TLM Level 2 Award in PREVENT - Guidance
Assessor's guide to interpreting the criteria
General Information
RQF general description for Level 2 qualifications
● Achievement at RQF Level 2 (EQF Level 3) reflects the ability to select and use relevant knowledge, ideas, skills and procedures to complete well-defined tasks and address straightforward problems. It includes taking responsibility for completing tasks and procedures and exercising autonomy and judgement subject to overall direction or guidance.
● Use understanding of facts, procedures and ideas to complete well-defined tasks and address straightforward problems. Interpret relevant information and ideas. Be aware of the types of information that are relevant to the area of study or work.
● Complete well-defined generally routine tasks and address straightforward problems. Select and use relevant skills and procedures. Identify, gather and use relevant information to inform actions. Identify how effective actions have been.
● Take responsibility for completing tasks and procedures.
● Exercise autonomy and judgement subject to overall direction or guidance.
Requirements
● Standards must be confirmed by a trained Level 2 Assessor or higher
● Assessors must at a minimum record assessment judgements as entries in the online mark book on the INGOTs.org certification site.
● Routine evidence of work used for judging assessment outcomes in the candidates' records of their day to day work will be available from their eportfolios and online work. Assessors should ensure that relevant web pages are available to their Account Manager on request by supply of the URL.
● When the candidate provides evidence of matching all the criteria to the specification, subject to the guidance below, the assessor can request the award using the link on the certification site. The Account Manager will request a random sample of evidence from candidates' work that verifies the assessor's judgement.
● When the Account Manager is satisfied that the evidence is sufficient to safely make an award, the candidate's success will be confirmed, and the unit certificate will be printable from the web site.
● Each unit at Level 2 has recommended 40 guided learning hours based on the time required to complete by an average learner.
Assessment Method
Assessors can score each of the criteria N, L, S or H. N indicates no evidence and it is the default setting. L indicates some capability, but some help still required to meet the standard. S indicates that the candidate can match the criterion to its required specification in keeping with the overall level descriptor. H indicates performance that goes beyond the expected in at least some aspects. Candidates are required to achieve at least S on all the criteria to achieve the full unit award. Once the candidate has satisfied all the criteria by demonstrating practical competence in realistic contexts, they achieve the unit certificate.
Expansion of the assessment criteria
1. Understand the PREVENT Strategy
1.1 I can identify why the PREVENT strategy was put into place The candidate can outline what the PREVENT strategy is and why it was put into place.
Evidence: From portfolios, internal testing, assessor observations.
Additional information and guidance: In 2006 the Labour government set up the CONTEST strategy and PREVENT is a part of that. The ultimate aim is to prevent terrorism or supporting terrorism.
CONTEST is the counter-terrorism strategy and compiles of four areas; Pursue, Protect, Prepare and PREVENT.
Last year, over 10,000 people were killed by terrorists around the world. But international law enforcement and military collaboration are changing the threats we face.
The terrorists throughout the world today can come from any threat from beliefs and groups and directed at a wide range of individuals and locations/countries.
The policy outlined that four factors will continue to enable terrorist groups to grow and to survive: conflict and instability; aspects of modern technology; a pervasive ideology; and radicalisation.
The area that professionals can impact is in the identification of individuals who are at risk or showing signs of radicalisation.
The PREVENT strategy was published by the Government in 2011 with the aim of reducing the threat to the UK from terrorism. The strategy is to counter terrorism and is laid out in the CONTEST strategy compiling of four areas; Pursue, Protect, Prepare and PREVENT. As a learning provider we are to comply with the ‘PREVENT’ strand of the strategy to identify individuals in the hope to “Prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”.
The PREVENT strategy is to stop people from becoming or supporting terrorism through radicalisation from any form of terrorism including extreme right groups. Within this policy and the PREVENT strategy is the duty to protect people from all forms of extremist activity from wherever the threat of terrorism originates.
Ultimately the identification of a student is the same as any safeguarding issue and requires referral of concerns to the necessary identified individual.
1.2 I can describe the 3 strategies laid out in the PREVENT strategy
The candidate will be able to describe the 3 focus areas of the PREVENT strategy.
Evidence: From portfolios, internal testing, assessor observations.
Additional information and guidance: The PREVENT Strategy has three areas of focus:
1. Respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat we face from those who promote it
2. PREVENT people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support
3. Work with sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation that we need to address.
Radicalisation is the action or process of causing someone to adopt radical positions on political or social issues.
Extremism is the holding of extreme political or religious views; fanaticism.
1.3 I can identify the role of the Channel programme
The candidate will be able to identify the role of the Channel Programme
Evidence: From portfolios, internal testing, assessor observations
Additional information and guidance: The Channel programme is a confidential, voluntary multi-agency safeguarding programme that supports people who are vulnerable to radicalisation.
