Threat, Agency & Curiosity | DCC-i CPD Activity

Stage 1 of 8

Learning aim

Can you recognise the three principles — and how they affect each other?

This activity uses one mental health social work scenario. You will examine the same situation through three lenses:

Reduce threat

Increase agency

Stay curious

The aim is not to find one perfect answer. It is to notice what the practitioner can change, avoid assumptions, and connect the three principles in a defensible response.

DCC-i plasticine illustration of Jordan in a mental health social work conversation, with Threat, Agency and Curiosity represented around the scene.

Scenario

Jordan arrives for a community mental health appointment

Jordan has been referred to the community mental health team following increasing anxiety, low mood and concerns about self-neglect.

Jordan arrives 15 minutes late for their second appointment. The waiting room is busy and noisy. When the social worker collects them, Jordan appears tense and says, “I nearly didn’t come.”

In the interview room, the social worker explains that they need to complete the assessment today because Jordan missed the previous appointment.

Jordan gives short answers, looks at the floor and repeatedly rubs their hands against their jeans. When asked about their mood, they say, “I don’t know.”

The social worker asks several more questions to try to understand the level of risk. Jordan becomes quieter and eventually says:

“Can I just go?”

Keep the facts separate from the interpretation

You know what Jordan has done and said. You do not yet know why. The next three stages deliberately hold that uncertainty open.

Lens 1

What might be increasing threat for Jordan?

Select everything you think could be adding unnecessary pressure, uncertainty or overwhelm.

Busy, noisy waiting environment Pressure to complete the assessment today Uncertainty about what will happen next Repeated questioning while Jordan is becoming quieter Feeling judged for being late or missing the previous appointment Loss of control over pace and process Looking at the floor proves increased risk

Lens 2

Where could the practitioner increase Jordan’s agency?

Agency means meaningful influence over what happens — not handing over professional responsibility.

Explain what genuinely needs to happen today and what can wait Offer a pause or a different environment Ask how Jordan would prefer to communicate Agree priorities rather than insisting on completing everything Make clear Jordan can ask for clarification or say when something is not working Offer genuine options about pace, breaks and participation Give Jordan complete responsibility for whether risk is assessed

Lens 3

Which responses demonstrate professional curiosity?

Curiosity means staying interested without turning the conversation into an interrogation.

“I’ve noticed you’ve become quieter. How is this working for you?” Consider several possible explanations for the same behaviour Ask what might make the conversation easier rather than deciding what Jordan needs Separate what has been observed from what has been inferred “You’re clearly overwhelmed, so we’ll stop now.” Assume “I don’t know” means Jordan lacks insight

Integration

What happens when the three work together?

Threat ↓

Reduce avoidable pressure, uncertainty and sensory or relational load.

Agency ↑

Give Jordan meaningful influence over pace, communication and participation.

Curiosity ↑

Observe, wonder and ask rather than deciding what Jordan’s behaviour means.

Which practitioner response best uses all three principles? A. “I can see you’re overwhelmed. Let’s stop now.” B. “We need to finish the risk assessment because you missed the last appointment.” C. “I’ve noticed you’ve become quieter. We don’t have to do everything at once. What would make this easier right now?”

In one or two sentences, explain how your chosen response affects threat, agency and curiosity.

Practice response

What would you say next?

Jordan has become quieter and says:

“Can I just go?”

Write the next 2–3 sentences you would say so that your response reduces unnecessary threat, increases agency and demonstrates curiosity.

Show an example after you have written your response

Example: “I’ve noticed you’ve become quieter, and we’ve covered quite a lot. We don’t have to finish everything today. Would it help to pause, change how we’re doing this, or tell me what would make it easier to continue?”

Why it works: it observes without labelling, reduces pressure, offers genuine options and invites Jordan to influence what happens next.

Review

Your Threat, Agency & Curiosity review

Activity finished

Your current answers will be sent to your Bronze CPD record when you use the Portal-level Complete section and continue control.

You can go back and change any answer before completing the section.

Send your review to your trainer so it appears on their live-session dashboard.