Agenda item

The Chair introduced Matt Collins, Director of Prevent at the Home Office, who gave members an update on Operation Dovetail.

Matt explained that officials in Whitehall had worked with the police and various other partners over the past six months to review the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy and that the new Contest strategy (3.0) was awaiting sign off. Members were told that the emerging themes of the review included a new Counter Terrorism Bill, a new operating model, relationships with Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) and data.

On Prevent, Matt told members that the Home Office was looking at quality assurance across the country and that a new desistance and disengagement rehabilitation programme has been introduced to work with those known to have engaged, including those in prison and coming back from Syria. The programme was being piloted and while Matt was unable to share details from the first pilot site, he did outline some of the early intervention work being carried out which was designed to ensure early intervention systems and delivery was embedded in the safeguarding process.

Matt gave members an update on Operation Dovetail and was clear that a key focus of the project was to look at the balance of responsibility between the police and local authorities. He noted that Channel had been in operation for five years and that while the pilot, carried out in nine local authority areas, had been generally good, some improvement points had been picked up, including vulnerability assessment framework training, CMIS access, the commissioning process and managing counter terrorism risk. In terms of a wider roll out, members were told that the Home Office had taken a step back from a national roll out and had instead decided to test the regional model in the North West.

A Prevent toolkit was being developed, as well as a self-assessment tool. The Home Office was keen to see elected members having greater involvement in Prevent peer reviews and was looking at providing more dedicated elected member support and training.

Members made the following comments:

·         Members were encouraged by the feedback provided but had some concerns about the regional model. Members felt that a regional model would be difficult particularly in terms of different police services and authorities working together. Matt acknowledged these concerns and noted that this was why national roll out plans had been scaled back.

·         Members briefly discussed the different sources of terrorism and the differences between Islamist-inspired terrorism and far-right terrorism.

·         It was noted that elected members already engaged in prevention work in other areas such as health, and that the models for this already exist. Matt agreed that it was vital to draw lessons from models which already worked well and that it was important to demystify the national security aspect of the project to ensure that effective measures being taken locally work across a range of areas.

·         Members noted that there was an existing Prevent champions network but that it would welcome further direction from the Home Office.

·         A conversation was had about resources, training and funding. Members said that authorities were keen to play their role but were concerned about the lack of additional funding available to deliver what they were being asked to.

Decision

Members noted the update.