Funding Success: £109.7k secured from the ESRC to overcome challenges of implementing Prevent Duty Guidance in the secondary education sector
The UK’s Prevent strategy, introduced in 2004, is part of the country’s efforts to counter terrorism. However, it has faced a lot of criticism, raising questions around whether Prevent is and should be considered as a form of safeguarding.
Since 2015, Prevent has required teachers, healthcare workers, and other front-line practitioners to watch for and report people who might be at risk of radicalisation. This responsibility puts pressure on these professionals, as the decisions they make can have serious consequences for individuals and communities.
Dr Jane Horton, Department of Sociology, Social Policy, and Criminology has secured £109.7k funding for a £137.1k project, from the UKRI's Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of the Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme. This research aims to improve understanding of how Prevent and its implementation by frontline practitioners, such as teachers and safeguarding leads.
The project, entitled ‘Understanding and overcoming the challenges of implementing the Prevent Duty Guidance in the secondary education sector', will run from October 2024 – September 2025. It will bring together professionals, policymakers, academics, and community organisations to talk about how Prevent is carried out, its challenges, and how it could be improved.
Speaking of the funding award, Dr Jane Horton, shared:
“This project will allow me to engage with a range of audiences to communicate research findings and to conduct a small piece of research with policy actors which builds on my PhD; an important development in the wake of the Government's Independent Review of Prevent in 2023.”
This initiative will create dialogue and build trust, helping to move the debate beyond disagreement and supporting those who are required to enforce the policy.