Protective security schemes for places of worship

RapidOverview of the schemes

In 2023 and 2024, the Home Office is continuing to provide protective security formeasures to places of worship under two schemes:

InFor responseplaces of worship that are successful in applying to recentthe publicschemes, disorder,security measures will be provided and installed free of charge. This includes any maintenance costs for one year from the installation date (such as for CCTV or for monitored intruder alarm systems).

However, you should be aware that the Home Office hascannot introducedfund any additional costs that might result from measures being installed, such as the cost of applying for planning permission or any preparatory work needed (such as ground clearance).

We will confirm the number and type of measures that we are able to provide following your site survey and a rapidfinal review by the Home Office.

Esotec Limited is the Home Office’s delivery partner for physical protective security responsemeasures and will be the main point of contact for places of worship who are successful in going forward to the site survey stage. The supplier of security guarding services will be announced later in the year. Successful applicants to the Protective Security for Mosques scheme who have applied for guarding services will be informed as soon as possible.

Who can apply

You should apply to the schemes:

• if you have experienced hate crime at riskyour place of imminentworship, violentor
• if disorderyou feel that your place of worship is vulnerable to hate crime; for example, if hate crime has happened at other places of worship or sites in your community, or if people attending your place of worship have experienced hate crime in the immediatelocal aftermatharea

The types of suchplaces anof incident.worship that can apply under the schemes include (but are not limited to):

What

• churches
• gurdwaras
• mosques
• temples
• associated thisfaith meanscommunity incentres practice

TheMuslim Homeplaces Officeof worship and their associated faith community centres will passbe requestsallocated ontoto itsthe securityProtective partner,Security whofor Mosques Scheme. All other faiths, except the Jewish community, will deploybe allocated to the Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme. A separate funding scheme is available to provide security personnelmeasures for the Jewish community.

We cannot accept applications for the following:

• living accommodation
• educational facilities (faith schools and other educational institutions are not eligible)
• NHS establishments, including chapels and prayer rooms
• other buildings that are owned by the place of worship or faith community but not used for regular worship (for example, cafes, education centres, youth centres, etc). Where these structures exist within the place of worship or on the same site, the schemes can only cover protection of places that are regularly used for worship

If your place of worship has received funding through the Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme in 2021 to sites2022 or 2022 to 2023, you may still apply. However, funding for places of worship that have received funding in the last two years will be at highthe riskdiscretion of the Home Office and will only be awarded where there is very strong evidence of an ongoing vulnerability to hate crime. This is to ensure that as soonmany places of worship as possible.possible Theyare willable tryto access funding for protective security measures.

If you represent a mosque that has received funding previously, we encourage you to contactapply for guarding services if you feel that security guarding would benefit your mosque and attending worshippers.

Charity status

Places of worship and associated faith community centres in England and Wales are normally charitable and required by law to arrangeregister this.as charities if their income from all sources is over £5,000 a year. Some churches are currently excepted from registration.

SecurityIf personnelyou servicesare lawfully exempt, you will be providedrequired toas part of your placeapplication to include a written confirmation of worshipyour exemption and the justification for anyour initialexemption. periodYou ofmust upupload this written confirmation to fourthe weeksapplication whileform on your siteorganisation’s remainsletter atheaded riskpaper.

If ofyou disorder.are not registered as a charity and are not exempt, you will need to register with the Charity Commission before applying to the scheme.

RapidIf you would like advice and support on completing the application to register as a charity, are unsure about whether you need to register, or have any other queries about registering as a charity, please contact, faithoutreach@charitycommission.gov.uk.

