Closed consultation

Protecting places of worship consultation: questionnaire (accessible version)

Updated 31 August 2021

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

This consultation begins on 15 March 2020.

This consultation ends on 23:59 on 10 May 2020.

Introduction

Thank you for your interest in responding to the Protecting Places of Worship Consultation. This document sets out the consultation questions, and you can use it to prepare your response. The consultation will be open until 10 May 2020. We will be unable to accept responses after this date.

The consultation is being carried out by NatCen Social Research, on behalf of the Home Office. Responding to the consultation is entirely voluntary.

How to respond

Wherever possible, please submit your consultation response online.

If for exceptional reasons you are unable to use the online questionnaire, for example because you use specialist accessibility software that is not compatible, you can use this document version of the questionnaire and post your written response to the following address:

FAO Jeffrey DeMarco
National Centre for Social Research
35 Northampton Square
London
EC1V 0AX

For further details on how to request alternative formats, such as Welsh or large font, please see the section ‘Responding to this consultation’ in the ‘Protecting Places of Worship Consultation’ document, available on the consultation webpage.

How we will use the information you provide

Summary analysis will be published and shared with stakeholders. Individuals will not be identifiable in this analysis. If you do not wish your response to be summarised (anonymously) in the response, please enter this request in the additional information section (question 26).

For details on how and why we use the information you provide in your response, and how it will be looked after, please see the ‘Data Information Document’. This document can be found on the consultation webpage.

If you have any questions about responding to the consultation or need any help, please email protectingplacesofworship@natcen.ac.uk or call on 0207 549 7161 quoting your unique ID number. If you would like to contact the Home Office with more general questions about the consultation, please email faithsecurity.consultation@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please note, inboxes and phones will only be monitored Monday to Friday, between 09:00-17:00.

Questionnaire

These first few questions in the consultation will be about the capacity in which you are responding to the consultation and also about some personal characteristics. This information will be used to support analysis and to help us to understand who is responding to this consultation and the context of their answers.

Individuals will not be not be identifiable in any analysis produced. Please refer to the ‘Data Information Document’ for more information on how your data will be used.

1. Please select in what capacity you are responding to this consultation. Please select any that apply.

• Faith leader
• Worshipper
• Government or public sector worker working with places of worship and faith institutions
• Third sector organisation working with places of worship and faith institutions
• Individual who works with places of worship and faith institutions
• Academic expert
• Security expert
• Police
• General public
• Other (please specify):
• Prefer not to say

2. If you are responding on behalf of an organisation, please tell us which organisation you are representing.

3. If you are responding in a professional capacity, which faiths do you engage with as part of this role? Please select any that apply.

• Buddhist
• Christian
• Hindu
• Jewish
• Muslim
• Sikh
• Any other religion (please state):
• Not applicable
• Prefer not to say

4. What is your age?

• Under 18
• 18-24 years old
• 25-44 years old
• 45-64 years old
• 65-74 years old
• 75 years or older
• Prefer not to say

5. What is your sex?

• Female
• Male
• Other (please specify):
• Prefer not to say

6. Which region do you live in?

• England: East Midlands
• England: East of England
• England: London
• England: North East
• England: North West
• England: South East
• England: South West
• England: West Midlands
• England: Yorkshire and The Humber
• Wales
• Other (please specify):
• Prefer not to say

7. Which of the following best describes your ethnic group?

White

• English/ Welsh/ Scottish/ Northern Irish/ British
• Irish
• Gypsy or Irish traveller
• Any other white background

Mixed/multiple ethnic groups

• White and Black Caribbean
• White and Black African
• White and Asian
• Any other mixed/ multiple ethnic background

Asian/Asian British

• Indian
• Pakistani
• Bangladeshi
• Chinese
• Any other Asian/ Asian British background

Black/African/Caribbean/Black British

• African
• Caribbean
• Any other Black/ Black British background

Other ethnic group

• Arab
• Any other ethnic group
• Prefer not to say

8.a) Do you have any physical or mental health conditions or illnesses lasting, or expected to last, 12 months or more?

• Yes
• No - If you selected this, please go to question 9
• Prefer not to say - If you selected this, please go to question 9

b) If you answered yes to question 8a, does your condition or illness\do any of your conditions or illnesses reduce your ability to carry out day to-day activities?

• Yes, a lot
• Yes, a little
• No
• Prefer not to say

9. What is your religion?

• Buddhist
• Christian
• Hindu
• Jewish
• Muslim
• Sikh
• Any other religion (please state):
• No religion
• Prefer not to say

For the purpose of this consultation, a place of worship is defined as a location used specifically either temporarily or permanently to perform acts of devotion, prayer, or religious study.

