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Who can make a Prevent referral

You can refer an individual who may be vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism or extremism in Sussex for support through Channel. 

Anyone can make a Prevent referral if they have concerns.

How to make a Prevent referral

To make a Prevent referral use the National Prevent Referral Form. 

What happens when you make a Prevent referral

The completed Prevent referral form goes to both:

• the Prevent Policing Team for initial screening and to consider if suitable to discuss at the Channel Panel and safeguard from being drawn into or supporting terrorism
• our Front Door For Families and Safeguarding Team for all other safeguarding concerns

This ensures that all partners including the police, Counter-Terrorism Police, and safeguarding professionals, are made aware of the concern at the same time.

When a referral is made to the police, information is gathered to:

• look at the context surrounding the concerning behaviour changes
• conduct an assessment of the susceptibilities and vulnerabilities

In most cases, referrals are signposted to other services, but if it's recognised that there are ideological concerns, capability, or intent to act or cause harm then they may be put forward to the Channel Panel.

If there's a risk of radicalisation, the Channel Panel made up of local experts assesses the referral. We'll lead the panel. It may also include the police, children’s services, social services, education professionals and mental health care professionals.

Make a Prevent Referral

Channel in Brighton & Hove

You need to refer people susceptible to radicalisation to Prevent to get support from Channel in Brighton & Hove.

What Channel does

Channel is the multi-agency framework to identify, refer, assess, and support individuals susceptible to being drawn into terrorist-related activities or supporting terrorism.

The Channel Panel will:

• identify individuals at risk of being drawn into terrorism
• assess the nature and extent of that risk
• develop the most appropriate support plan for the individuals concerned such as interventions like faith mentors

The local authority holds and chairs the monthly Channel meetings, with a good buy-in and co-operation from other partners.  

Support offered by Channel

Channel provides early support for anyone who is susceptible to:

• being drawn into any form of terrorism
• supporting terrorist organisations or causes

This is regardless of age, faith, ethnicity, or background.

Cases adopted onto Channel have a susceptibility to being drawn into terrorism.

Support from Channel is voluntary and confidential. Individuals can opt out of the intervention process if they want to.

Support is provided with the consent of the individual or their parent or legal guardian if they're under 18 years old.

Channel support is bespoke. It is tailored to the needs identified for the individual and is varied. The support is to divert people away from risks and before anything illegal happens.

Support may include:

• educational, or vocational support
• mental health support such as counselling
• online safety support
• Ideological support or mentoring

Depending on what is most appropriate and proportionate for the case, the Channel panel will either:

• coordinate new activity through statutory partners and/or Channel commissioned Intervention Providers (IPs)
• oversee existing activity

Progress on the support is monitored monthly. The panel may decide to end the support when the risks have reduced or the individual has withdrawn their consent.

Individuals supported through Channel are reviewed at 6 and 12 months following closure to consider progress.

Taking part in Channel does not go on someone’s criminal record and will not negatively impact their future education or career prospects.

It means getting the right kind of help for the person who needs support to move away from extremism.

Find out more about the Channel escalation process

To find out more about the Channel escalation process send an email to Prevent.Channel@brighton-hove.gov.uk.