PREVENT Community Toolkit

The UK Government has developed a counter-terrorist strategy, known as the CONTEST Strategy. The aim of CONTEST is to reduce the risk to the UK and its interests overseas from terrorism, so that people can go about their lives freely and with confidence. The strategy's three objectives are:

  • To challenge the ideology that supports terrorism;
  • To protect vulnerable people; and
  • To support sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation.

In this way, the strategy aims to not only catch and prosecute terrorists, but also to prevent people becoming terrorists in the first place.

There are four parts to the CONTEST strategy, these are known as the four P's:

  • PURSUE
  • PREVENT
  • PROTECT
  • PREPARE

Safeguarding is a key element of the PREVENT strategy, with an overall aim to safeguard children, young people and adults from the threat faced by those who promote extremist or radicalised views. Public sector organisations have a duty to prevent people from being drawn towards such views and ensure that support is in place for those who are vulnerable.

Partnership working

By working in partnership, local parish councils, community organisations and charities and help us disrupt radicalising influences and prevent vulnerable individuals being drawn into terrorism.

This partnership working helps to ensure that vulnerable children and adults of any faith, ethnicity or background receive support before their vulnerabilities are exploited by those that would want them to embrace terrorism or they become involved in terrorist related activity.

This toolkit has been put together in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire Constabulary.