What the schemes cover

The types of physical protective security ismeasures providedavailable are listed below, but you do not need to placesdecide which measures you would like to apply for now. If your application is successful, a survey of worshipyour freeplace of chargeworship will be carried out. During this site survey, Esotec Limited will discuss with you the most appropriate measures for your particular site, based on recommendations made to them by the Homepolice Office.DOCO (Designing Out Crime Officer):

• CCTV (fixed cameras, not pan-tilt cameras)
• secure fencing and/or railings (no more than 2.1m high)
• manually operated pedestrian and vehicle gates
• door hardening, locks and mailbox / mail bag
• reinforcing glazed windows (with anti-shatter film or bars/grilles only)
• intruder alarms including integrated smoke/heat detection
• door entry access control (fob or keypad)
• video intercom systems
• lighting (building mounted)

ThisIf offeryour application is availablesuccessful, the schemes will cover the cost of all security equipment (as agreed by Esotec Limited and the Home Office) and installation at your place of worship. However, the schemes cannot be used to fund:

• required planning permission
• general building improvements
• standard security upgrades (for example, if measures installed under this scheme become outdated after a number of years)
• measures to tackle anti-social behaviour, lead theft, or other criminality unconnected with hate crime

Muslim places of worship throughoutand their associated faith community centres are also eligible for security guarding services under the UK.Protective Security for Mosques Scheme. Applicants can decide if they would prefer to apply for physical protective security measures or security guarding services only, or both. A similar site survey will be carried out for successful applicants to decide the most appropriate guarding regime for each location. The supplier of security guarding services will be announced later in the year.

Who

Submitting isan eligible

ToIn beorder eligible,to yoursubmit sitea mustvalid be:application, you will need to show that:

• hate crimes or hate incidents have happened at your place of worship, or

• hate crime has happened in your local area and you think there is a high chance that your place of worship (acould buildingalso wherebe peopletargeted

You gatherwill need to provide evidence that the community at your place of worship together,is suchvulnerable to the kind of hate crime that targets people because of their religion and race.

Any crime can be classed as a church,hate temple,crime gurdwaraif the offender has demonstrated, or mosque)been motivated by, hostility based on:

• race
• religion
• disability
• sexual orientation
• transgender identity

locatedThese inschemes anfocus areaon targetedhate crimes motivated by protestsreligion orand violentrace. disorder,Applicants orshould likelyprovide a detailed description of all hate crimes and incidents that your place of worship has experienced. If you feel that your place of worship is vulnerable to hate crime, but has not experienced any hate crime incidents directly, please provide:

• details of the incidents that have happened in your local area
• why you think your place of worship may also be targetedthe soontarget of similar hate crime attacks

Please include details about how these incidents have affected worshippers in your community:

• how did they make people feel?
• were people frightened?
• did people stop attending worship or other events at the site?

You canmay stillalso applyprovide forsupporting rapidevidence protectivewith securityyour ifapplication youform. haveThis appliedcould tobe thephotographs followingof schemesdamage or graffiti at your place of worship, police crime reports, or local newspaper reports. You can upload a maximum of 10 files of evidence in support of your application.

Here are some examples of the past:types of evidence we are looking for, but there may be other examples you would like to include:

• photographs/reports of incidents at your place of worship/associated faith community centre or nearby
• police reports of a hate crime or incident at your place of worship/associated faith community centre or nearby
• a letter or email from your local police force confirming that your institution is in an area where there has been high incidence of religiously motivated hate crimes
• evidence of particular tensions in the community e.g. from a local authority community coordinator
• reports of experiences of hate crime or verbal abuse from worshippers at your place of worship/associated faith community centre
• records and/or time and date logs of incidents that have occurred at your place of worship or associated community centre, or its nearby surroundings
• a survey or consensus of people in your faith community showing how they feel about hate crimes that have happened at your place of worship or feelings of vulnerability about hate crime in your local community

TheTo apply for funding through the Protective Security for Places of Worship Schemescheme, you will need to complete the online application: Protective Security for Places of Worship scheme. To apply for funding through the Protective Security for Mosques scheme, you will need to complete the online application: Protective Security for Mosques scheme.

You can only submit one application for your place of worship/associated faith community centre. Duplicate applications will not be considered. If your place of worship and associated faith community centre are on the same site, you should still only submit one application.

