North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership

Prevent is a strand of the UK Government’s Counter-Terrorist Strategy, which aims to reduce the threat to the UK by stopping people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It is about preventative action and is focused on the early stages where a crime has not yet been committed.

Health and Social Care Partnerships, Councils, the NHS, colleges and universities, prisons and the police have a duty to protect vulnerable individuals and work together to stop individuals from being exploited and radicalised.

Friends and family are often the first to spot worrying changes taking place where someone is being radicalised, and it’s often small changes that are noticed first.

If you have concerns that someone you know could be vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism, it’s important that you know what to do.

If you’re a member of the public who is worried about someone, call the Action Counter Terrorism (ACT) Early Support Line on 0800 011 3764 to speak to one of their specially trained officers. The support line is available 7 days per week from 9am to 5pm.

Staff members should report their concerns in the first instance by emailing prevent@north-ayrshire.gov.uk.

Or if you have think that someone is in immediate danger or may already pose a threat to others, contact the police on 999.

What is the threat?

Prevent involves all kinds of terrorist threat to the UK. Motivations for terrorism are varied and often relate to particular beliefs. For example:

• Political movements
• Religious beliefs
• Animal rights groups
• Environmental issues
• Economic issues

Why do people get involved in terrorism?

There is no single profile for a person who is likely to become involved in terrorism. However there are some signs that someone could be classed as vulnerable to terrorist ideologies. These include:

• A lack of identity or belonging
• Insecurity
• Defencing a culture, way of life or beliefs
• Being pressurised or bullied

Those who radicalise others into believing terrorist ideologies often target vulnerable people who are led into believing that violence or criminality can earn respect, right a wrong or glorify a cause.

What to look out for

There is no easy way to determine who is likely to become radicalised or involved in terrorism. The process of radicalisation is different for every individual and situation.

However, some signs that an individual may be being radicalised could be:

• Becoming focussed on extremist activities
• Becoming withdrawn and stopping participating in their usual activities
• Expressing feelings of anger, grievance, or injustice
• Going missing from their home, school or care setting
• A new group of friends who use language that supports ‘us and them’ thinking
• Possessing or searching for extremist literature online
• Changes in an individual’s appearance or behaviour

Visit the ACT website for more information.