Southwark Prevent Action Plan 2009/10
Table of Contents
1. Context and background to the Prevent Action Plan 2009/10
2. Prevent Action Plan 2009/10
3. Glossary of Terms
THE SOUTHWARK PREVENT ACTION PLAN 2009/10
1.0. National Context
1.1. The National Prevent Strategy[1] calls for a need for local authorities to develop a stronger understanding of Islam and work in partnership with Muslim communities to undermine violent extremism. The seven strategic aims are:
1. Undermine extremist ideology and support mainstream voices:
By supporting mainstream voices so that the ideology sustaining violent extremism is discredited and alternative narratives/messages have greater prominence and credibility
2. Disrupt those who promote violent extremism, and strengthen vulnerable institutions:
So that people promoting violent extremism are rendered ineffective and institutions and ungoverned places are strengthened against people promoting violent extremism
3. Support individuals who are vulnerable to recruitment by violent extremists:
So that vulnerable individuals are encouraged to see and follow positive and compelling alternatives to violent extremist activity
4. Increase the capacity of communities to challenge and resist violent extremists:
So that social structures exist with strong leadership and civic engagement, articulating shared values, isolating violent extremists and those who provide them with support
5. Effectively address grievances:
So that genuine grievances that contribute to violent extremism are addressed effectively and perceived grievances rebutted so they do not
6. Developing understanding, analysis and information
7. Strategic communications.
1.2 CONTEST II was launched in March 2009 and is the national counter-terrorism strategy, which aims to reduce the risk we face from international terrorism through four main strands
Pursue: reducing the terrorist threat to the UK and to UK interests overseas by disrupting terrorists and their operations.
Protect: reducing the vulnerability of the UK and UK interests overseas to a terrorist attack.
Prepare: ensuring that the UK is as ready as it can be for the consequences of a terrorist attack.
Prevent: tackling the radicalisation of individuals, both in the UK and elsewhere, which sustains the international terrorist threat.
2.0. Southwark context
Local Muslim Communities: We have carried out a mapping exercise of the Muslim population in the borough of Southwark. The results of our mapping exercise are shown below:-
BLACK AFRICAN
Location: Larger numbers of Black African residents were found in the Peckham, Livesey, Faraday, and Camberwell Green wards.
Religion: The most reported religion of Black African people was Christian (76%) and for Southwark it was 62%. A further 15% were Muslim and 9% had no religious affiliation or did not state it.
Close to all the Black African Southwark population was either born in Africa (59%) or Europe (39%). Of those born in Europe, nearly all (98%) were born in the United Kingdom. For those born in Africa:
82% were born in Central and Western Africa;
17% were born in South and Eastern African; and
1% were born in North Africa.
Of those Black African people who were born in Central and Western Africa, just over half (53%) were born in Nigeria.
WHITE OTHER
Location: Larger numbers of White other residents were found in the Cathedrals, Chaucer, Surrey Docks and Riverside wards.
Religion: The most reported religion of White Other people was Christian (53%) and for Southwark it was 62%. A further 30% had no religious affiliation or did not state it and 15% were Muslim.
Just over three-fifths of the White Other Southwark population were born in Europe. Less than a tenth were born in Asia (9%), Oceania (9%), Africa (8%), South America (6%) and North America (6%). For those born in Europe:
56% were born in Western Europe;
23% were born in the United Kingdom; and
21% were born in Eastern Europe.
Of those born in Western Europe, most (95%) were born in European Union countries.
OTHER BLACK
Location: Larger numbers of Other Black residents were found in the Peckham, Livesey, Camberwell Green, Faraday, The Lane, and Brunswick Park wards.
Religion: The most reported religion of Other Black people was Christian (68%) and for Southwark it was 62%. A further 25% had no religious affiliation or did not state it and 6% were Muslim.
Like Black African the majority of the Other Black population was either born in Europe (82%) or Africa (11%). Of those born in Europe, nearly all (99%) were born in the United Kingdom. For those born in Africa, just over three-quarters (76%) were born in Central and Western Africa.
INDIAN
Location: Larger numbers of Indian residents were found in the Chaucer, Cathedrals and Village wards.
