What Is Professional Curiosity in Adult Safeguarding?

Professional curiosity is the ability and willingness to explore what is really happening in a person's life, rather than accepting a situation at face value. In adult safeguarding it means asking difficult questions, looking beyond the information presented and following up when something does not feel right.

Why does professional curiosity matter?

Safeguarding concerns are rarely obvious. They often sit behind explanations that sound reasonable: an injury explained by a fall, a missed appointment put down to forgetfulness, a carer who always answers for the person. Professional curiosity helps practitioners notice the gaps and ask the next question.

When curiosity is missing, concerns can be missed, referrals delayed and risk allowed to build over time.

What does professional curiosity look like in practice?

• Asking open questions and listening to the person directly, not only to family or carers
• Noticing when information does not add up, and checking it
• Considering what is not being said, as well as what is
• Looking at patterns over time, not single incidents in isolation
• Sharing concerns with colleagues and partner agencies
• Respectfully challenging assumptions, including your own

What gets in the way?

• Time pressure and high caseloads
• Assumptions about the person, their family or their situation
• Reluctance to cause offence or damage a relationship
• Organisational pressure to close cases or move on
• Lack of confidence in knowing what to do with a concern

How can organisations build professional curiosity?

Knowing the safeguarding framework does not on its own give staff the confidence to challenge or escalate. Organisations build professional curiosity when:

• supervision includes reflective discussion of real cases
• leaders model curiosity and expect concerns to be raised
• staff practise applying curiosity to realistic scenarios
• raising a concern is treated as good practice, not as a problem

Training on professional curiosity

Professional curiosity is one of the six core capabilities in PMH's safeguarding adults training. Sessions use case-based learning to help staff practise exploring, challenging and escalating in situations where concerns are not immediately obvious. Training is delivered in-house or live online.

Frequently asked questions

Is professional curiosity a legal requirement? The Care Act 2014 places duties on local authorities and partners to protect adults at risk. Professional curiosity is widely recognised in safeguarding practice as part of meeting those duties well.

Who needs professional curiosity? Everyone with safeguarding responsibilities, from frontline care staff to managers and safeguarding leads.