Counter-terrorism - the Prevent duty

The monitoring framework

Our monitoring framework explains how we monitor providers’ implementation of the Prevent duty.

It includes:

• information on how providers demonstrate due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and how we assess compliance
• details of how providers should report changes of circumstance or Prevent-related serious incidents
• how we will promote continuous improvement in the sector.

Annual Prevent accountability and data return

Established providers (that have completed the OfS Prevent new entrant provider process and received an outcome) need to submit a Prevent accountability and data return (ADR) each year.

The ADR includes contextual information that allows us to understand a provider’s approach to implementing the Prevent duty. It informs our risk-based approach to targeting engagement with providers that we consider to be at increased risk of not complying with the duty.

Prevent review meetings

Prevent review meetings (PRMs) are our primary mechanism for gaining assurance that providers are effectively implementing the Prevent duty. PRMs provide insight beyond the annual accountability and data return through stress-testing policies and procedures.

PRMs are used where providers:

• are considered at higher risk of non-compliance
• have experienced significant changes
• are new entrants to the sector
• are selected as part of targeted regulatory activity.

PRMs enable us to assess overall compliance, test effectiveness of Prevent-related policies and gather evidence on emerging sector risks or gaps in regulatory knowledge.

PRMs are conducted with limited notice and require providers to submit relevant documentation in advance. The meeting involves senior staff responsible for Prevent implementation and uses discussion, case studies and hypothetical scenarios to test how policies and procedures operate in practice.

Following a PRM, we will make a compliance judgement and provide feedback. Providers are assessed as either demonstrating due regard, further actions needed, or not demonstrating due regard.

Where further actions are required, providers will enter a period of heightened engagement and complete an action plan within a specified timeframe. A follow-up PRM may be used to assess progress.

Data releases

Our latest report presents sector-level data from providers’ accountability and data returns (ADRs) for the academic year 2024-25.

Reports for previous years are published in an archive on the same webpage.