Religion: The most reported religion of Indian people was Hindu (57% compared with 1% for Southwark) and for Southwark it was Christian (62% compared with 12% for Indian). Another 12% were Sikh, 9% Muslim and 9% had no religious affiliation or did not state it.
BANGLADESHI
Location: Larger numbers of Bangladeshi residents were found in the Chaucer, Cathedrals, East Walworth, and Faraday wards.
Religion: The most reported religion of Bangladeshi people was Muslim (93% compared with 7% for Southwark) and for Southwark it was Christian (62% compared with 0.2% for Bangladeshi). The rest (6%) had no religious affiliation or did not state it.
OTHER ETHNIC GROUP
Location: Larger numbers of Other Ethnic Group residents were found in the Cathedrals, Faraday, Peckham, Chaucer and Camberwell Green wards.
Religion: The most reported religion of Other Ethnic Group people was Christian (33%) and for Southwark it was 62%. A further 26% had no religious affiliation or did not state it, 24% were Buddhist and 15% were Muslim
Just over three-fifths (62%) of the Other Ethnic Group Southwark population were born in Asia. Just over another fifth (22%) were born in Europe and a further 7% in Africa and 6% in South America. Of those born in Europe, nearly all (94%) were born in the United Kingdom. For those born in Asia:
89% were born in the Far East;
8% in the Middle East; and
3% from South Asia.
Other Asian
Location:
Southwark is ranked 28th among the 33 Boroughs of London for the highest proportion of Other Asian residents. Other Asian people tended to be located in pockets around Southwark. Chaucer ward, located in the northwest of Southwark, had the largest number of Other Asian residents. Peckham Rye (south) Cathedrals (northwest) and South Camberwell (central) wards also had large numbers of the Other Asian residents.
Religion
The religious profile of Other Asian people in Southwark differed from that of Southwark. The most reported religion of Other Asian people was Muslim (29%) followed by Hindu (23%). These were higher proportions than reported for Southwark where 7% were Muslim and 1% were Hindu. Southwark’s most reported religion was Christian (62%), but for Other Asian peoples it was 21%. The Buddhist faith was the fourth most reported known religion of Other Asian people (8%), yet for Southwark it accounted for 1%. Nearly a fifth of people in Southwark (19%) had no religious affiliation compared with 8% for Other Asian people.
Around one in ten Other Asian people (and all people in Southwark) did not state his or her religious affiliation (if any).
Close to half of the Other Asian population in Southwark was born in Asia (49%). A further third (33%) were born in Europe and 12% were born in Africa. Of those born in Europe, nearly all (97%) were born in the United Kingdom. For those born in Asia:
58% were born in South Asia;
32% were born in the Middle East; and
10% were born in the Far East.
OTHER MIXED
Location: Larger numbers of Other Mixed residents were found in the Chaucer, The Lane and Camberwell Green wards.
Religion: The most reported religion of Other Mixed people was Christian (47%) compared with 62% for Southwark. A further 32% had no religious affiliation or did not state it and 14% were Muslim.
2.1. Tension Monitoring:
Weekly reports on local community tensions are filed to the National Community Tensions Team (NCTT) which collates national reports. The primary aims of monitoring community tension are to:
· Understand local communities dynamics and identify potential or actual tensions
· Prevent escalation and reduce conflict
· Plan interventions
· Manage critical incidents
· Promote community cohesion
The information on community tensions is categorised into ‘evidenced’, ’experienced’ and ‘potential’ (EEP) and will often not be related to crime but be under the police radar and, as such, it can support a predictive and preventative approach to dealing with community tensions. The PREVENT agenda is closely linked to early intervention, predicting and anticipating events based on good quality comprehensive information and intelligence
2.2. NI35 - ‘Building resilience to violent extremism’: Preventing Violent Extremism is an overriding priority for the Safer Southwark Partnership. NI35 is also a key element for delivery in the Safer Southwark Partnership Rolling Plan over the coming four years, which will ensure that the overall PREVENT agenda is mainstreamed within our everyday activities through the Prevent Action Plan. The Prevent Action Plan is based around the outcomes and the seven strategic aims as defined in the Home Office Prevent Strategy ‘A guide for local authorities’ which was launched in June 2008
The indicator is measured by self-assessment across four domains:
· Understanding of and engagement with Muslim communities
· Knowledge and understanding of the Preventing Violent Extremism agenda
· Effective development of an action plan to build the resilience of communities and support vulnerable individuals
· Effective oversight, delivery and evaluation of projects and action
3. Governance
PREVENT governance structure 2009/10
Partnership Organisation Groups (POG)
Based around the Partnership Priorities (identified in the Safer Southwark Partnership Plan) with ‘day to day’ responsibility for achieving delivery and overseeing tactical operations to secure the objectives and targets for each Partnership Priority. The POG meets twice a month and their Chairs are members of the Partnership Delivery Group, the Chair is the Head of Community Safety in Southwark and is chaired occasionally by the Head of Enforcement.
