Professional curiosity is a combination of looking, listening, asking direct questions, checking out and reflecting on information received.
It means:
- Testing out your professional hypothesis and not making assumptions.
- Triangulating information from different sources to gain a better understanding of individuals and family functioning.
- Getting an understanding of individuals’ and families’ past history which in turn, may help you think about what may happen in the future.
- Obtaining multiple sources of information and not accepting a single set of details you are given at face value.
- Having an awareness of your own personal bias and how that affects how you see those you are working with.
- Being respectfullly nosey.
Professional curiosity links themes through Safeguarding Adult Review and other reviews, eg DHRs, child safeguarding practice reviews, and is an essential part of safeguarding. It is a fundamental aspect of working together to keep children, young people and adults safe.
A lack of professional curiosity can lead to:
- Missed opportunities to identify less obvious indicators of vulnerability or significant harm
- Assumptions made in assessments of needs and risk which are incorrect and lead to wrong intervention for individuals and families
- The presenting issues are dealt with in isolation
Professionals should not rely solely on self-reporting which carries a risk of incomplete or false information. Asking questions and seeking explanations is something to be valued. It can provide assurance that your assessment of the situation is accurate.
Good information sharing, supervision and open discussion at key decision-making meetings to query and check information can be crucial in obtaining good outcomes and making safeguarding personal.
Professionals will particulalry need to exercise professional curiosity. when working with adults who may find it hard to engage with services or are are unable to through fear of repercussions.
Useful links
Briefing paper - Have you thought about professional curiosity?
Animation - Professional curiosity
Research and Practice - Professional curiosity in safeguarding adults
