Complaints process and oversight for Government’s counter-terror scheme launched

A complaints process for the Government’s Prevent counter-terror programme is being launched.

The Standards and Compliance Unit (StaCU), has been set up after Sir William Shawcross said ministers had “ignored” some of his key recommendations for Prevent, a programme to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

Robin Simcox, the commissioner for countering extremism, said: “It’s my view that Prevent has a vital role to play in keeping our country safe from the evils of terrorism and extremism.

“That’s why it’s so important that it continues to keep the trust and confidence of the public and StaCU will help achieve that.”

StaCU is to process and investigate complaints to ensure Prevent is being delivered within the direction set by ministers.

It is also being billed as a clear, independent, and accessible way that people can give feedback on how Prevent is being run.

An online form will be available for people, practitioners and members of the public, to raise their concerns.

StaCU will review each complaint confidentially and work with statutory bodies and existing organisational complaints processes when further investigation is needed.

As it reviews each complaint, it should also update the complainant of the outcome.

Mr Simcox said StaCU would “process and investigate complaints about Prevent” and aims to “promote transparency, trust and accountability” of the programme.

The unit gives the public the chance to “raise concerns” about Prevent and make sure the Government’s anti-terror programme is “being delivered properly”, he told reporters in a briefing.

Examples of what the unit will investigate include “missed opportunities to refer individuals” and “inappropriate” referrals as well as concerns about training among other matters.

The unit will review each complaint confidentially as well as analyse data about complaints made, he said.

If ministers have concerns about “potential failings” they will be able to task the unit with carrying out specific investigations.

Annual reports will also be published setting out details on how many complaints have been received and the type of complaints.

Published last year, the review called for an overhaul of the Prevent programme, with then-home secretary Suella Braverman saying it needed “major reform” and must focus on security, “not political correctness”.

The programme needs to “better understand the threats we face and the ideology underpinning them”, she said, after a long-awaited report made a raft of recommendations for improvement.

Sir William had told the BBC: “The Government has published a report saying that they have made some of those changes that I asked for, that I proposed – but not enough.

“And I think as a result the public is at risk”.

The Government claims 30 of the 34 recommendations made by Sir William have already been delivered, while “progress has been made against each of the remaining recommendations”.