Working with members from the LSCP Practitioner Group we’ve developed a series of questions for self-reflection, which can be used in a number of ways:
- as a checklist on your phone, to think about before a visit to a family, to frame your approach, or help you plan your intervention
- following a visit to a family to consider what you did and if you needed to do more, or do something differently next time
- even as a supervision discussion prompt, to help you further develop your curiosity
Take a look at the questions below, and think about how you might use them. We’d be keen to get your feedback, or hear if there are any other questions you think we could add to the list.
Reflection on the risk
- Did my instinct tell me that there was anything to be concerned/uncomfortable about?
- Is there any immediate action I need to take to keep children safe?
- If I don’t need to do anything immediately, have I been told anything that I need to pass on to others, to keep children safe?
Reflection on my assessment
- Did my assessment include observation of interactions and behaviours?
- Have I gathered information using all the tools that are available to me?
- If I don’t know about those tools, where can I find out?
- Have these questions allowed me to reflect sufficiently well on this situation, or are there any other questions I can ask?
- Did what I saw contradict what I heard or was told?
- If I felt or observed that there was something to be concerned about, did I act on that?
Reflection on listening to the voice of the child
- Did I have the opportunity to speak to the child? Am I confident that someone else has?
- Am I clear what life is like for the child?
- What else do I need to ask to find out what life is like for the child?
- Who can help me find out what life is like for the child
- Do I know if there is any additional information available elsewhere which would give me a more complete picture of the child’s life?
Reflection on my approach
- Am I the right person, is this the right time and was this the right place?
- Am I confident that I was empathic and understanding?
- Was I listening more than I was talking?
- Do I use direct/uncomplicated language?
- Do I make a connection with the person, before focusing on content of the discussion?
- Do I have any personal biases that led me to make any assumptions or prevented me from asking difficult questions?
- Are there any difficult questions that I feel anxious about asking? Do I ask them anyway?
- Can I be too trustful? Do I verify everything I’m told?