Frequently Asked Questions

You should always call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger.

The quicker you share your concerns the sooner the person can get the help they need to move away from extremism. By seeking help and advice, you could stop the person causing harm, either to themselves or to other people. Trust your instincts. If things don’t feel right it’s important to act early and let us help.

Call the ACT Early Support Line on 0800 011 3764, in confidence, to share your concerns with our specially trained officers. The Support Line is open 9:00am – 5:00pm every day. 

If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment, a police non-emergency number is available as a text phone service on 18001 101.

In an emergency always dial 999.

The Support Line is staffed from 9:00am – 5:00pm every day and your call will be answered by a specially trained officer. If you call outside of these hours your call will be transferred to specialist Counter Terrorism officers. They are specially trained and will carefully assess any worries or concerns you share with them. All of the information you provide is treated in the strictest confidence. Your call won’t be recorded and you don’t have to give your details unless you wish to do so.  

No, you don’t have to leave your name. You don’t have to say how you know the details either, although that may have an impact on the support we can offer. It may be hard for us to help someone if we don’t know all your details, so we would encourage you to tell us, but it’s your decision.

We’ll ask you questions about the person and why you are worried about them. We’ll ask you for their name and age, and it helps us if you can tell us a bit about your relationship to that person.

We’re here to help and will listen to your concerns. You will not be wasting our time. If you’re worried it’s much better to act early and tell us your concerns. We can advise and help find the right support if it’s needed. We only take action when help is needed. If there’s no cause for concern then talking to us can give you peace of mind.

Our approach begins by understanding that people are victims of radicalisation. We don’t view them as suspects or criminals and we understand that they may be vulnerable.

When someone is referred to us we offer early help so that we can avoid a situation in which someone’s views or behaviour escalates to a point where investigation and arrest may become necessary. Prevent stops people from being drawn into criminal activity and it offers a way out of extremism. Our approach is rooted in care and concern for those involved.

Information held about referrals to Prevent is not a criminal record and it is not shared as part of a criminal records check by prospective employers, universities or colleges.

No. When you contact us our officers will make a very careful assessment of what you tell us. It’s better to share your concerns and we can advise you. Quite often there is no need for ongoing police involvement and the right support will come from other organisations we work with.

Your call to the ACT Early Support Line will not be recorded.

When you make the call, you will be talking to specially trained officers or police staff. They will assess the information you offer before deciding what support and advice is needed.

If the Prevent officer you have spoken to feels there is no need for further action, we will not need to keep your information.

Records of the information given to us and what actions are subsequently taken are stored on a secure information system called the Prevent Case Management Tracker. They are monitored regularly and deleted when it is no longer necessary to keep them.

The police apply similar processes and record similar information to other safeguarding concerns like child sexual exploitation, domestic abuse or human trafficking. All records held are subject to legal requirements.

We developed our method of recording information to help us understand individual vulnerabilities, to monitor whether these are increasing or if a particular intervention is working, to ensure there is consistent practice across the country, and to enable the sharing of information between Prevent officers if someone moves to a different area. Records enable us to manage unresolved vulnerabilities and outstanding actions, and, importantly, they ensure we act proportionately, taking action only where support is necessary. 

All records held are subject to legal requirements; they are monitored regularly and deleted when it is no longer necessary to keep them.

Every situation is different. When the police receive information it will be professionally assessed. If during your call it appears the person you are concerned about may benefit from support through Prevent, then the officer you are speaking to will record the information you give on the Prevent Case Management Tracker. This will be passed to a Prevent officer in your local area who will make contact with the person. 

We want to help people to move away from extremism before it leads to harm to the person you are worried about or to others. 

This could be through support at school, in the workplace, for substance abuse and with specialist mentors, mental health keyworkers and doctors.

It is very important to act early and tell us your concerns so we can turn things around before it is too late.

It depends on the details you provide. Our officers will make an assessment based on the information you give. It might be the best support will come from other organisations we work with, any support package will be monitored and reviewed to ensure the person is getting the help they need.

