The Report That Reads Too Well
You are writing a six-month outcome report for a client who has made genuine but modest progress: attendance improved from 40% to 65%, and self-rated anxiety fell from 8/10 to 6/10. The funder's renewal decision depends on "demonstrated significant improvement." A colleague suggests you describe the change as "substantial" and "transformative" because the client "has come a long way." The client, when asked, says she feels "much better" and would like you to emphasise that. You have the baseline and endpoint scores in front of you.
1. How do you write the outcome section?
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Report the data as it is, then interpret it fairly. State the attendance change (40% to 65%) and the anxiety change (8/10 to 6/10) with the measures used and any limitations. Describe the change as "clinically meaningful but partial" if that is what the numbers support, and note the client's own view of improvement as her perspective, clearly labelled.\n\n"Substantial" and "transformative" are not supported by a two-point drop and a 25-point attendance gain. Using them would be misrepresentation, whatever the funder wants to hear.\n\nYou can still make a strong case: describe the trajectory, the engagement, the barriers overcome, and what further work would achieve. Honest reporting of partial progress is more defensible than inflated claims, and funders increasingly expect it.
2. The client asks you to make her sound better than the scores suggest. How do you handle this?
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Take the request seriously and respond with respect. Explain that the scores and her own account will both appear, and that her words carry weight precisely because they are reported as her view rather than as a clinical finding. Offer to include a direct quotation or a short client statement, which is legitimate and often persuasive.\n\nBe clear about the limit: "I can't change the numbers or call this something it isn't, because if the report were audited it would undermine everything else in it - including the real progress you've made."\n\nIf she remains unhappy, document her view and her request. The report should be accurate, and the client's perspective should be visible within it. Those two aims are compatible; inflating the findings is not.