A list of regional further and higher education Prevent coordinators.

How regional further and higher education Prevent coordinators can help providers

Regional further and higher education Prevent coordinators play a key role in the delivery of Prevent, providing further education (FE) and higher education (HE) providers with support to build resilience against the dangers of radicalisation.

They do this through strategic engagement with senior leaders and through the provision of advice, support and training (including WRAP – Workshops to Raise Awareness of Prevent) to staff in:

  • universities
  • colleges
  • independent HE providers
  • apprenticeship providers
  • employer based learning providers
  • other forms of FE and HE

They help coordinate stakeholders involved in the delivery of Prevent in FE, HE and wider Prevent partners. This ensures there is a full and robust understanding of any regional threat and risk relating to FE and HE.

Their role might include:

  • briefings to vice-chancellors, principals and governors
  • delivering training
  • engaging with students
  • assisting with institutional policies
  • attending compliance working groups and providing advice and guidance in support of referrals and external speaker requests

Coordinators act as the conduit between FE and HE providers and other stakeholders, including Local Authorities, Ofsted, Office for Students, the Police, Home Office and Department for Education.

Head of the FE/HE regional delivery networks (Prevent and Counter-Extremism)

Contact: Chris Rowell
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 07384 872518

The network is overseen by Chris Rowell as Head of the FE/HE Regional Delivery Network (Prevent and Counter Extremism). Prior to heading the network, Chris worked as London HE/FE Prevent coordinator since October 2018. Before that role, Chris worked as part of the HE Prevent monitoring team at the Office for Students (and before that HEFCE) since 2015 when Prevent became a statutory duty on the sector.

Chris also spent a brief period of time in 2017 seconded to the Department for Education Prevent and Counter-Extremism policy team. Before his various Prevent related roles, Chris held other roles in HEFCE and in government departments, including the Home Office where he made decisions on claims for asylum and humanitarian protection.

North East and Yorkshire

Contact: Chris Sybenga
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 07384 456640

Chris is an experienced leader with accomplished decision-making skills honed throughout a thirty-year career as a Detective within law enforcement. Christopher retired from Northumbria Police as Head of Special Branch gaining experience in all aspects of the Governments Contest Strategy and in particular Prevent. The North East region spans seven police regions from the borders to Sheffield covering some 10624 square miles with a population of over 10 million residents. The area currently has 19 higher education establishments and 237 FE colleges/independent learning providers.

North West

Contact: Nigel Lund
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 07384 452146

Before becoming an FE–HE coordinator, Nigel was a police officer with Lancashire Constabulary for 33 years, when he received numerous awards, including the Community Police Officer of the Year award, and commendations for consistently good police work and setting up multi-agency partnership teams, projects and initiatives which received both national and international recognition.

In the latter part of his police career, Nigel worked as a Sergeant in the Counter Terrorism Branch, when he provided support to a number of vulnerable individuals who were at risk of being radicalised and becoming terrorists, successfully preventing them from getting involved by guiding them down a different path.

West Midlands

Contact: Hifsa Haroon Iqbal
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 07785 654148

Hifsa previously worked at Staffordshire University, where she completed her Masters in Philosophy before taking up the role of Equality and Diversity Officer and then Stakeholder Engagement Manager. Hifsa is a Trustee of the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Foundation, a Trustee of Nisa-Nashim, a founding member of the Armed Forces Muslim Forum and a member of the Association of British Muslims. She has engaged extensively with the further and higher education sector since taking up this role in 2013 and has a particular interest around welfare and pastoral care of students on campus.

She speaks regularly at national conferences and has made a number of media appearances speaking out about Prevent. In 2011 Hifsa was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Staffordshire and received an MBE in her Majesty’s New Year’s Honours List for services to community cohesion.

East Midlands

Contact: Sam Slack
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 07384 452156

Since 2013, Sam has worked closely with a huge range of organisations across the HE/FE sectors predominantly in the East Midlands and also the North East (2015 to 2017) supporting them to implement the Prevent Duty. Sam’s work has in particular focussed on issues connected to free speech and external speakers at universities, as well as the challenges faced across the work based learning sector to embed the Prevent Duty.

Sam has completed terrorism studies with Universities of Leiden, Maryland, Tel Aviv and Derby. He is qualified to the highest level as a Safeguarding Lead. Prior to this Sam enjoyed a successful career in the Police as Senior Detective, firearms officer & commander and completed the national Police Senior Leadership Programme. He was Chair of a rape crisis charity for 4 years until 2017 and remains a Trustee and active supporter.

Eastern England

Contact: Dave Layton-Scott
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 07384 452155

Dave has been in post covering the East of England since Sept 2017, and during that time he has been working at establishing links with both Further and Higher education providers in the region. As part of this work Dave has set up county wide forums at which delegates from FE/HE can discuss concerns and share good practice whilst receiving both a national and local Prevent update.

South West

Contact: Salam Arabi-Katbi
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 07824 083307

Salam has held the post of the South West Prevent Regional coordinator for Further Education and Higher Education since 2013. Salam has a BA in English Literature and History from Damascus University and a Masters with Distinction in International Relations; Global Security and Development from the University of Plymouth. Salam also completed a course at Kings College; ‘The Issue of Radicalisation in Countering Terrorism’, securing the mark of Distinction. This academic background has allowed Salam to develop an extensive knowledge of the threat of terrorism and the CONTEST strategy. Salam is a Syrian Muslim and possesses a deep understanding of the Islamic faith and culture which provides a unique perspective to her Prevent role.

South East

Contact: Alamgir Sheriyar
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 07468 714372

Alamgir has occupied a number of posts around Prevent including in local delivery whilst working for the Government Offices for the South East, developing and delivering safeguarding products like ‘Zak’ and ‘Behind Closed Door’ for the University of Kent and working as a Prevent Engagement Officer for Kent Police. Prior to working in Prevent, Alamgir worked as a professional cricketer for 17 years and is still actively involved in developing County cricketers for the future.

London

Contact: Jennie Fisher
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 07880 469588

Jennie has worked within both the FE and HE sector for a number of years in roles ranging from student facing support to senior management. Jennie is trained to a high level in Safeguarding and has experience in the role of Safeguarding Lead alongside first-hand experience of supporting vulnerable students. She has a Masters in Jewish History and Culture from the University of Southampton and has volunteered with the London Jewish community for a number of years. She has also worked for the Jewish Museum of London and UCL’s Holocaust Research department, working directly with the public around their Holocaust knowledge and challenging misconceptions.

Published 1 April 2021 Contents