Safer and Empowered Communities Forum: Prevent and Support

The next Safer and Empowered Communities Forum will take place on Wednesday 9 September, 10am – 12pm via Microsoft Teams. The forum is open to third sector organisations with an interest in safer, stronger and more empowered communities across the Falkirk District.

This meeting will cover two important topics, alongside time for members to share updates, news and developments from across the sector.

Prevent: Awareness and the Role of the Third Sector

We are delighted to welcoming Laura Dunabie, Team Manager with the Forth Valley Child Interview Team at Falkirk Council, who will lead a session on Prevent.

Prevent is a national programme which aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It works to ensure that people who are susceptible to radicalisation are offered appropriate interventions, and communities are protected against radicalising influences. The UK Government website notes that there are different types of terrorism, and Prevent deals with all of them.

During the forum meeting, Laura will provide an accessible overview of Prevent, including recognising when someone may be vulnerable to radicalisation, how the referral and Channel processes works locally, and the role of third sector organisations when concerns arise. There will also be an opportunity to address some of the common misconceptions around Prevent, and for members to ask questions and discuss what this means for their groups and organisations.

Supporting Staff and Volunteers Working in Hostile Environments

We will also hear from Ewan Macleod, Policy Officer at Volunteer Scotland, about work underway to develop a new checklist which will help support staff and volunteers working in hostile environments.

This is an issue that organisations are encountering with increasing frequency. Ewan will share more about the checklist and the wider work behind its development, as well as how it could support organisations in practice. Members will also have the opportunity to share their experiences and views, and help inform the development of the resource.

Member Updates

As always, there will be time for member updates and information sharing. This is an opportunity for attendees to share news from their organisation, highlight upcoming work or events, raise issues affecting the communities they support, and connect with other members.

How to Attend

To attend, or for further information, please contact Laura Jamieson by email: laura@cvsfalkirk.org.uk