Universities face tighter scrutiny under existing Prevent powers

The UK government has announced a package of measures aimed at helping universities keep students safe and tackle rising tensions on campus.

Although the changes do not impose new legal duties on registered higher education providers, they significantly increase the onus on universities to meet their Prevent duty – the legal requirement to take action to prevent students from being radicalised or drawn into terrorism.

In particular, the new measures empower the Office for Students (OfS) to act as a formal whistleblowing body to which university staff can report concerns directly about non-compliance, including about their own institutions. Where serious concerns arise, institutions will be required to take appropriate action. If they fail to meet their legal duties, the regulator has powers to intervene, including imposing sanctions or ultimately removing providers from the register of approved higher education providers.

OfS published updated guidance in November 2025 to support universities in complying with these obligations, including best practice guidelines on carrying out appropriate risk checks for external speakers and events where it is deemed there may be a risk that free speech crosses into “unlawful activity” or support for terrorism.

The OfS has said it will also update its framework for monitoring the Prevent duty in higher education in England to ensure its reporting process is easier and more user-friendly.

The changes come as higher education providers continue to grapple with the challenge of balancing and upholding freedom of speech, open debate and academic freedoms.

Stephanie Connelly, a university and higher education specialist at Pinsent Masons, said the new measures align with the government’s concerted steps “to draw more heavily on existing Prevent and regulatory powers” to keep students safe. “However, it does point to closer regulatory attention on how those obligations are implemented in practice,” she added. “In particular, plans to make the Office for Students a recognised whistleblowing body could alter internal dynamics, increasing the likelihood of regulatory engagement where staff lack confidence in internal escalation routes.”

The government has said it will also work with students to co-design a Campus Cohesion Charter that establishes clearer expectations around conduct, respect and shared values across university life.

All of these measures form part of a wider, cross-government Social Cohesion Action Plan aimed at strengthening “resilience against extremism and reinforce shared values across communities”.

Connelly said that the Campus Cohesion Charter has the potential to provide valuable support for students who may be vulnerable to radicalisation, although its effectiveness will depend on how it is implemented and received by the university community.

“While it will not have legal force, it is likely to influence expectations around conduct and behaviour on campus,” she added. “The detail of how this is framed will matter, as it may become an informal reference point for regulators, institutions and students alike when assessing what good practice looks like.”