CONTEST Partnership Plan

  1. The Risks

Terrorist attacks are not new phenomena on the UK mainland. London has suffered several over the last 40 years. The current classification for threat levels was introduced in August 2006 with threat levels defined as:

  • Low - an attack is unlikely
  • Moderate - an attack is possible, but not likely
  • Substantial - an attack is a strong possibility
  • Severe - an attack is highly likely
  • Critical - an attack is expected imminently

Since its introduction the threat levels have been Severe or Critical. Since July 2007 until 20th July 2009 the threat level was been Severe – an attack is highly likely. On 20th July 2009 the threat level was reduced to Substantial –an attack is a strong possibility. It has subsequently been increased again to Severe.

  1. National Background

The National Counter Terrorism Strategy (CONTEST) has four strands:

Prevent – to stop people becoming or supporting terrorists or violent extremists by:

  • Challenging the violent extremist ideology and supporting mainstream voices;
  • Disrupting those who promote violent extremism and supporting the institutions where they are active;
  • Supporting individuals who are being targeted and recruited to the cause of violent extremism;
  • Increasing the resilience of communities to violent extremism.
  • Addressing the grievances which ideologues are exploiting.

Protect – to strengthen overall protection against terrorist attacks in the UK and overseas. Aimed at reducing the vulnerability of:

  • Crowded places
  • Critical national infrastructure
  • Transport system
  • Hazardous substances
  • UK border
  • Personnel
  • UK interests overseas
  • Protection of public figures

Pursue – to stop terrorist attacks.

  • Working to make the UK as hostile an environment as possible for terrorists to operate in and thereby reduce the threat they pose to the UK, its interests and its allies.
  • Understand the threat to the UK and UK interests from, principally terrorists in the UK, bu9lding up a knowledge base, and coverage, of such terrorists, investigatingtheir activities and then disrupting them.
  • Ensuring that the police and the agencies have the powers they need and that the options for disruption are as wide and effective as possible.

Prepare – where we cannot stop an attack, mitigate its impact. This covers a range of issues including:

  • Ensuring that in the event of a successful terrorist attack the country is as well prepared as it can be.
  • Ensuring that the response from all relevant agencies will be rapid and effective, resulting in lives saved and minimising the impact on property and the environment.
  • Contingency planning and co-ordination across Government for boththe immediate crisis phase of any attack and the longer term recovery and restoration of any incident site. [1]
  1. The local response

The paper referred to above is the starting point for this plan. It points out that the Prevent and Protect require greatest input by local authorities.

This plan therefore sets out the local authority’s corporate response to these strands. The Community Cohesion Strategy currently being developed will also contain partnership responses to these challenges.

This paper also refers to the Local Profiles prepared for this borough by the Office for Counter Terrorism.

This plan is complementary to:

  • Tension Monitoring arrangements;
  • Borough Contingency Plan; and
  • Business Continuity Plans.

It does not however duplicate those documents and should be read in conjunction with them.

The members of the Local Strategic Partnership are already undertaking considerable areas of work which address some of the elements of the National Counter Terrorism Strategy. Some of the work is mainstream, core business. Those elements are signposted in this document but not set out in detail or reinvented. The Section 17 Audit carried out by the council to identify how it meets the requirements of S17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 also identifies these issues.

In addition Community Safety Partnership members would, in the event of a terrorist incident or conspiracy affecting the borough, work closely with Police partners to assist in the ‘Pursue’ strand.

  1. The role of the each Community Safety Partnership Responsible Authority signed up to this plan

This section sets out the Council’s role and suggests that similar mapping be carried out for each partners.

4.1Local Authority

4.1.1Background

The Local Authority has a leadership role within partnership plans and Strategies, such as the Community Cohesion Strategy, Community Plan, and its related thematic plans such as the Community Safety Partnership Plan.

One manifestation of that leadership role is that played in communicating with the local community, both in times of emergency and in an informing role during more peaceful times.

The Local Authority is also the largest employer in the borough and has a diverse workforce, who can be influencers within their communities and have roles as private citizens as well as being sources of information and community intelligence.

In addition, the services delivered directly by the local authority and those it commissions have an important role to play in all strands of the National Counter Terrorism Strategy and therefore in the local plan.

