Cylix

New Prevent Duty eLearning Course for Universities

Bath (UK), February 2016 - Cylix's new eLearning course will provide HE staff with a practical guide to implementing the UK government's Prevent duty sensitively and effectively. All universities now have a legal duty to implement robust policies and procedures for countering the threat posed by radicalisation, and a key part of this is the provision of appropriate training, so that everyone knows what's expected of them and what they need to do if they have any concerns.

In order to enable universities to deliver this essential training flexibly and cost effectively, Cylix is developing an innovative new eLearning course: Working with the Prevent Duty. The course will explore what the Prevent duty means and how it can be applied in an effective and sensitive way, so as to protect the vulnerable, without marginalising groups or suppressing important freedoms such as freedom of expression and academic freedom.

The course makes extensive use of case studies and scenarios - all set within a HE context - to give staff the opportunity to explore realistic situations, assess issues, and identify the best course of action in each case. As Steven Price, Cylix's Managing Director, explains, "The Prevent duty is about putting in place sensible safeguards to protect people from a very real threat. However, if it's implemented in a heavy-handed way, there's a danger it can create a 'surveillance-state' environment and undermine many of things it's intended to promote. Our course will provide HE staff with a practical guide to implementing the Prevent duty in a positive way."

Cylix is due to launch "Working with the Prevent Duty" in March 2016 and will be offering free evaluation access to the course then.