The Safer Southwark Partnership Rolling Plan represents a four year strategy that aims to deliver significant reductions in crime, fear of crime, anti-social behaviour and substance misuse in Southwark. Priority 6: Increasing the resilience of individuals and communities and strengthening cohesion the Prevent Building Resilience to Violent Extremism and is performance managed by the Safer Communities Partnership Action Group (SCPAG). Our preventing violent extremism projects have been set very firmly within wider context of community cohesion activity.
PVE Programme Board
The PVE Programme Board was established in 2007 and membership was drawn from the SMT in Southwark Police, the Community Safety Division and members from the wider Muslim community. The main aims of the Programme Board are to:
- Support the implementation ad delivery of the Prevent Action Plan
- Assess and determine local concerns in relation to violent extremism
- Engage local communities and marginalised groups to widen their understanding of the national response to violent extremism and listen to their concerns regarding violent extremism
- Provide potential projects for consideration for commissioning
The PVE Programme Board reports directly into the Safer Communities Partnership Action Group (SCPAG) in relation key activity being delivered to support the Prevent agenda locally regionally and nationally.
PVE Partnership Team
A key factor in driving improvement in this area has been the multi-agency approach we have taken to deliver this programme.
The PVE Partnership Team is made up of
· Community Safety Division-PVE Lead (Emma Kehoe)
· Partnership Superintendent who is in charge of the Counter Terrorism (CT) Department (Superintendent Victor Olisa)
· YOS practitioners (PVE) (Sameera Khan, Jenny Brennan (Manager), Deborah Wilson (Manager) and Peter Jamieson (Gang Disruption Worker
· Inspector for Prevent/CT (Juliet McKane)
This partnership team bring a broad range of skills and expertise to bear on the delivery of the programme. Furthermore their active involvement in the delivery of the programme demonstrates the commitment of the partner organisations to the embedding of PVE within mainstream activities.
The PVE Safer Communities Steering Group was established in 2007 with membership drawn from the senior Southwark Police officers, the Community Safety Division and members from the wider Muslim community. The main aims of the Programme Board are to:
- Assess and determine local concerns in relation to violent extremism
- Engage local communities and marginalised groups to widen their understanding of the national response to violent extremism and listen to their concerns regarding violent extremism
- Provide referrals
- Provide potential projects for consideration for commissioning
In the pilot year (2007/08) tenders for projects under the PVE agenda were sought from existing and experienced partners in the community. Quarterly monitoring and evaluation reports were submitted during the pilot year.
The commissioning (Community Reassurance PAG) and the operational (Programme Board) functions have subsequently been separated to allow tighter processes and stricter oversight and monitoring of the projects.
Commissioning Criteria for 2009/10 – following on from our Goldsmiths College, University of London evaluation report of the last two years of our Prevent work we are concentrating on the recommendations that were made to us in this report. Our criteria is also in line with the national priorities highlighted in the National Prevent Strategy and other related strategies. They are also based on the findings of the RUSI (Royal United Services Institute) report[2] (an independent evaluation of the first year of Pathfinder funding) and other identified local priorities:
· Provide innovative and diverse interventions: expand provision based on a PVE pathway
· New communities: improving access to new communities
· Age groups and gender: improve engagement with males and females aged 20-30
· Gangs and violent extremism: further develop the understanding of the relationship between violent extremism and gangs
· Inter-faith/community activity: further develop multi-faith activities in relation to PVE to increase the resilience of individuals to divisive rhetoric
· Educational establishments: work with educational establishments in Southwark to increase resilience of individuals to violent extremism.