The form can be saved at any stage. However, you must submit your application before the deadline.

The following information is required for the online application form:

• name, faith, and address of your place of worship
• name of contact and their details
• charity number or letter on your organisation’s letter headed paper confirming if and why you are legally exempt from registering as a charity (you will be asked to upload the letter)
• existing security measures at your site
• details of any previous applications and the outcome

TheIt’s Protectiveimportant Securitythat foryou Mosquesprovide Schemeas much detail as you can about all hate crimes or incidents that have affected your place of worship and the people that worship there. When providing your evidence, consider:

1. How recently has the crime/incident occurred? 2. How frequently do you experience hate crimes/incidents? Have the crimes/incidents occurred over a period of time? 3. Can you identify the motivation behind the crimes/incidents? Have you been targeted specifically because of your faith? 4. What is the impact of the crime/incident on your community? How do they feel about incidents that have happened? Has it affected people coming to worship?

Application guidance

Your application is more likely to be successful if you:

• provide clear evidence to explain how and why your place of worship and the people who worship there are vulnerable to hate crime
• detail all hate crime incidents experienced at your place of worship and use clear evidence to show what happened wherever you can (for example, an applicant who has suffered hate graffiti should upload photos of the graffiti)
• tell us about the impact of these incidents on worshippers, which could include reports from people who experienced or witnessed the hate crime explaining how the incident made them feel and how it has affected them (for example, whether it stopped them attending worship)

TheApplications rapidin protectiveprevious securityyears offerthat doesthat were unsuccessful tended to only provide limited evidence and/or did not applyclarify why their place of worship was vulnerable to synagogues.hate Protectivecrime. security,For includingexample, guarding,not explaining what photographs showed or only providing police incident reference numbers, but not explaining what had happened.

Without clear and detailed evidence of your place of worship’s vulnerability to hate crime, your application is alreadyunlikely offeredto be successful.

Examples

Here are some examples of what successful and unsuccessful applications might look like. This is a guide only and should not be copied in your application form.

Successful applicant 1:

We have experienced several hate crimes and incidents over the past few years. We have not reported all of these to synagoguesthe throughpolice. In the separatepast Jewishyear, Communitywe Protectivehave Securityhad Grant,three whichincidences isof managedhate bygraffiti occur on our walls during prayer times. I attach photographic evidence of the Communityincidents.

At Securityevery Trust.religious festival, we receive harassment. Protest groups attend and shout abusive things at us. I attach a witness statement from a worshipper who suffered some of this abuse at a recent religious festival.

Other

Last protectiveyear, securitywe foralso faithhad communities

TheWe Jewishrecently Communityhad Protectivea Securitymore (JCPS)serious Grantincident involving a male trying to enter the premises with a knife. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, and the police arrived promptly to deal with the man. I attach the police crime reference report from the incident, which provides protectivefurther securityinformation measures,on suchwhat happened. This was recorded by the police as securitya personnelhate services,crime, CCTVas the man stated he had been there to hurt worshippers.

These incidents have made our worshippers feel vulnerable and alarmtargeted systems,because atof synagogues,their Jewishfaith. educationalA establishmentslocal place of worship down the road has also experienced a number of similar religiously motivated hate crimes, and communitythis sitesadds into our feelings of vulnerability, as we feel tensions from the UK.surrounding community.

Successful applicant 2:

We recently experienced a terrible incident where all of our religious statues were destroyed in one night. We also had all of our windows smashed. This attack was deliberate, iconoclastic, and planned. The JCPSperpetrators Grantattacked isthe managedsite at night, and the day before an important religious festival. This meant that we were unable to properly celebrate the religious festival, and instead spent the day talking to the police and clearing up the mess.

This was a terrible attack which has made our worshippers feel really vulnerable. Prior to this, we have experienced some low level anti-social behaviour, with people trespassing and littering on behalfthe premises. However, this attack shows a deliberate shift into more direct attacks against our faith and premises.

