Parents and carers across Hertfordshire are to be offered training to help them spot the signs of radicalisation in their children.

The Prevent partnership – which is co-ordinated in Hertfordshire by the county council – has been awarded funding from the Home Office to run a 'civil society organisation' led educational programme.

And it was highlighted to councillors at a meeting of the council's public health and community safety cabinet panel, on Thursday (October 9).

According to a report presented to the panel, the programme is designed to provide parents and carers with the knowledge and understanding they need to spot the signs of rationalisation early.

It aims to help parents and carers to give their young person the right tools to challenge extremism online and to build their digital resilience – making them less likely to engage in extremist or terrorist ideologies.

And according to the report, it will also educate school safeguarding staff on the online dangers and how to support parents and carers.

The Prevent programme aims to tackle the ideological causes of terrorism, intervene early to support people susceptible to radicalisation and enable those people who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate.

And funding for the educational programme was highlighted in a report updating county councillors on the work of the Prevent partnership in Hertfordshire.

At the meeting, councillors heard that referrals in Hertfordshire come from a range of partners – with the highest number coming from the education sector, followed by local policing.

And they were told that over the past 12 months, ideologies included Islamist, extreme right-wing, Incel and violence-fixated individuals.