Portsmouth City Council has been praised for the way it delivers the government’s Prevent Duty despite warnings that cuts to funding could weaken the programme.

A review by the Traffic, Environment & Community Safety Scrutiny Panel found the council is meeting its prevent duty to a “very high standard”.

Prevent duty is a legal requirement on public bodies in the UK to safeguard people from being drawn into terrorism.

The latest Home Office assurance process for 2024/25 showed Portsmouth met, and in some cases exceeded, all eight national benchmarks.

Councillor Brian Madgwick, who chaired the review, said: “The officers and panel were very proactive, with a lot of knowledge gained. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to everybody involved.”

The report stressed the importance of youth involvement, stating: “Young people have an important role in changing the future of other young people who are feeling vulnerable.”

Nationally, Prevent referrals rose to 6,922 in 2023/24, an increase of 1.5 per cent on the previous year and the third highest since records began. The education sector made 40 per cent of referrals, followed by police at 28 per cent and health services at 10 per cent.

Most cases involved young males, with 89 per cent of referrals being male and 40 per cent aged between 11 and 15. The median age was 16. In the South East alone there were 1,200 referrals, the highest of any region.

Locally, officers said Portsmouth reflects these trends, with internet use a key driver of vulnerability. Prevent Officer Charlie Pericleous explained that training for schools and partners focuses on “building resilience, identifying fake news, developing critical thinking skills and digital literacy.”

The report recommends that the council write to the Home Office to reverse reductions in Prevent funding. It said equal or higher levels of support are “essential to maintain the effectiveness and reach of the programme.”

The council’s cabinet will review the report within eight weeks