Channel is part of Prevent. It is set up under section 36 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, and the Home Office publishes Channel duty guidance for panels and partners.
How it works, as KCSIE 2026 Annex A describes it:
1. The school's DSL makes a Prevent referral using the local procedure. 2. The police assess it first. 3. If appropriate, it goes to a multi-agency Channel panel, which decides whether the person is at risk of being drawn into terrorism and what support they need. 4. Support is only given with consent.
A school representative may be asked to attend the panel to help assess the child. If new information comes to light while a referral is being assessed, it should go to the police.
Channel panels operate in England and Wales. In Scotland the equivalent is called PMAP (Prevent Multi-Agency Panel), which is why you may see both names on GOV.UK.
When a pupil leaves, KCSIE asks the DSL to consider telling the new school in advance if the child is receiving support through Channel, so the support can continue when they arrive.
Channel is voluntary: the Prevent duty guidance says people must give their consent before they receive support (paragraph 20).