10.a) If you personally attend a place of worship, on average, how often do you attend?

• At least once a day
• At least once a week but not every day
• At least once a month but not every week
• At least once a year but not every month
• For special events only (for example, weddings or funerals)
• Never/I do not personally attend a place of worship – If you selected this, please skip to question 11a
• Prefer not to say

b) If you answered that you attend a place of worship at question 10a, which best describes where your place of worship is located?

• City centre
• Suburbs or outskirts of a city
• Town
• Village or other rural location
• Other (please specify):
• Don’t know
• Prefer not to say

c) If you answered that you attend a place of worship at question 10a, which region is your place of worship in?

• England: East Midlands
• England: East of England
• England: London
• England: North East
• England: North West
• England: South East
• England: South West
• England: West Midlands
• England: Yorkshire and The Humber
• Wales
• Other (please specify):
• Don’t know
• Prefer not to say

d) If you answered that you attend a place of worship at question 10a, please estimate the number of individuals who attend your place of worship or associated faith community centre in an average week.

• 0-25
• 26-50
• 51-100
• 101-200
• 201-500
• 501+
• Don’t know
• Prefer not to say

The following questions ask about perceptions and experiences of security issues in and around places of worship. Please note, we will be unable to act on the reporting of crimes entered in this consultation. We encourage all crimes to be reported to either the local police or a third-party reporting organisation. For more information about how your data will be used, please refer to the ‘Data Information Document’.

11.a) Please describe how safe it feels to attend your place of worship. Please pick one answer.

• Completely safe
• Somewhat safe
• Neither safe nor unsafe
• Somewhat unsafe
• Completely unsafe
• Don’t know - If you selected this, please go to question 12a
• I do not have a place of worship - If you selected this, please go to question 13a

b) If you selected one of the options on the scale at question 11a, we would like to understand the reasons why people might or might not feel safe when attending their place of worship. Thinking of the answer you gave to the previous question, could you explain why you chose that answer? (maximum 300 words)

The next few questions are about hate crimes committed against places of worship. A Hate Crime is defined as “any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s actual or perceived race; religion; sexual orientation; disability or transgender identity”.

Please note, we will be unable to act on the reporting of crimes entered in this consultation. We encourage all crimes to be reported to either the local police or a third-party reporting organisation. For more information about how your data will be used, please refer to the ‘Data Information Document’.

12.a) Thinking about the place of worship you usually attend, are you aware of any hate crimes that have targeted it in the past five years? Please pick one answer.

• Yes, there have been hate crimes
• No, there have not been any hate crimes - If you selected this, please go to question 13a
• Don’t know - If you selected this, please go to question 13a

b) If you answered yes to question 12a, please tell us more about these incidents, including why you consider them to be hate crimes, what happened, where, when, and any other details you think are relevant. (maximum 300 words)

13.a) Thinking about other places of worship that you are familiar with but do not usually attend, are you aware of any hate crimes that have targeted them in the past five years? This might include places of worship in your local area, ones you have visited in the past, or that friends or family attend. Please pick one answer.

• Yes, there have been hate crimes
• No, there have not been any hate crimes - If you selected this, please go to question 14a
• Don’t know - If you selected this, please go to question 14a

b) If you answered yes to question 13a, please tell us more about these incidents, including why you consider them to be hate crimes, what happened, where, when, and any other details you think are relevant. (maximum 300 words)

14.a) In your opinion, have patterns of hate crime in and around places of worship changed at all over the past five years? This could include changes in the frequency or type of hate crime experienced, or changes to the levels of concern about hate crime. Please pick one answer.

• Yes, there has been a change
• No, there hasn’t been any change - If you selected this, please go to question 15a
• Don’t know - If you selected this, please go to question 15a

b) If you answered yes to question 14a, please describe how you think patterns of hate crime have changed and any evidence you have seen of this. Examples of evidence could include personal experiences, experiences of people you know, information in the media, or research. (maximum 300 words)

We would now like you to think about security concerns that may affect faith institutions more broadly.

15.a) In your opinion, are there any faith institutions other than places of worship (for example, community centres, old age homes, schools), where people may feel unsafe? Please pick one answer.

• Yes, there are
• No, there are not - If you selected this, please go to question 16
• Don’t know - If you selected this, please go to question 16

b) If you answered yes to question 15a, please outline these faith institutions and why people might feel unsafe there. (maximum 300 words)

16. Thinking about any concerns about safety and/or hate crime incidents you may have already discussed, can you describe what impact they have had, if any? Impacts could include, for example, emotional, financial, or changes in behaviour, and could include impacts on yourself, the place of worship/faith institution, or the wider community. (maximum 300 words)

The aim of this section is to understand specific factors that need to be considered when addressing security needs in and around places of worship for different faith communities. In addition to this, we would like to understand which groups within a faith community might feel most vulnerable, and why.

