Workshop Offers Training on Preventing Radicalisation in Neurodiverse Youth

New sessions aim to equip professionals with skills to support vulnerable young people

Professionals working with neurodiverse young people in Leeds are being reminded to register their interest for upcoming “Train the Trainer” sessions focused on preventing radicalisation. The sessions are designed to help staff understand and address the specific vulnerabilities faced by neurodiverse young people, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Workshop background and purpose

The workshops have been developed by Leeds Prevent in collaboration with the STARS team. They provide tailored training aligned with the Prevent Duty, a government strategy aimed at stopping individuals from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. The sessions focus on practical learning to empower professionals to confidently deliver training within their own settings.

Neurodiverse young people may be more susceptible to extremist influence due to factors such as social isolation, communication differences, and difficulties recognising manipulation. This training addresses these challenges through interactive and inclusive content.

Workshop content and activities

The half-day sessions include a range of topics and activities designed to enhance understanding and engagement:

• Understanding Prevent: An overview of the Prevent strategy, its purpose, and relevance to young people.
• Key definitions: Exploration of terms such as extremism, terrorism, and radicalisation.
• Extremist Example Activity: Guided discussions using real-life examples to identify extremist behaviour and imagery.
• Harmful or Not? Sorting Activity: Interactive evaluation of statements and actions to determine potential harm or concern.
• Radicalisation Process: Breakdown of how radicalisation can occur and typical environments where it takes place.
• Comic Strip Activity: A creative tool illustrating the radicalisation process in an accessible format.
• Responding to Concerns: Practical advice on who young people can approach if they have worries.
• Train the Trainer tools: Resources including lesson plans and presentations to support cascading the training within teams or organisations.

Session details and registration

Participants only need to attend one of the available sessions. The dates, times, and venues are as follows:

• Thursday 6 November, 1pm–4pm at Health For All (Leeds) Ltd, Tenants Hall Enterprise Centre, Acre Close, Leeds LS10 4HX
• Monday 17 November, 9.30am–12.30pm at Headingley Enterprise & Arts Centre, Heart Centre, Bennett Road, Headingley, Leeds LS6 3HN
• Wednesday 3 December, 1pm–4pm at ARK, Hovingham Avenue, Harehills, Leeds LS8 3QY

Spaces are limited. Professionals interested in attending are asked to register by emailing prevent@leeds.gov.uk with their name, organisation, and job role.

Source: Doing Good Leeds