Code of Ethics

I adhere to the following code of ethics and good practice as defined by the Association for Coaching (a professional body for coaches to which I am progressing towards accreditation):

1) Coaches are required to recognise both personal and professional limitations:

Personal - with respect to maintaining their own good health and fitness to practice. Should this not be the case, coaches are required to withdraw from their practice until such time as they are in good health and fit to resume. Coachees should be offered appropriate, alternative support during any such period.

Professional - with respect to whether their experience is appropriate to meet the coachee’s requirements. When this is not the case, coachees should be referred to other appropriate services. In particular, coaches are required to be sensitive to the possibility that some coachees will require more psychological support than is normally available within the coaching remit. In these cases, referral should be made to an appropriate source of care, e.g. the coachees’ GP, a counsellor or psychotherapist, psychological support services and/or agencies.

2) Coaches are responsible for ensuring that coachees are fully informed of the coaching contract, terms and conditions, prior to or at the initial session. These matters include confidentiality, session costs and frequency of sessions. All claims made by the coach should be honest, accurate and consistnet with maintaining the coaching profession’s good standing.

3) Coaches are required to be frank and willing to respond to their coachee’s requests for information about the methods, techniques and ways in which the coaching process will be conducted. This should be done both prior to the contract and during the full term of the contract.

4) Coaches must be sensitive to issues of culture, religion, gender and race.

5) Coaches must respect the coachee’s right to terminate coaching at any point during the coaching process.

6) Coaches are required to maintain appropriate records of their work with coachees, ensuring that any such records are accurate and that reasonable security precautions are taken to protect against third party disclosure. Attention must be given to the coachee’s rights under any current legislation, e.g. the Data Protection Act.

7) Coaches are required to monitor the quality of their work and to seek feedback wherever possible from Coachees and other professionals as appropriate.

8) Coaches are expected to have regular consultative support for their work.

9) A Coach should aim to undertake a minimum of 30 hours of continuing professional development in the theory and practice of coaching on an annual basis.

10) Coaches are required to keep themselves informed of any statutory or legal requirements that may affect their work.

11) Coaches are required to have current professional liability insurance.

12) Coaches are required to consider the impact of any dual relationships they may hold with regard to their coachees and/or any sponsoring organisations.

13) Coaches must act in a manner that does not bring the profession of coaching into disrepute.