When Practice Reviews or Rapid Reviews are published, it is always the same outcomes and themes: missed opportunities, assumptions made, lack of information sharing, and insufficient analysis of risk.

Ava’s story is no exception.

But what if we had a structured, compassionate, and curious lens through which to examine and respond to children’s lived experiences?

The CURIOUS Framework offers that structure. A safeguarding approach that encourages professionals to slow down, connect, and reflect deeply at every stage. Ava’s case highlights what can happen when that curiosity is absent.

Let’s explore this case through the CURIOUS lens and identify how critical moments might have played out differently.

Connect with Compassion

Professional curiosity always begins with genuine human connection.

Ava was born during the COVID-19 lockdown, and while remote working was necessary, it was never meant to replace meaningful engagement. I worked during Covid lockdown, I was creative in how I engaged the families I worked with. And yes, virtual visits replaced face-to-face contact but Ava’s lived experience and that of her mother remained unseen.

What could have been different?
Had we connected with compassion, we may have paused to ask: How is this mother managing with a new baby in lockdown? What’s the emotional impact of isolation on this family? What support does she need, even if she doesn’t ask for it?

Compassion is not about fixing, but about seeing and honouring someone’s reality even when it’s hidden behind closed doors and the barrier is a world wide pandemic.

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