4.1.2Roles

4.1.2.1Leadership

4.1.2.1Community Cohesion Strategy

The Local Authority is leading on a piece of work for the LSP to draw up a Community Cohesion Strategy which will build on the ambition of the Community Plan to develop further the vibrant community in Richmond upon Thames.

That Strategy will include measures to address the issues that have been linked to radicalisation.

4.1.2.2Community Safety Partnership Plan

The Community Safety Partnership Plan is refreshed every year and totally renewed every three years. It is based on a Strategic Assessment which has identified Counter Terrorism as a priority.

4.1.2.3Interfaith Forum

The interfaith forum has been involved in earlier discussions around emergency planning and the role that they might play. The interfaith forum has been refreshed and is developing its role within the wider Community Cohesion agenda.

4.1.2.4Community Development Working Group

In the 5 areas of relative disadvantage, community development work has taken place to ensure community cohesion between the established communities and the new and emerging communities.

4.1.2.5Tension Monitoring

A multi agency group meets bi monthly to assess a range of community tension indicators. A Contingency Plan is in place to address any raised community tensions.

4.1.2Communication

4.1.2.1Community TV

A system of 10 screens has been installed in venues with high foot falls. The system carries public information material but has the capacity to have information fed into it within 10 minutes thereby being of use when there is a potential or actual incident.

4.1.2.2.Community Safe

The Council subscribes to CommunitySafe.gov.uk which gives members of the public access to bulletins in the event of civil and terrorist incidents. The system is also integral to the Contingency and Resilience Plans.

4.1.2.3Arcadia

The Council produces a quarterly magazine delivered to all households. This carries regular community safety features.

4.1.3Employer

4.1.3.1Borough Beat

The Council is sponsoring staff to work as Special Constables as part of Employer Supported Policing.

4.1.3.2Project Argus

Local authority managers and front line staff have attended Project Argus briefings. Feedback has been positive and some emergency procedures have been refined as a result.

4.1.3.3UK Immigration Status

The authority has the same responsibilities as any employer in ensuring all staff have the correct immigration status.

4.1.4.Services

4.1.4.1Development Control

Development Control staff work closely with the police on key planning applications. This should include ensuring that counter terrorism measures are designed in.

4.1.4.2Vigilance staff

The Council has directly employed and contracted staff who are out and about in the borough, including during anti social hours. These staff could be a source of intelligence and information.

4.1.4.3 Services for vulnerable people

The Council commissions services for vulnerable people and assesses for eligibility. These services are delivered by a range of providers from the private and voluntary sectors. Staff are alert for signs of abuse which would include manipulation for terrorism purposes, including financial abuse.

4.1.4.4Police Community Support Officers

The Council funds additional PCSOs assigned to Town Centre Safer Neighbourhood Teams. The town centres were identified for additional PCSOs because they are hot spots for anti-social behaviour. However, they are also crowded places and contain transport hubs.

4.1.4.5Joint Tasking

The Council has a structure for joint tasking around the annual Green Safe and Clean Weeks in each ward and one off events such as 100 Day cleanups and the response to Halloween and Fireworks. These provide an opportunity to brief staff regarding vigilance issues etc.

To finalise this draft this section needs to be completed for each organisation

4.2MPS and MPA

4.3PCT

4.4Fire Authority

4.5Probation Service

  1. Role of other Community Safety Partnership/LSP member organisations signed up to this plan

To finalise this draft this section needs to be completed for each organisation

5.1Richmond Adult and Community College

5.2RichmondCollege

5.3Richmond Housing Partnership

5.4Other RSLs

5.5Interfaith forum

  1. Measuring the success of the Plan.

Identifying outcome measures is extremely difficult, the absence of an incident or the successful disruption of a planned incident would be the most logical but also the most difficult to report.

It is therefore proposed to monitor progress on a range of National Indicators and look for continual improvement, recognising that counter terrorism work is a small part of those indicators.

The introduction of the National Indicator set has seen a number of indicators relating to Counter Terrorism.

