Cognassist Support Evidence

How to Use Support Records to Track Learner Support

Enhanced support records bring tutors and SEND teams together in one place to log, review, and demonstrate the impact of support provided to learners. These new records ensure that you're not just checking boxes but really showing how learners with additional needs are being supported thoughtfully and consistently - just as Ofsted expects.

Below, you'll learn how to create regular and above-and-beyond support records, why to use them, and how the built-in feedback tools can help you maintain top-quality evidence.

Creating a Regular Support Record

Regular support records document the ongoing, expected support you provide to all learners. They show purposeful, consistent check-ins that help learners succeed.

Step 1: Select a learner from the Learner List and go to their Evidence section.

Step 2: Click on New Record to create a new support record

Step 3: Choose the support type - Regular Support

• Select the date or the date range
• Click Create

Step 4: Select the related reasonable adjustments or modules for this support.

Step 5: Add clear, specific evidence of the support you provided since the last meeting.

Specify the clear actions that you took to support the learner bridge their learning gaps and achieve their goals. Clarity is key here - the way the evidence is formulated needs to focus on what you've done rather than what you plan to do.

Step 6: Enter the learner's reflections to highlight the impact on their learning journey.

The impact to the learner is essential. The learner voice should be visible throughout the review and evidence process, and it should be highlighted in the reflection section.

Step 7: Refer to the right side of the screen for helpful examples—these show what counts as a weak or strong entry, guiding you toward best practice.

Step 8: Click Save to log the record and trigger the coverage checker.

Step 9: The coverage checker acts as your pocket auditor, offering instant feedback based on Ofsted and DFE standards. Pay attention to its tips, but remember: you're responsible for making sure notes meet evidence standards.

---

Logging Above and Beyond Support

Above and beyond support shows extra effort—help you provide in addition to the standard allocation. This might involve extra sessions, specialised help, or support from SEND teams.

Step 1: Create a new support record and select Above and Beyond Support.

Step 2: Enter

• The date
• Meeting type from the drop-down menu
• The extra time spent with the learner

Step 3: Select all related reasonable adjustments and/or modules.

Step 4: Document the support provided and the learner's reflections, following the examples shown for clarity and completeness.

Step 5: Confirm that this support was additional by checking the appropriate box.

Step 6: Click Save. The coverage checker gives feedback on your entries, but compliance remains your responsibility.

Please note that this tool does not guarantee compliance, it is purely intended as a coaching tool. You are ultimately responsible to ensure the evidence is aligned to Ofsted and DfE regulations.

Step 7: Download the evidence and have the learner sign it to confirm their agreement with the support received.

---

Editing and Managing Support Records

If you need to update a record, you can always edit support entries. For existing support records that you created before these enhancements, the support type is automatically set to Regular. You can change the support type following the steps below:

Step 1: Click the edit icon next to the entry you want to change.

Step 2: Adjust the date, meeting type, or duration as needed.

---

Final Compliance Checklist

Before finishing, ensure every record is signed by the learner to confirm their agreement. Review your notes one last time for specificity and clarity. This final step guarantees that your records are audit-ready.

Export the evidence in a CSV format

All the information available in each export will be fully exportable in a CSV format to help Compliance Teams and MIS Admins reconcile records and claim funding where needed.

This feature will be available early April. In the meantime, please reach out to your CSM to get the export of the evidence data.