Each local authority in England and Wales has its own department to address all types of extremism including the extreme-right and Islamist-related.
The aim of the programme is early intervention to protect vulnerable children and adults who might be susceptible to being radicalised, which, if left unsupported, could lead to involvement in terrorist-related activity.
The programme allows anyone to make a referral about any individual that they are concerned about and radicalisation, this is done through the local authority or the police.
The Channel panel itself is chaired by the local authority and made up of representatives from different safeguarding areas including health, education, and the police. They will meet to discuss the nature and extent of the potential vulnerability of the individual.
The referral is considered and the cause of action set in place. This could be that the referral is closed but, in some cases, individual support is put into place to meet the needs of the individual.
The type of support the individual can receive could be; education, employment, health support and ideology mentoring all to enable the individual to protect themselves from being drawn into committing terrorist-related activity or supporting terrorism.
1.4 I can identify how can the Channel programme can support individuals identified?
The candidate can identify the areas of support the Channel programme can offer individuals identified
Evidence: From portfolios, internal testing and/or assessor observations.
Additional information and guidance: Radicalisation is the name given to the process that moves a person to legitimise their support or use of violence. It’s where terrorism begins.
Radicalisation is not as prominent as bullying as a safeguarding concern, but all staff should be aware of it.
What is the process of radicalisation to get a person gets to the point that they will carry out an act for a group?
Vulnerable individuals are befriended and manipulated by recruiters for terrorism groups - giving them support and guidance in the wrong direction. Identifying these individuals and giving the correct support can ensure radicalisation doesn’t succeed.
Recruiters plant seeds that grow to develop the ideology and the feeling of belonging to get individuals to carry out terrorism acts. Some ideology is not harmful, terrorism ideology sees other societies as not needed and should be eradicated.
Channel Programme Case Studies: https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/thechannel-programme
Yusuf was seen handing out leaflets promoting a website containing extremist, homophobic and violent material
Yusuf was at University and was aged 24 when a university staff member saw him handing out leaflets which, it turned out, were promoting a website containing extremist, homophobic and violent material. She got in touch with the university PREVENT coordinator who contacted the police. Yusuf was spoken to by student services and police, who felt that he was at risk of being drawn into terrorism. Yusuf had become befriended by older radicalised men through late night discussions and weekend meetings and started to identify with extremist ideology, but he was confused. Yusuf began to move away from extremism after receiving chaplaincy and psychological support through Channel. He has now successfully completed his studies.
Amina was reported to police about her intention to travel to Syria
Amina was in her late teens when a report was made to the police about her intention to travel to Syria. Amina had a deeply troubled life with her parents having been engaged in domestic violence. Her parents broke up and she lived with her father. She was lonely. No friends. She was also subjected to a serious assault. All these issues made her turn to religion for answers. But the religious guidance she sought online was uncontrolled. Her social media indicated that she had voiced support for Daesh and a hatred for nonMuslims. Support through Channel enabled Amina to rebuild her relationship with her mother. A female counsellor addressed issues around religion, politics and self-esteem. Amina is now enjoying her newfound life.
Callum’s teacher became aware of his involvement in promoting the far-right on Facebook
Callum was a teenager whose teacher became aware of his involvement in promoting a far-right Facebook page which had upset another student. He had been invited to “secret” group meetings connected to football games. Without family influence around he was getting attention and social support through his involvement in this group. He said he didn’t have a problem with most people - just Muslims: Muslims were not like “us”. He said he’d watch them all “doing their Sharia law.” Through the Channel process, the school worked with the police, social care and a local youth group to support him through challenging the ideology he had developed, providing him with careers advice, and connecting him to an ethnically diverse local youth group. His confidence grew, as did the bond with his family. He dismissed the ideology that he had connected himself to and realises he had been heading down the wrong path.
2. Understand how to identify vulnerable individuals
2.1 I can list key behavioural traits Candidates should be able to list individual behaviour traits that could cause concern
Evidence: From portfolios, internal testing and/or assessor observations.
Additional information and guidance: All behaviours on their own may be nothing to be concerned about, but when combined the more signs can be a sign of a more serious issue that needs support.
Radicalisation feeds on emotions that an individual is experiencing, and those emotions can make an individual vulnerable to radicalisation.
Everyone is vulnerable at different times in their lives and if at this time an individual is approached and groomed then they could be radicalised.
Vulnerable individuals will be keen to belong, they may be lost looking for purpose, a sense of belonging and meaning and will not question decisions. This may place them on the pathway to terrorism - being part of something that seems exciting and gives them a sense of belonging and purpose.
