Channel Programme (UK)
Definition
The referral and multi-agency assessment pathway within UK Prevent. Any public-sector professional can refer an individual; a Channel panel assesses vulnerability and creates a voluntary support plan. Subject to ongoing debate about disproportionate referral patterns and the theoretical basis for vulnerability assessment.
- Parent framework
- UK Prevent strategy
- Who can refer
- Any public-sector professional
- Assessment body
- Channel panel
- Outcome
- Voluntary support plan
Common questions
What is the main criticism levelled at the Channel programme?+
Critics point to disproportionate referral patterns affecting particular communities and question whether the vulnerability-assessment framework rests on a solid evidential or theoretical basis for predicting who will actually move toward violence.
How does this differ from the general Channel programme entry above?+
This entry is specific to the UK's implementation under Prevent, with its own referral mechanics and panel structure, whereas the broader Channel programme concept can appear in threat-assessment contexts more generally.
Related terms
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- Leakage
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- McCauley-Moskalenko Two-Pyramid Model
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