  • NI 1 % of people who believe people from different backgrounds get on well together in their local area
  • NI 2 % of people who feel that they belong to their neighbourhood
  • NI 3 Civic participation in the local area
  • NI 35 Building resilience to violent extremism *The current tracker from GOL is attached at Appendix 1; current plan attached at Appendix 2; measurement via self assessment attached at Appendix 3
  • NI 36 Protection against terrorist attack
  • NI 37 Awareness of civil protectionarrangements in the local area

NI1 is included in the Local Area Agreement (LAA) for Richmond upon Thames and will therefore be under particular scrutiny.

  1. Challenges and gaps
  2. Understanding the local threat

Community consultation and feedback from staff reveals considerable scepticism about the threat in this borough. The Strategic Assessment relates very much to CONTEST and there is a need to ensure that the Strategic Assessment reflects the local risks.

7.2Maintaining vigilance/reducing complacency without increasing fear

Linked to the scepticism mentioned above it the requirement to maintain vigilance and ensure that staff are aware of the threat, mechanisms for passing on intelligence and an understanding of local responses.

The Council is a leader in community consultation and engagement. Both of these processes offer opportunities to raise awareness and gain a greater understanding of public concerns.

7.3Cross border issues

The borough’s main non Judeo-Christian faith buildings are in neighbouring boroughs. Hounslow has been identified as a pilot borough for the Preventing Violent Extremism Pilot. Many from our Muslim, Sikh and Hindu communities look to Hounslow for spiritual and faith purposes. There is a need to liaise on a more formal basis with counterparts in other boroughs, particularly Hounslow and to put the arrangement on a more formal basis.

7.4Ensuring processes/systems/structures are fit for CT purposes

Whilst the Community Safety Partnership are confident that the processes set out here are meeting Counter Terrorism needs this strategy provides an opportunity to review them with key relevant partners to demonstrate this and/or amend them.

  1. Delivery and performance management

An action plan sets out the actions that will be undertaken during 2010/11.

This will be monitored at the regular CONTEST meeting, facilitated by the police. Exceptions will be regularly reported to the Community Safety Partnership Strategy Group.

Action Plan

Objectives / 1 / Understanding the local threat
2 / Maintaining vigilance/reducing complacency without increasing fear
3 / Cross border issues
4 / Ensuring processes/systems/structures are fit for CT purposes
Objective 1 / Understanding the local threat
Action 1 / Owner / Quarter 1 milestone / Quarter 2 milestone / Quarter 3 milestone / Quarter 4 milestone
Attend at least 3 meetings of GOL networks. / CSP Prevent lead and LBRuT Protect lead
Quarter 1 progress / Quarter 2 progress / Quarter 3 progress / Quarter 4 progress
Action 2 / Owner / Quarter 1 milestone / Quarter 2 milestone / Quarter 3 milestone / Quarter 4 milestone
Strategic Assessment to include Profile of our local threat. While the Profile will be restricted a summary will be produced that can be made public. / CSP Intelligence Analyst. / Include in Project Plan. / Gather information. / Strategic Assessment produced.
Objective 2 / Maintaining vigilance/reducing complacency without increasing fear
Action 1 / Owner / Quarter 1 milestone / Quarter 2 milestone / Quarter 3 milestone / Quarter 4 milestone
Establish Gold group (Borough Commander, Chief Exec LBRuT, PrincipalRichmondCollege and others as necessary). Group to meet regularly. / CSP Prevent lead. / Meeting held / Meeting held / Meeting held / Meeting held.
Quarter 1 progress / Quarter 2 progress / Quarter 3 progress / Quarter 4 progress
Action 2 / Owner / Quarter 1 milestone / Quarter 2 milestone / Quarter 3 milestone / Quarter 4 milestone
Hold 1 Project Argus event for partnership managers and key local businesses. / CSP Prevent lead / Planning date, venue etc. / Invitations / Hold event
Action 3 / Owner / Quarter 1 milestone / Quarter 2 milestone / Quarter 3 milestone / Quarter 4 milestone
Hold 10 Fairway briefings for front line staff / LBRuT Contingencies Manager / Events identified and booked. / 3 events held / 3 events held / 4 evens held.
Action 4 / Owner / Quarter 1 milestone / Quarter 2 milestone / Quarter 3 milestone / Quarter 4 milestone
CSP Stakeholder Group presentation. / Community Safety Officer / Presentation held.
Action 5 / Owner / Quarter 1 milestone / Quarter 2 milestone / Quarter 3 milestone / Quarter 4 milestone
CPP Presentation. / Community Safety Officer / Presentation held. / 2 PLG presentations as a result / 2 PLG presentations.
Action 6 / Owner / Quarter 1 milestone / Quarter 2 milestone / Quarter 3 milestone / Quarter 4 milestone
Enable Preventing Violent Extremism initiatives by funding community based activities. / CI Partnerships / Schemes identified / Funding allocated / Monitoring of schemes / Evaluation to feed into the refresh of this strategy.
Objective 3 / Cross border issues
Action 1 / Owner / Quarter 1 milestone / Quarter 2 milestone / Quarter 3 milestone / Quarter 4 milestone
Hold 2 meetings with Hounslow counterparts (Prevent leads for police and local authority). / CSP Prevent lead. / 1 meeting / 1 meeting
Quarter 1 progress / Quarter 2 progress / Quarter 3 progress / Quarter 4 progress
Objective 4 / Ensuring processes/systems/structures are fit for CT purposes
Action 1 / Owner / Quarter 1 milestone / Quarter 2 milestone / Quarter 3 milestone / Quarter 4 milestone
Map partners’ roles and capabilities using model in draft Strategy. / CSP Prevent lead / Identify key officers / Carry out audit / Compile report identifying gaps / Feed into review of this plan.
Quarter 1 progress / Quarter 2 progress / Quarter 3 progress / Quarter 4 progress
Annual summary
Performance review
Areas of concern/ future threats
Recommendations