When the police receive information it will be professionally assessed and, if there appears to be a genuine cause for concern, we will make contact with the individual.

This may not necessarily be by a police officer, it may be a social worker or another professional.

No, we won’t tell them who called if you don’t want us to. We keep your details secure and confidential. Your confidentiality is of the upmost importance to us and our specialist partners. Depending on your relationship to the person you are concerned about, we may need to share your details with a small group of other specialist partners also working in Prevent. In certain circumstances we may also need to obtain further information from you. If you are a parent or guardian of a young or vulnerable person, we will look to provide you with information and involve you in the support offered where appropriate.

Information given to the police about an individual will be dealt with by specialist officers and stored on a secure Prevent Case Management system. If your concern results in the person being offered support through Prevent, the police will involve other agencies and we will need to share information with them. Other agencies may also share information with us. This is to ensure that agencies can work together effectively to offer the right support and intervention to reduce risk and vulnerability. It is difficult for professionals to make decisions in the best interests of a vulnerable person if they do not fully understand their needs.

In exceptional cases other officers or agencies could request to see certain information held, but this would only be granted in very specific circumstances based on an assessment of risk.

We take great care with the information we hold and treat all personal information sensitively, confidentially and in accordance with the law.

Receiving support is voluntary and we can’t make someone accept our help. But if they agree to let us support them, then together with other organisations we will work to put the right plan in place for them.

If someone doesn’t want help but we assess they pose a risk to themselves or others, then the police may need to take action to reduce that risk.

Families have a key role to play within the Prevent programme. It’s by working together that we can help turn things around and support the person to move away from a path of extremism. This is why we ensure they are kept updated. 

However, in the case of adults or young people over the age of 17 there are times that for legal reasons we are not able to share information on the person’s progress.

If you call the Support Line outside of 9:00am – 5:00pm your call will be transferred to specialist Counter Terrorism officers who staff the 24/7 Anti-Terrorist Hotline. They are specially trained and will carefully assess any worries or concerns you share with them. If someone appears to need support, they will arrange for your concerns to be passed to a specialist Prevent officer. All of the information you provide is treated in the strictest confidence. Your call won’t be recorded and you don’t have to give your details unless you wish to do so.

If you’d rather not talk to us directly, there are other people you can speak to. This could be a teacher, a community organisation or faith leader, your local authority or a health professional for example.

If you prefer to look online, you will find other organisations you can go to listed on this website. 

Police officers working in Prevent receive additional specialist training and have experience of supporting others who have faced similar concerns to you. They understand the challenges you are facing and they will work quickly to assess concerns and arrange the help that is needed.

Family or trusted friends can speak to us on your behalf. But we will need to speak to you personally to confirm the details.

This website has an exit button so you can leave the website quickly. It closes this website and takes you to https://www.google.co.uk/. 

Clicking the exit button will not delete this website from your browsing history.

If you’re worried about someone checking your browser history to see what websites you’ve visited, you can also delete your browser history.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment, a police non-emergency number is available as a text phone service on 18001 101

If you have difficulty speaking with us in English we will call you back with a translator on the line who will help you to share your concerns. Please ensure that your phone number is not blocked so the officer can call you back.

Act early and share your concerns so the person can get the support they need. Call the ACT Early Support Line on 0800 011 3764 or speak to your GP, school or local authority.

There is no single route to radicalisation. More than any one specific sign is the feeling that something is not right with the person. It can be one sign or a combination of behaviours increasing in intensity.

Sometimes the behaviour you’re seeing is an indicator of other underlying issues or challenges and not connected to radicalisation. If .you’re concerned reach out for support. It may be nothing, but it could be something. Act early and seek advice.

We’re here to listen and to help, but we understand if you don’t want to speak with us directly. If you prefer you can talk to a teacher, a health professional, faith or community group or your local authority. The earlier you share your concerns the quicker the person can get help.