Prevent training on online activity assessment
Southport Inquiry · The Southport Inquiry Report: Phase 1 · Issued 13 April 2026 · Addressed to: Home Office
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
While training for Counter Terrorism Policing, staff involved in Prevent currently cover the importance of understanding a referred individual’s online activity and the practical steps required to assess it, the Home Office and Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters should review and strengthen this training to ensure that officers fully understand both the importance of investigating online activity and that where online behaviour is a factor in a referral, cases should not ordinarily be closed until proportionate steps have been taken to access and assess the individual’s online activity. Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters should ensure that this remains a consistent priority across all regions. Counter Terrorism Policing North West should review its own processes in this regard.
Southport Inquiry, The Southport Inquiry Report: Phase 1 · 13 Apr 2026 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The government response states that Counter Terrorism Policing are reviewing existing mandatory Prevent training so it reflects the importance of understanding online activity, that enhanced direction for online checks and linked training is anticipated for completion in autumn 2026, and that the Prevent Assessment Framework is under review to strengthen assessment of online activity (Government Response to Phase 1 of the Southport Inquiry, CP 1623, Home Office, July 2026).
How was this evidence gathered?
Response — verbatim from government
●Home Office
The Home Office and Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) are working together to deliver this recommendation. Progress to date:
- CTP are quality assuring and reviewing existing CTP mandatory training programmes that relate to Prevent delivery to ensure they correctly reflect the importance of understanding the online activity of those referred, its relevance to Prevent, and the practical steps for assessment.
- CTP are working at pace on a number of actions related to online activity. This includes (subject to legal approvals) providing enhanced direction for online checks, policy development and linked training for Prevent Officers, with anticipated completion autumn 2026. Further updates on the progression of this work will be provided to the Inquiry as it develops.
- The Prevent Assessment Framework (PAF), captures and considers online activity to determine someone's suitability for Prevent. This assessment tool is currently under review and will include strengthened assurances for capturing and assessing the risks of a person's online activity.
Home Office · 2 Jul 2026 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 2 Jul 2026 · Home Office Government response published 2 July 2026 (CP 1623). The government accepted this recommendation; the lead department reports implementation is in progress. Source →
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