Appendix 1GOL Tracker

Local Authority Area / Objective 1 / Objective 2 / Objective 3 / Objective 4 / Objective 5 / Objective 6 / Objective 7 / please add any emerging issues and planned actions / Please add any emerging practice examples
Richmond upon Thames / a / a / a / g / a / g / a / Self assessed - Not funded until April 09. No action plan as of yet but will be agreed at 22nd October meeting of Prevent Steering Group between police and LA.

Appendix 2

Preventing Violent Extremism Partnership Plan

  1. Background

The national counter terrorism strategy CONTEST, includes four elements:

Prevent

Prepare

Pursue and

Protect.

Many London boroughs were pilot areas for Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) Funding. NI35 uses a self assessment process to measure and LSPs progress against this agenda. We submitted a self assessment via the LSP Executive Group showing an overall score of 1.6 (maximum 5). The self assessment is attached as appendix 1.

This year £125k has been made available via a non ring fenced fund as part of the Area Based Grant. Item 5.2 sets out funding proposals for all Community Safety Partnership funds including ABG.

Work around the Prevent strand includes:

  • Challenging the violent extremist ideology and supporting mainstream voices;
  • Disrupting those who promote violent extremism and supporting the institutions where they are active;
  • Supporting individuals who are being targeted and recruited to the cause of violent extremism;
  • Increasing the resilience of communities to violent extremism.
  • Addressing the grievances which ideologues are exploiting.

Many of the elements in the NI35 self assessment will be addressed by the development of a LBRuT Corporate CT Plan (which will also address the council’s contribution to the other three P strands). However, there are elements which can be addressed by project work. Proposals for these are set out below.

  1. Existing work

There is a wide range of activity being carried out by partner organisations; thematic partnerships and work groupsas part of their core activities. Our Tension Monitoring arrangements have also been identified as a success.

  1. Risks

There are a large number of young people who travel to this borough for education who live in boroughs where the PVE Pilots have been running, including activities in schools. Those young people therefore risk not being exposed to school and college based activities that counter the extremist messages.

Resident groups who may be at risk of targeting receive much of their faith based support in neighbouring boroughs, most notably Hounslow.

The borough has experienced right wing activity which can act as a grievance to BME communities.

  1. Gaps
  2. Mapping & identifying those at risk of being targeted.

The self assessment identified some mapping work – and other mapping work is being carried out in connection with inter-faith developments. However, there may be the opportunity to build on this in future. The National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) have offered to run a workshop for managers running services which may include clients at risk of being targeted. In addition Project Argus events were very successful with both the private sector and LBRuT managers. It is proposed to go ahead with the NPIA event on 22nd June and plan a further Project Argus in the autumn.