Professional Curiosity is the capacity and skills of communication to explore and understand what is happening for a person, rather than making assumptions or accepting things at face value. It requires skills of looking listening, asking direct questions and being able to hold difficult conversations. Professional Curiosity and challenge are a fundamental aspect of working together to keep adults and children safe from harm.

This approach is important in helping to identify abuse and neglect which can be less obvious and can ensure that the right information is gathered and shared to assess both needs and risks. Being professionally curious is necessary to fully understand a situation and the risks an individual may face, which are not always immediately obvious. Being more curious as professionals and 'digging deeper' into areas where there is little or no information will help to inform assessments and empower you to influence key moments of decision making to reduce risks for children and adults. Escalating concerns that could cause drift, delay and a shift in focus from the child's or adults best interests should be embraced and seen as effective care.

Is there anything about what you see when you meet the Adult, Child or their Family that makes you feel uneasy or prompts questions?

Do you see behaviors which indicate abuse or neglect, including coercion and control?

• Does what you see contradict or support what you are being told? How do family members/other people in the household interact with each other and with you?

• Are you being told anything that needs further clarification?
• Is the adult or child or someone else in the family/household trying to tell you something verbally or by their non-verbal cues?
• Are you concerned about how family members interact and what they say.

Making time and finding a safe space to have a private conversation with an adult or child at risk or, who is subject to coercion and control can support open conversations. Children in particular, rarely disclose abuse and neglect directly to practitioners and, if they do, it will often be through unusual behaviour or comments. This makes identifying abuse and neglect difficult for professionals across agencies. We know that it is better to help as early as possible, before issues get worse. That means that all agencies and practitioners need to work together – The first step is to be professionally curious.

Being professionally curious can support effective engagement. CSAB have further guidance aimed to support practitioners to develop and build on good practice when considering and/or understanding the impact of effective engagement and the risks when engagement becomes challenging.

It is incumbent on all professionals to build on strengths, be tenacious and creative, fostering relationships that better support effective engagement. Be tenacious and always let them know that services are available to them should they need them. It may take creativity and ‘thinking outside the box’, reasonable adjustments, partnership collaboration, or a combination of these to establish and maintain effective engagement but don’t give up, that person may really benefit from your support. You can read the Principles of Person Centered Practice here.