Frontline professionals from across the Isle of Wight came together last week for a major safeguarding event focused on preventing radicalisation and protecting vulnerable people.
More than 160 delegates attended the Radicalisation Awareness Seminar at the Riverside Centre earlier this week (Tuesday), hosted by the Isle of Wight Prevent Board and delivered by Groundswell, whose experienced facilitators brought professional expertise and lived-experience insight to the sessions.
The 3-hour event brought together practitioners from education, health, social care, police, community services and other partner agencies to strengthen their understanding of how to recognise early signs of radicalisation and respond with the right support.
A key highlight of the day was the contribution of three specialist speakers, each bringing expert knowledge from their professional fields, alongside powerful insight drawn from lived experience.
Their input gave attendees a deeper understanding of how extremist influences can develop, particularly in online spaces, and the real-world impact this can have on individuals and families.
The interactive seminar focused on practical safeguarding skills, including how extremist groups target and recruit, the growing role of digital platforms, and how professionals can confidently make appropriate Prevent referrals.
Attendees also had the opportunity to build networks across agencies and share approaches to strengthening resilience in schools, care settings and community services.
Cameron Baxter, Isle of Wight Council’s Prevent Coordinator, said:
“It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout from partners across the Isle of Wight.
“Prevent is about early support and safeguarding, and events like this help make sure professionals feel confident recognising concerns and working together to protect vulnerable people in our communities.
“What really stood out was the strength of partnership on the Island. Prevent only works when agencies share knowledge and act early, and this conference was all about building that shared understanding so we can support people before issues escalate.”
What a humongous waste of time and money, just a few days away with the boys (or girls) and a few pints, the IOW is a happy place with no serious far left, right or Islamic problems, stay away.
Aah, but you obviously forget the need for these “practitioners from education, health, social care, police, community services and other partner agencies” to poke around looking for anyone with whom they disagree.
Just look at how well they did with the racist rape/grooming gangs.
Better to be safe than sorry, the island is changing
rapidly.
Based on what I’ve seen in council actions and articles and comments in this and the other online paper there is a serious problem on the island and it’s the problem of anti-semitism. Of course nobody cares about that because, as we know, Jews don’t count.
When you say “anti-semitism”, are you referring to people expressing concern about the situation in Gaza? If so, that’s not anti-semitism.
Completely unnecessary talking shop. “Professionals” should already know how to do their jobs and were probably only told what they already knew. Remote communication is so good today that physical presence is unnecessary. “We must reduce our carbon footprint” and how unnecessary was that one? Just something to do, have a jolly, free refreshments and a day off, sat down or chattng. And then be stupid enough to boast by publicising wasting our money. Have we asked how much it cost in total to entertain 160 delegates including their .”expenses”, imagine the proper work that could be done with that amount. Even if some small grain was learned by one or two it certainly was not cost effective. Did I mention that I didn’t approve?
So many people sneering on here, without the slightest understanding of how serious this issue is, particularly for young people.