Early Years and Childcare Service Link Officer

Fundamental British Values Hand-out for Provider Briefings Autumn 2015

The definition of what we would consider to be mainstream British Values is set out in the Prevent Strategy 2011; democracy, rule of law, equality of opportunity, freedom of speech and the rights of all men and women to live free from persecution of any kind.

Fundamental British Values (FBV) are a component of the nature and prevention of violent terrorism; FBV entered the world of education in 2011-12 with the publication of a statement about teachers’ standards which came into force in September 2012; and in 2014 became well known from 9 June onwards following a speech in the House of Commons by the then secretary of state for education in England, Michael Gove. Actively promoting the values includes challenging opinions or behaviours that are contrary to fundamental British values.

The Prevent strategy launched in 2007 in order to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It is the preventative strand of the government’s counter-terrorism strategy CONTEST.

The Prevent Strategy 2011 lists 25 priority areas of the UK, these include; in the Midlands:-

Birmingham, Derby, Leicester and Stoke-on-Trent

Objectives

3.21 Within this overall framework the new Prevent strategy will specifically:

· respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat we face from those who promote it;

· prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support; and

· work with sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation which we need to address.

The threat

Northern Ireland-related terrorism

Historically, the principal threat from terrorist organisations in the UK came from Northern Ireland-related terrorist groups. Between 1969 and the signing of the Belfast Agreement in April 1998, over 3,500 people died in the UK in attacks by the Irish Republican and Loyalist terrorist groups. While the political process and the ongoing implementation of the 1998 Belfast (‘Good Friday’) Agreement saw an end to the Troubles and a dramatic decline in terrorist activity, there remains a serious and persistent threat from terrorist groups in Northern Ireland.

This threat has increased significantly over the past two years. The murder of PC Ronan Kerr in April was the sixth attack against national security targets in Northern Ireland this year and followed 40 attacks in 2010 (there were 22 attacks in 2009 and 15 in 2008).

Extreme right-wing terrorism

Extreme right-wing terrorism in the UK has been much less widespread, systematic or organised than terrorism associated with Al Qa’ida. There are 17 people serving prison sentences in this country for terrorism-related offences who are known to be associated with extreme right-wing groups, though none of these groups are themselves terrorist organisations. In 2010, an extreme right-wing ideologue was jailed for 11 years for assembling one of the largest arms caches found in recent years in England. But extreme right-wing terrorist plots have predominantly been undertaken by people acting on their own or with one or two associates.

People involved in extreme right-wing terrorism have not received the same training, guidance or support as many of those who have engaged with Al Qa’ida or Al Qa’ida-influenced organisations. Nor have they ever aspired or planned to conduct operations on the scale of those planned by their Al Qa’ida counterparts.

Summary

The UK faces a range of terrorist threats. The most serious is from Al Qa’ida, its affiliates and like-minded organisations. All the terrorist groups who pose a threat to us seek to radicalise and recruit people to their cause. But the percentage of people who are prepared to support violent extremism in this country is very small. It is significantly greater amongst young people. We now have more information about the factors which encourage people to support terrorism and then to engage in terrorist-related activity. It is important to understand these factors if we are to prevent radicalisation and minimise the risks it poses to our national security. We judge that radicalisation is driven by an ideology which sanctions the use of violence; by propagandists for that ideology here and overseas; and by personal vulnerabilities and specific local factors which, for a range of reasons, make that ideology seem both attractive and compelling.

The current threat level to the UK from terrorism is SEVERE. This means that an attack is highly likely and could occur without warning at any time.

Preventing terrorism and promoting cohesion

Some recent academic work suggests that radicalisation occurs as people search for identity, meaning and community. It has been argued in particular that some second or third generation Muslims in Europe, facing apparent or real discrimination and socio-economic disadvantage, can find in terrorism a ‘value system’, a community and an apparently just cause. We note that organisations working on Prevent have also found evidence to support the theory that identity and community are essential factors in radicalisation.

A stronger sense of ‘belonging’ and citizenship makes communities more resilient to terrorist ideology and propagandists. We believe that Prevent depends on integration, democratic participation and a strong interfaith dialogue.

Challenging ideology is also about being confident in our own values – the values of democracy, rule of law, equality of opportunity, freedom of speech and the rights of all men and women to live free from persecution of any kind. Challenging ideologies is a collective responsibility.

Fundamental British Values; references for Early Years:

1. Common inspection framework June 2015: education, skills and early years from September 2015: Effectiveness of leadership and management ‘actively promote British values[1]’

2. Early years inspection handbook June 2015: Handbook for inspecting early years in England under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 from September 2015

Outstanding Provision:-

· The promotion of equality, diversity and British values is at the heart of the setting’s work. It is demonstrated through all its practices, including tackling any instances of discrimination and being alert to potential risks from radicalisation and extremism.

Good Provision:-

· Leaders and managers actively promote equality, diversity and British values through all policies and practice. They tackle instances of discrimination effectively.

Inadequate Provision:-

· Leaders fail to recognise and/or tackle instances of discrimination. Equality, diversity and British values are not actively promoted in practice.

3. Inspecting safeguarding in early years June 2015, education and skills from September 2015

· Safeguarding and inspectors’ responsibilities: It is essential that inspectors are familiar with the content of the following key documents:-

‘Prevent duty guidance for England and Wales: guidance for specified authorities in England and Wales on the duty of schools and other providers in the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism’, HM Government, 2015.[2] Guidance on Prevent for further education and skills providers will be published in time for the start of the 2015/16 academic year. Information will be available on the Education and Training Foundation’s website.[3]

· Inspectors will want to consider evidence that:

there is a clear approach to implementing the Prevent duty and keeping children and learners safe from the dangers of radicalisation and extremism

· Inspectors will also consider the extent to which leaders, managers and governors ensure that arrangements to protect children and learners meet statutory requirements, promote their welfare and prevent radicalisation and extremism.

· Annex 1. Safeguarding requirements for leaders and managers

having due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism in accordance with the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015

4. Leicestershire Free Early Education Entitlement Guidance references the British Values http://www.leics.gov.uk/feee_guidance_15_16_v7-2.pdf

5. Early Education and Childcare Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities

This statutory guidance states that:-

· Local Authorities should take action over concerns about early years providers that do not actively promote fundamental British values or promote views or theories as fact which are contrary to established scientific or historical evidence and explanations.

· Providers cannot be used to ensure sufficiency if they do not actively promote fundamental British values or if they promote views or theories as fact which are contrary to established scientific or historical evidence and explanations.

· Local authorities cannot meet their duty to secure early education by securing places at an early education provider in relation to whom the local authority has reasonable grounds to believe:

is not meeting the independent school standard in relation to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils;

is not actively promoting fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; or

is promoting as fact views or theories which are contrary to established scientific or historical evidence and explanations.

· Local authorities should respond to substantive and well-evidenced concerns regarding fundamental British values or the promotion of views and theories contrary to established scientific or historical evidence and explanations brought to their attention. Where the local authority has reasonable grounds to believe that one or more of the criteria set out in A4.23 applies, the local authority should withdraw funding.