“While some staff will require a deeper understanding of radicalisation, we all need to have an appropriate level of awareness. It is mandatory to complete the Prevent E-learning module for all East Lothian staff. If you have not already done so, I would encourage all colleagues to complete the module as soon as possible. After completing the initial awareness module, you will be asked to complete a condensed refresher mandatory module every two years. The modules are hosted on a UK Government website and you can find further information about how to access it on our intranet."

How can I find out more?

“If after completing the e-learning, you or your team feel like you would benefit from more information, please contact me directly to arrange a discussion.”

Taylorfitch. Bringing Newsletters to life