This section was developed in collaboration with members of our LSCP Practitioner Group, who considered what would help remind colleagues to be more proactive in being professional curious.
Here, you’ll find practical tools, guidance, and prompts designed to support professional curiosity in everyday practice, helping you explore situations more deeply and make informed decisions.
Professional curiosity means to look beyond what you see.
'Looking beyond what you see’ encourages practitioners to explore and understand what is happening in someone's life, rather than making assumptions or accepting what they are told at face value. It involves looking out for signs that things are not right and seeking out the evidence of what is really happening. It is a combination of looking, listening, asking direct questions, checking out and reflecting on ALL the information you receive.
The LSCP Practitioner Group members suggested that a visual reminder of the importance of this approach would be useful, a recurring image that, when seen in various places around work settings, prompts the question: “Am I looking beyond what I can see?”
The following infographic can be used:
- as a poster on your office wall
- as a screen saver on your desk top or lap top computers
- as a header/footer on your workplace documentation
Take a look at the image below, and think about how you might use it. We’d be keen to get your feedback, or hear if there are any other places it could be used.
To download a copy just right click on the image. For an email version please contact us at LSCP.Info@Leeds.gov.uk
The text on the above infographic asks:
- Did my instinct tell me there was anything to be concerned/ uncomfortable about?
- Have I gathered information using all the tools that are available to me?
- Did I have the opportunity to speak to the child?
- Am I clear what life is like for the child? Who can I ask?