Code of Conduct for Coaches

Issues of Responsibility

• Coaches are responsible for observing the principles embodied in this Code of Conduct.
• Coaches accept responsibility for encouraging and facilitating the self-development of the client within the client’s own network of relationships.
• The coach takes account of the developmental level, abilities and needs of the client.
• The coach is aware of his/her/their own cultural identity and that of the client and of the possible implications of any similarities and differences for the coaching.
• Coaches are responsible for ensuring that they are not dependent upon relationships with their clients for satisfying their own emotional and other needs.
• During coaching the coach will not engage in non-coaching relationships, such as friendship, business or sexual relationships with their clients. Coaches are responsible for setting and monitoring the boundaries between working and other relationships, and for making the boundaries as explicit as possible to the client.
• Coaches have a duty of candour as well as care, throughout the relationship but in particular when misunderstandings or mistakes happen. If the coach makes a mistake or something inappropriate occurs, the coach should undertake to discuss it, apologise if necessary and offer support and remedy without delay.
• The coach will cooperate in the handling of a complaints procedure if one is brought against him/her/them, and make sure that reasonable arrangements have been made for professional liability. 

Issues of Competence

• Coaches recognise the power inherent in their position: they realise that they can exert considerable influence, both consciously and unconsciously, on their clients and possibly also on third parties.
• Coaches are aware of the limitations both of their coaching and their personal skills and take care not to exceed either. They refer a client to a colleague, if necessary, and maintain a professional network to that end.
• Coaches commit themselves to training in coaching and undertake Continuing Professional Development throughout their careers.
• Coaches monitor their coaching work through regular supervision by professionally competent supervisors, and are able to account to individual clients, colleagues and client organizations for what they do and why. Coaches speak about it with their supervisor if they believe something has gone wrong, in their own coaching but also in other coaching that they know about.
• Coaches monitor the limits of their own competence.
• Coaches, along with their employers and organization clients, have a responsibility to themselves and their clients to maintain their own effectiveness, resilience and ability to help clients. They must be able to identify any situation in which their personal resources have become depleted to the extent that they must seek help and/or withdraw from coaching, whether temporarily or permanently.

Confidentiality

Coaches regard all information concerning the client – received directly, indirectly or from any other source – as confidential. They protect their clients against the use of personal information and against its publication.

Treating information ‘in confidence’ means not revealing it to any other person or through any public medium, except to those on whom coaches rely for support and supervision.

If coaches believe that a client could cause danger to others, they will advise the client that they may break confidentiality and take appropriate action to warn individuals or the authorities.

Advertising/Public Statements

The coach obtains the agreement of the client before using the name of the client’s organization or other information that can identify the client as a reference.

Coaches do not advertise or display an affiliation with an organization in a manner that falsely implies the sponsorship or verification by that organization.

Coaches do not make false, exaggerated, or unfounded claims about what coaching will achieve.