Partnership Working Managing the Tensions: A Student Services Perspective

Universities UK Prevent Conference 22nd June 2015

Sally Olohan – Head of Student Support Services, Nottingham Trent University

Judith Carey – Director of Student Affairs, University of LincolnSam Slack – Prevent Coordinator, Dept for Business Innovation & Skills

The Prevent Duty What does it say about partnership?

Para 17. “To demonstrate effective compliance with the duty, specified authorities must demonstrate evidence of productive co-operation, in particular with local Prevent coordinators, police, local authorities, & coordination through existing multi-agency forums …”

Para 111. “we would expect active engagement from senior management of the university (including, where appropriate, Vice Chancellors) with other partners …. We would expect universities to seek to engage & consult students on their plans for implementing the duty”

Partnerships – A common approach or designed to fit

Experiences of university Prevent approaches & structures.

• Security lead:

• Student Services lead:

• Compliance lead:

• Do these variations cause tensions &/or confusion?

• An initial response to police led & counter-terrorism view of the Prevent Strategy

• Viewed as a “safeguarding” &/or welfare/vulnerability issue requiring support

• Based upon requirement to comply with a legislative &/or audit framework

Partnerships – with whom?• Most initial considerations of partnership

groups (internal & external) start with thoughts of local & usually well established partners.

• But what about other partners & what role can/should they play?

• Government, Dep’t for Business Innovation & Skills, Home Office, UUK, others?

Internal partnerships

• Who leads? • Relationships• Training

Who leads?

• Security/Student Services/Registry• Is this regarded as a matter of..– Safety and Security?– Safeguarding and community cohesion?– Compliance?

Steering Group/Forum

• Relevant functions:– Vice Chancellor– Registry/Legal/Governance– Student Affairs/Student Services– Wellbeing/Safeguarding/Chaplaincy– IT Services– Security– Conference management– Equality and Diversity– Student Union /student representation– Academic representation

Training

• Role specific/targeted– Raising awareness of agenda– Clarifying referral pathways – mirror safeguarding?

• Proportionate focus • Academic audiences (ICSR?)• Ofsted- compliance

External Partners and Tensions

• What external partners do you have?

• Do they add value?

• What referral pathways would you use?

• Do you feel comfortable with them?

Regulators

• Understanding Different Demands– HEFCE

– OFSTED

– Professional Bodies

– Others?

Inherent Tensions

• Different Priorities - Police, Home Office, BIS, Universities

• Partnerships help us to manage those tensions

• How do we learn from others?

Questions/Discussion

• Who/Where do you think should lead this?

• What are the likely referral pathways & any obstacles?

• Other external partnerships that add value?

• Other questions/issues?

Sally Olohan – Head of Student Support Services, Nottingham Trent University

Judith Carey – Director of Student Affairs, University of LincolnSam Slack – Prevent Coordinator, Dept for Business Innovation

& Skills