Individuals will not see the issue and identify radicalisation; they will feel like they had a friend and support they didn't have.
Signs - changes in the way they look, withdraw, doodling, body language to other people
● Becoming disrespectful
● Absenteeism
● Signs of stress
● Scripted speech
● Quick to anger
● Asking inappropriate questions
● Becoming detached or withdrawn
● Isolation from friends
● Crying
● Unhealthy use of internet
Everyone goes through transitions when growing up and context must be applied to all concerns. Religion itself is not a concern and it is only when it is coupled with the signs of radicalisation that concern should be passed on.
2.2 I can list who the PREVENT policy applies to
The candidate should be able to list areas where the PREVENT policy should be in place.
Evidence: Internal testing, assessor observations.
Additional information and guidance: All environments that care for children and adults have a duty of care to those individuals. Any safeguarding issue including identifying potential concerns for radicalisation should be flagged to the designated person on site.
All authorities have a ‘due regard’ to identify individuals and prevent them from being drawn into terrorism.
ALL public sectors and anyone in a 1:1 environment may identify individuals and must pass on any concerns to their safeguarding lead.
2.3 I can identify how to support the workplace
Candidates should be able to list how they support the workplace
Evidence: Portfolios, assessor observations.
Additional information and guidance: If you are in a position where you know the individuals around you and their normal behavioural traits. You will be able to identify if there are any changes to those behaviour traits.
All staff should be able to identify the individual that could be at risk of getting into a situation that they cannot get out of when it occurs.
You will see individuals and know their behaviour daily and be able to support anyone else with a concern if they want to discuss their concerns to see if you have noticed anything also. By talking to others who are in contact with the individual you can build a bigger picture of the individual and whether a concern is warranted.
NOTICE - CHECK - SHARE
Notice - What gave you the concern in the first place?
Check - Who can help you confirm or deny concerns?
Share - Who is best qualified to guide and support you?
All have a role to look at safeguarding issues including radicalisation who know the individual and their normal behaviour.
For example; a normal relationship is a baseline for identifying changes. Speak to a line manager about concerns and check for other signs in other areas. Share concerns with designated safeguarding lead and decide on a course of action. This could be an informal chat about how they are feeling and seeing if the concern is warranted to follow up further. Like any safeguarding concern no one should ever promise to keep something a secret, all information must be shared with the safeguarding lead to ensure the correct course of action is taken.
Communication and support can then be put in place to help the vulnerable individual identified to ensure radicalisation does not take place and that the individual can make an informed choice and feel supported and not alone.
3. Understand Roles and Responsibilities
3.1 I can identify the role of a governor or board member
Candidates should be able to list the roles and responsibilities of a governor or board member
Evidence: Portfolios, assessor observations.
Additional information and guidance:
Engage with partners and police and PREVENT coordinators where necessary
Ensure all have up to date awareness, and where necessary, training on the PREVENT strategy
Exemplify British values in their conduct
Must comply with the requirements of the Equalities Act 2010 in ensuring that the organisation challenges discrimination
Ensure all management members challenge racism, islamophobia, tackle hate & prejudice-based bullying, harassment and intimidation as part of their commitment to the exemplification of British Values.
3.2 I can identify the role of a manager
Candidates should be able to list the roles and responsibilities of a manager
Additional information and guidance
Active engagement with partners and police and PREVENT coordinators where necessary
Clear and visible policies within online platforms
Ensure all staff are trained on a regular basis to allow identification of anyone vulnerable to terrorism and radicalisation. All staff to be trained on the appropriate action to be taken in the instance of identification of said individuals.
All new members of staff members will receive an induction covering the necessary policies; including the PREVENT strategy.
3.3 I can identify the role of a staff member Candidates should be able to list the roles and responsibilities of a staff member
Evidence: Portfolios, assessor observations.
Additional information and guidance
Complete company training on the PREVENT strategy and understand who the designated person to report any concerns to is.
Understand that the IT system is for company use and any proven use that supports, promotes or facilitates terrorism. All staff must not use the company IT infrastructure to create, download, store or transmit unlawful material, or material that is indecent, offensive, defamatory, threatening or discriminatory.
Report any concerns to their line manager or designated person for discussion and decide on a course of action.
Moderation/verification
The assessor should keep a record of assessment judgements made for each candidate and make notes of any significant issues for any candidate. They must be prepared to enter into dialogue with their Account Manager and provide their assessment records to the Account Manager through the online Markbook. They should be prepared to provide evidence as a basis for their judgements through reference to candidate e-portfolios and any other sources e.g. through signed witness statements associated with the criteria matching marks in the online Markbook or internal controlled testing. Before authorizing certification, the Account Manager must be satisfied that the assessors' judgements are sound.