In support of this application, I attach photographs of the Homedamage, Officewitness byreports detailing the Communityimpact, Securitya Trust.survey of worshippers and how they feel about safety, police incident reports, and CCTV footage of the incidents.

Unsuccessful applicant 1:

TheIn Protectivethe Securitycurrent forclimate, Mosquesall Schemeplaces providesof protectiveworship securityare measuresvulnerable (suchto ashate securitycrime.

Unsuccessful personnelapplicant services,2:

We CCTV,had intrudersomeone alarmsleave a bag of rubbish on our premises.

As demonstrated by these examples, the applicants who provide more detail and secureupload perimeterevidence fencing)in support of their application, are the applicants which are more likely to mosquesscore andhighly.

Site associatedsurvey

If Muslimyour faithapplication communitysuccessfully centresdemonstrates your vulnerability to hate crime, Esotec Limited will arrange to visit your place of worship with a local ‘Designing Out Crime Officer’ (DOCO). DOCOs are qualified experts in crime prevention and environment/building design. They will look at your current security arrangements and recommend the UK.most Protectiveappropriate physical protective security measures arefor alsoyour availablesite. The recommended measures will be designed to Muslimreduce faithyour schools.place of worship’s vulnerability to hate crime.

TheIf Placesyou are content with the recommended security measures, you will be asked to confirm whether you wish to continue with your application. At this point, you should not undertake any installation works yourself or arrange for the security measures to be installed by another contractor. We cannot reimburse your place of Worshipworship for works carried out by another contractor.

A similar site survey will be carried out for successful applicants who apply for guarding services under the Protective Security SchemeMosques providesScheme. This will be to determine the most appropriate guarding regime for each place of worship. Further information will be provided to relevant applicants once a supplier has been announced later in the year.

Due diligence checks will be carried out by the Home Office throughout the application process.

Application outcome

We will let applicants know by email whether they have been successful or not under the schemes.

Installation of physical security measures

If your application is successful, Esotec Limited will contact you to arrange a date to install your approved physical protective security measures,measures. suchThe asHome CCTV,Office intruderwill alarmscover all of the costs to purchase and secureinstall perimeteragreed fencing,security measures, which will be paid directly to placesEsotec ofLimited. worshipThis anddoes not include costs associated faithwith communitypermissions/consent centresrequired, or preparatory work required (for example, costs associated with clearing site debris or foliage to allow installation works to occur).

The Home Office will conduct random audit checks on a number of completed projects to ensure that all otherinstallations (non-Muslimare in line with the agreed measures and non-Jewish)to faithsa satisfactory standard. All successful applicants should be prepared for the Home Office to arrange its audit.

We also ask that aresuccessful particularlyapplicants vulnerablecomplete a short survey once security measures have been installed. This will give you an opportunity to religiouslysay how the funded measures have benefitted your place of worship or raciallyassociated motivatedfaith hatecommunity crimecentre inand Englandprovide any feedback on the process to the Home Office.

Esotec Limited may use third party sub-contractors to install any future physical security measures, as and Wales.when required.

TheIf Homeyour Officeapplication is currentlysuccessful, prioritisingwe rapidask protectivethat securityyou forengage placesquickly and fully with Esotec Limited to agree a survey visit to your place of worship and any further arrangements with contractors etc. We may otherwise need to withdraw any offer of funding.

Planning restrictions

The award of a grant to install security measures at riskyour place of violentworship disorder.does Furthernot detailsinclude onpermission ourto othercarry schemes,out includingthe works. If your application windows,is successful, you will need to check if further permissions are needed for the work to be publishedcarried hereout when(for available.example, planning permission, listed building consent, faculty permission etc).

We ask you to seek any permissions required as quickly as possible. Esotec Limited will seek confirmation from you that the application process for any consents needed has been started within two weeks of notification that your application has been successful.

Data protection

To find out more about how we process and protect your information, and your rights in relation to this, please see the the privacy information notice (PIN).mation-notice)..