Luton Prevent programme

Action

The Bedfordshire town of Luton has been a priority area for the Home Office's counter-terrorism Prevent strategy for around a decade. This is largely due to the presence in the town of extremist Islamist and far-right groups, which aim to groom and recruit people who may be vulnerable.

The 2015 Prevent duty mandates local public agencies to "pay due regard" to possible radicalisation concerns. This built on the Prevent programme, introduced in 2003 by the then Labour government, which used community cohesion approaches to support young people vulnerable to extremism.

Luton Council's approach to working with children and families affected by, and at risk from, extremist ideology has been to embed the Prevent programme into its wider multi-agency safeguarding arrangements, explains Nicola Monk, service director for policy, communities and engagement in Luton.