Professional Curiosity - Helen Amor, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP)

Probation Perspectives: Insights into Community Justice is a podcast exploring the world of probation, rehabilitation, and community justice. Hosted by Megan Thomas and Ceri Halfpenny from the University of Portsmouth, this series delves into key issues affecting probation practice, featuring expert insights, research, and real-world experiences.

In this episode, we speak with Helen Amor, Effective Practice Lead at His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP), about professional curiosity and its key role in probation practice. Helen shares her insights into the skills, challenges, and benefits of being professionally curious and offers practical advice for probation trainees. Join us as we explore how professional curiosity can deepen relationships, improve risk assessments, and enhance practice.

Chapters

00:00 Professional Curiosity

02:40 Helen Amor & Inspectorate's Role

06:37 Grasping Professional Curiosity

14:20 Building Curiosity Skills

19:19 Applying Curiosity & Tackling Issues

31:30 Suggested Resources

Show notes and readings

We’d like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made Probation Perspectives: Insights into Community Justice possible:

• Freddie Hunt – Podcast producer

• Jill Dealey – Podcast development and content support

• Rob Hobbs – Technical support

• Lauren Meredith – Logo and jingle development

• Jenn Grant & Michelle McDermott – Management and support

• All of our guests – For sharing their expertise and experiences

  
  

Further readings

Here are the details of the readings that were referred to within the episode:

• HMIP Effective Practice Guides:

• • Practitioners – professional curiosity insights

  • Middle managers – professional curiosity insights

• Kemshall, H. (2021). Bias and error in risk assessment and management. HM Inspectorate of Probation Academic Insights, 14. https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20230905165421/https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2021/12/Academic-Insights-Kemshall-1.pdf

• Reflective Practice Resources: HMIP’s Five-Minute Reflection Videos.

• Research on Professional Curiosity:

  Phillips, J., Westaby, C., Fowler, A., & Ainslie, S. (2022). Putting professional curiosity into practice. Criminal Justice Inspectorates. https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/07/Academic-Insights-Phillips-et-al.pdf

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Portsmouth, the podcast hosts, or any affiliated organisations or employers.