17.a) Are there any faith specific needs you are aware of that need to be considered when protecting places of worship? These may include religious or cultural practices or certain physical aspects for the places of worship such as removing shoes, multiple access points for worshippers, or separate spaces for men and women. Please pick one answer.

• Yes, there are specific needs to be considered
• No, there are not any specific needs to be considered - If you selected this, please go to question 18
• Don’t know - If you selected this, please go to question 18

b) If you answered yes to question 17a, please tell us more about the faith specific needs that should be considered when protecting places of worship. (maximum 300 words)

Certain groups within a faith community might feel more vulnerable or be exposed to greater risk than others when in and around a place of worship. This may include those who have difficulties accessing facilities, attend at a certain time of day, use particular parts of the building, or may be a more visible target for hate crime.

18. Below are a number of groups which some people might consider to be more vulnerable than others when in or around their place of worship. Thinking about these groups within a faith community, please indicate how vulnerable you think each group is. This could be within your own faith community or one you are familiar with.

Level of vulnerability

Group	Not at all vulnerable	Slightly vulnerable	Moderately vulnerable	Very vulnerable	Extremely vulnerable	Don’t know
Women
Men
Older people
Children
Religious/faith leaders
People with physical or mental health conditions or illnesses
Minority gender identity or sexual orientation groups
Ethnic minority groups

19. Are there any other groups you think are vulnerable? Please list these groups. (maximum 100 words)

20. If you think some groups are more vulnerable than others, please explain why you think they are particularly vulnerable and any specific needs they have. If your response relates to a specific faith community, please make it clear which faith you are referring to. (maximum 300 words)

Many places of worship and wider faith institutions take steps to protect their premises and the people who use it. For example, this may include organisations providing advice or training, knowledge sharing between institutions, installation of security measures, and incident reporting processes. In addition, there are a number of initiatives run by central government, including the Places of Worship Security Scheme delivered to reduce vulnerability to hate crime, and broader initiatives to reduce terrorist threats to crowded places (for example, ‘Action Counters Terrorism’ (ACT) advice and e-learning, and the ‘Run, Hide, Tell’ campaign).

21.a) Thinking about the last five years, are you aware of any steps taken or activities organised with the aim of protecting your place of worship, or a place of worship you are familiar with, and the people who use it? This may include specific training, advice, or installation of physical safety and security measures. Please pick one answer.

• Yes, steps have been taken
• No, steps have not been taken - If you selected this, please go to question 22
• Don’t know - If you selected this, please go to question 22

b) If you answered yes to question 21a, please outline what these steps or activities were, and any details on why they were delivered, how, and by whom. (maximum 300 words)

c) If you answered yes to question 21a, were any of these steps or activities delivered with the aim of better protecting specific groups within the faith community? Examples might include tailored training for children or the elderly, or security lighting for specific entrances. Please pick one answer.

• Yes
• No - If you selected this, please go to question 22
• Don’t know - If you selected this, please go to question 22

d) If you answered yes to question 21c, please outline who these steps or activities were for, what they involved, and any further details on why they were delivered, how, and by whom. (maximum 300 words)

22. What else would you like to see in the future for places of worship to address security concerns and protect the people who use them? For example, this may include organisations providing advice or training, knowledge sharing between institutions, installation of physical security measures, and incident reporting processes. We are interested in any ideas you may have. Please include as much detail as possible on what, who and how this would be delivered. (maximum 500 words)

23. Thinking about current initiatives and options for future provision, are there any types of support or activities that you think are not needed or would be unhelpful in addressing security concerns and protecting places of worship and the people who use them? Please explain what and why. (maximum 500 words)

24. Thinking about the needs of any vulnerable groups referred to earlier in the consultation (for example, women, men, children, elderly), what more could be done to reduce their vulnerability and meet their specific needs? For example, this may include tailored training, advice, or facilities. We are interested in any ideas you may have. Please include as much detail as possible. (maximum 500 words)

Many institutions have a role to play to protect places of worship and faith institutions and need to work together to ensure their premises and those who use it are safe.

25. In your opinion, what do you think the roles of the following organisations should be? Please consider what you think these institutions currently do well and what they could do differently.

• Places of worship and other faith institutions or networks
• Central Government, including the Home Office and/or the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
• Charities, police, local government, councils and other local organisations (maximum 500 words)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

26. Please provide any additional ideas or comments on how to further protect places of worship and faith institutions and any specific needs communities may have. (maximum 500 words)

Thank you for responding to the Protecting Places of Worship Consultation.