By Eve Turner

Confidentiality is the top essential for internal coaches in the Further Education and Skills sector, followed by further opportunities for CPD.
According to a survey by the sector-led Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), 66 per cent of respondents now provide internal coaching and 57 per cent seek higher levels of qualification in coaching.
For many coaches who are working internally in the sector, the challenging environment of changes in leadership, restructuring, redundancies and financial cuts, means there is an increasing demand on their services.
Unsurprisingly, finding enough time, and getting senior management buy-in to do so, comes in third in the top 10 list, closely followed by establishing clear organisational purpose. Involving the client’s line manager was at number 12.
LSIS’ Jenny Garrett said: “Our survey has highlighted the positive impact coaching is having on the sector and the demand for cost-effective internally delivered coaching.”
City and Islington College will be hosting a seminar entitled Coaching as an Intervention Strategy, on 10 July.
See also: ‘The calm within the storm’, on page 12.

Top 10 essentials for FE internal coaches (%)
1 Confidentiality (84)
2 Further opportunities for CPD (83)
3 Senior management buy-in for time (78)
4 Clear organisational purpose (77)
5 Evaluation (72)
5 Space to reflect (72)
5 Some form of continuing supervision/coach mentoring (72)
8 Adherence to a code of ethics (68)
9 Accredited training (62)
10 Clear contracting (59)

Volume 7, Issue 4