Build your case
Professional evidence builder.
The strongest request is not “please write a supporting letter”. Tell the professional what decision is being made and ask for the facts, observations and professional opinion they are actually qualified to provide.
Professionals evidence; advocates argue. A SENCO, GP, therapist or social worker does not need to adopt the parent's complaint. Their value is describing what they directly know, observe, assess and professionally conclude.
1. Define the decision2. Match the professional3. Build questions4. Quality check5. Request framework
1. What decision will this evidence inform?
Decision / review / question
What factual or professional issue needs evidence?
2. Ask the professional who actually knows
| Professional | What they directly know | Period / frequency of involvement | Question they can properly answer |
|---|---|---|---|
3. Useful questions to consider
Direct observations
- What difficulties have you personally observed?
- How often / in what settings?
- What support is currently required?
- What happens when that support is not available?
Functional impact
- How does this affect access to education, communication, self-care, safety, wellbeing or daily functioning?
- Can you give concrete examples rather than labels alone?
Interventions & response
- What has been tried?
- For how long?
- What changed?
- What remains unmet?
Professional opinion
- Within your role, what assessment, support or next action do you consider appropriate?
- If urgency is relevant, what is the professional basis for saying so?
4. Quality check
Role statedReader can see the professional's role and involvement.
Direct vs reportedIt distinguishes what they observed from what the family told them.
ExamplesContains concrete functional examples, not only adjectives.
TimeframeShows whether the evidence is current and how long the issue has existed.
CompetenceDoes not make diagnoses or legal conclusions outside the writer's role.
Decision relevanceHelps answer the actual question the decision-maker must consider.
5. Evidence request framework
Why I am asking
“A decision is being made about…”
The specific points I would be grateful if you could address
Keep the request neutral.
Do not ask a professional to say that an authority or provider is “wrong”. Ask for the evidence within their own knowledge and competence. The decision-maker can then be asked to consider it.
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