We have to written to providers to set out the OfS’s Prevent monitoring requirements during the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the letters
Our monitoring framework explains how the OfS monitors providers’ implementation of the Prevent duty.
It includes:
- information on how providers demonstrate due regard to the OfS and how we assess compliance
- details of how providers should report changes of circumstance or Prevent-related serious incidents
- how the OfS will promote continuous improvement from the sector.
View the monitoring framework for 2018-19 onwards
See our latest evaluation of the monitoring framework.
What new entrants need to do
New entrants to the higher education sector need to do an initial self-assessment against the Prevent statutory guidance. You should submit this within two months of us engaging with you. After reviewing this, we’ll offer further guidance.
You’ll be expected to submit detailed evidence of baseline policies and procedures which meet the requirements of the statutory guidance within six months of our initial engagement. We will then test these policies through a Prevent review around six months later.
For more information about this, see Annex A of the monitoring framework.
What established providers need to do
Established providers need to do the following:
- Submit their annual Accountability and data return in December
- Throughout the year, notify the OfS as soon as possible of:
- any significant changes of circumstance affecting the provider’s Prevent responsibilities (such as a change in Prevent lead or changes to core policies)
- any Prevent-related serious incidents.
Guidance on requirements
As well as referring to the government’s statutory guidance, you should look at our supporting guidance documents.
We ran a webinar on how to write an effective risk assessment under the Prevent duty.
A recording of the webinar is available, as well as questions and answers from the session.
Prevent review meetings
Following the publication of the Prevent review meeting guidance, we held a series of surgeries offering further information on the monitoring approach for providers. The same content was covered in the webinar below.
For further details about Prevent review meetings please see our guidance for providers and FAQs.
Monitoring outcomes and findings
Our latest report presents sector-level data from providers’ accountability and data returns (ADRs) for academic years 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20.
In 2020, we temporarily changed our Prevent monitoring processes in order to reduce the regulatory burden on providers at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
During the 2019-20 academic year:
- 300 established providers subject to Prevent monitoring were required to submit an accountability statement signed off by the chair of the governing body or proprietor and submit data about their activities relating to core areas of the Prevent duty
- 22 providers that were newly subject to the Prevent duty underwent an initial test of their compliance through detailed assessments and Prevent review meetings. These providers were not required to submit accountability and data returns.
Through these monitoring processes, we did not find any cases of providers failing to demonstrate due regard to the Prevent duty.
We have also published findings from the 2019 Prevent review meetings programme.
We have previously published the findings of providers' 2016-17 annual monitoring reports and an evaluation of the 2017-18 accountability and data returns.
We held a webinar to discuss the contents of the evaluation report, and plans for the accountability and data return for the 2018-19 academic year. A recording of the webinar is available below.
Prevent leads at your organisation
The OfS defines a Prevent lead as the senior manager responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Prevent duty.
If this contact changes, please inform the Prevent team as soon as possible at the following email address: preven[email protected]
Who to contact for help
General enquiries should be directed to [email protected] or call 0117 931 7150.
There are also Department for Education (DfE) higher education Prevent coordinators who provide hands-on, practical support on implementing the duty.
Click on an area of the map below to see the DfE contact for that region.
