Message from the Counter Terrorism police

The terrorist threat level in the UK has been rising for some time, driven by an increase in the broader Islamist and Extreme Right Wing Terrorist threat from individuals and small groups based in the UK. 

Businesses and organisations have been advised to review their protective security plans in response to the increase in the national threat level and consider additional contingencies to safeguard their people and places.

Working with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and key sector stakeholders (including the National Care Forum and our other members), the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) has signposted the following resources for those involved in running and supporting care facilities, especially those specialising in providing  care for the Jewish community.
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Material	Link	Short precis	How care settings might use this resource
The Roadmap	Roadmap to improved security and preparedness | ProtectUK	The roadmap is easy to follow and interactive. It takes you step-by-step through what to consider, helping you understand your vulnerabilities, consider any risk and take proportionate, reasonable steps to reduce risk and improve your counter terrorism security and response.	Managers/planners/decision makers in care settings can use this accessible product to kick start their protective security and readiness, following a clear, iterative process with links to trusted resources.
ACT Awareness E-Learning	ACT Awareness E-Learning | ProtectUK	This is a free, online, general awareness course designed for all members of the public and employees in any sector. It takes about 45 minutes to complete and is meant to empower everyone to help protect public spaces. It is mandated for security officers seeking an SIA licence, but has much broader appeal.	Settings/groups can consider signposting this to their staff to increase their awareness and confidence to recognise potential threats and respond appropriately. Users will have to create an account on Protect UK to complete the training. Larger groups can apply for the files and host the modules on their own learning management platform.
ACT in a Box	ACT in a BOX Exercises | ProtectUK	ACT in a BOX tools are interactive digital exercises created by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) to help businesses and public venues rehearse their response to terrorist incidents. The exercises can be facilitated locally, and generate group discussion about what decisions and actions might need to be made. There will be scenarios for bomb threat, marauding attacks, vehicles-as-weapons and fire. Currently, the bomb threat scenario is available, with the marauding attack scenario being updated but likely available in coming weeks, followed by the others.	Settings can begin to validate their existing plans for high threat incidents with ACT in a box. These are easy to use with clear facilitators notes, and can be run in a short session as part of a training day or staff meeting. The sessions drive key staff from the settings to understand their response plans and any gaps that may need addressing.
SCAN	SCaN for All Staff | Hostile Reconnaissance | NPSA	Most incidents are preceded by some form of hostile reconnaissance – if front facing staff know what to look out for, they may be able to spot it and report it. “See Check and Notify” (or SCaN) training is designed to help organizations, venues, and events maximize safety and security using existing resources. It empowers staff torecognize suspicious behaviour, understand hostile reconnaissance, and know how to respondappropriately.	Most incidents are preceded by some form of hostile reconnaissance – if front facing staff know what to look out for, they may be able to spot it and report it. This is a good resource for those outward looking staff, like receptionists and custodians as well as all support staff, this is in addition to ACT e-learning.
Personal Safety and Security for High Risk Individuals	Personal Safety & Security for High-Risk Individuals | Specialised Guidance | NPSA	These resources are intended for individuals who face heightened risks affecting their personal safety and security. Threats may arise from national security concerns, such as those from state-backed actors or terrorists.  This includes activities such as espionage, recruitment, covert and overt influence (e.g. coercion), sanctions and physical or psychological harm.  The guidance provides tips to improve individual vigilance, plan for emergencies and how to call for help.	This material was initially put together for those people who may be at higher risk of confrontation – elected officials, local government workers etc. but it can be useful for people who may perceive they are at greater risk for other reasons.

These resources are a small selection of material that is available on ProtectUK and the National Protective Security Authority | NPSA websites.

Jewish settings are encouraged to also engage with the Community Safety Trust (CST) for any additional support on offer there.

DHSC and NaCTSO already have project work ongoing to support the broader health sector  improve their counter terrorism security and readiness. Speaking with the Jewish care quorum, it is clear there are very specific challenges to enhancing security and preparing for the threat of terrorism in care settings, which renders some of the conventional advice (which may be suitable for a shopping centre or stadium) less useful for permeable buildings housing vulnerable people. NaCTSO has agreed to add adult social care facilities into the scope of the project work, which will hopefully lead to the collaborated development of bespoke guidance and support that can be shared across the wider sector in the future.