Guidance

Independent Review of Prevent: ways of working

Updated 24 March 2021

1. Introduction

The Independent Review of Prevent, led by William Shawcross, will gather and analyse a range of information to underpin robust, evidence-based findings and recommendations on the government’s strategy for supporting people vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism.

This page provides an overview of the activity the Review will include, and the way in which it will be carried out, including more detail on how the Review will go about answering each of the questions set out in the objectives of the Review’s Terms of Reference.

These ways of working have been updated since the first phase of the Review to reflect changes to the Terms of Reference.

2. Review questions

1. Is Prevent achieving its objectives to support those vulnerable to being drawn into any form of terrorism? These objectives, as set out in CONTEST 2018, are to:

• tackle the causes of radicalisation and respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism
• safeguard and support those most at risk of radicalisation through early intervention, identifying them and offering support
• enable those who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate

The Review will map local and national Prevent activity, including reviewing existing literature, evaluations and learning from other jurisdictions and the theories on which it is based, to assess if it is successful against its objectives and, if so, to what extent.

2. How effectively and efficiently is Prevent being delivered at both the local and national levels and how well lessons are learned?

The Review will assess the effectiveness and efficiency of different aspects of Prevent delivery including (but not limited to) the channel process, centrally funded posts and projects, and national structures, funding and continuous learning and improvement arrangements.

3. How effectively does Prevent interact with other safeguarding and vulnerability strategies, and what are the critical dependencies and common threads?

The Review will consider how well Prevent works in the context of a range of other safeguarding and vulnerability strategies including (but not limited to) counter-extremism, child safeguarding, mental health, domestic abuse and hate crime.

4. How effective is the Statutory Prevent Duty, and how effectively is it being implemented?

The Review will consider the concept and implications of the Duty itself, as well as how effectively it is being implemented centrally by other government departments, and locally, including (but not limited to) local authorities, policing, health, education, prisons and probation. This will include the effectiveness of training and other support provided to those who need to comply with the Duty.

5. How to respond to criticisms and complaints?

The Review will identify and assess the validity of criticisms and complaints about the Prevent strategy, including on its implementation and impact. This will include (but not limited to) impacts on and experiences of people with particular faiths, ethnicities or beliefs, human rights implications, levels of transparency, proportionality, trust and/or that it may not produce its desired objectives.

6. What should the government consider in the development of its approach to engage with and support people vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism over the next 5 years as the threat evolves?

This Review will consider and make evidence-based and practicable recommendations for the shape of future policy on safeguarding people potentially vulnerable to being drawn into any form of terrorism, including whether the current Prevent strategy is the best option available. Recommendations may include proposals for addressing criticisms and complaints, and emerging or future threats.

3. Review phases

Phase 1: establishing the landscape

Activity in this phase will include gathering existing information about how Prevent is working locally, regionally, and nationally including in devolved administrations and other countries. This will include:

• reviewing reports, articles and data
• meeting practitioners and community representatives
• learning from other countries
• systems mapping

Phase 2: listening and engagement

Activity in this phase will include undertaking a range of engagement activity across the country to seek views on Prevent, including:

• a call for evidence
• a series of engagements to hear from individuals, community representatives and groups about their perceptions and experiences of Prevent
• research to understand the lived experiences of individuals who have had contact with Prevent

Phase 3: synthesis and debate

Activity in this phase will include synthesising evidence to identify emerging findings and potential recommendations, including:

• analysis of call for evidence responses and other engagement activity
• collation and triangulation of evidence gathered to develop emerging findings and recommendations
• roundtables and debates to explore issues further and test potential findings and recommendations

Phase 4: reporting and recommendations

The final report of the Review will present clear and evidence-based findings and practicable and proportionate recommendations for the future. The report will be submitted to the Home Secretary in time for the government to produce a response alongside publication of the report.

To note

• examples of review activity are not comprehensive, and may evolve depending on where the evidence takes us
• phases are not mutually exclusive, and some activities may overlap in intent and purpose across phases
• the review may commission organisations to undertake work at different points during the review

4. Review principles

The review will be carried out based on the principles of independence, openness and evidence, which will inform our ways of working, including the relationship to other agencies and individuals.

Independence

• undertake the review in an impartial manner without fear or favour and with no set agenda
• be open minded and go where the evidence takes us
• demonstrate integrity in what we do and how we do it
• the independent Review will be supported by a dedicated team of civil servants located outside of the Home Office, working in line with the Civil Service code and values

Openness

• use a range of channels to make engagement as accessible as possible to as wide a range of people as possible
• hear opinions from a diverse range of backgrounds, both critics and supporters, including directly from individuals about their experiences and perceptions of Prevent
• report on what the review finds and make this publicly available to Parliament and through the GOV.UK website
• give due consideration to the public sector equality duty

Evidence

• place evidence at the heart what we do
• develop robust information sharing agreements with government departments and public sector bodies
• be as open as possible while complying with the law on disclosure, data protection and national security considerations
• evidence gathering will be carried out in line with safeguarding responsibilities and on the basis of informed consent

Information will be gathered and stored in line with the Review’s Privacy Notice.