“Why you need Coaching Supervision”; the role of Supervision and the identified benefits It is now widely considered that any active coach should have coaching supervision, at about 1hour for every 20 hours of coaching. This can be individual, team or group supervision dependent upon the coach needs, the organisational needs and the depth of the coaching involved; Coaching Supervision is defined as a formal process of professional support, which ensures continuing development of the coach and effectiveness of their coaching practice through interactive reflection, interpretative evaluation and the sharing of experience (Bachkirova, Stevens, Willis 2005) Coaching Supervision is an essential part of the coach’s continuous professional development (CPD). It’s a pivotal link between theory and coaching practice. For those that organise coaching services it’s the key to effective quality assurance to manage the risks, that can be inherent in coaching and to drawing learning from the coaching conversations that take place in the organisation (Hawkins, Schwenk, CIPD report 2007) All (psychological) counsellors have supervision as a matter of course…and is now also required by most organisations employing internal coaches and by the major coaching and mentoring institutions such as the ICF, Comensa and most organisations internationally… Not only is this a protection for the coach and coachee, it also ensures safety for the members of staff and indeed for the whole organisation (Arnold 2014). The benefits identified in “Coaching Supervision at its BEST” are; The benefits identified by the client/coach themselves are; A regular space for reflections and exploration of their work A supportive time to explore difficult sessions An opportunity to continuously develop as a coach Understanding their own methods and working styles better Becoming more aware of their own responses and understanding the dynamics of one-on-one interaction Avoiding over identifying with their clients or getting caught up in their stuff. Sustaining best ethical practice over time Avoiding staleness and burnout Increasing confidence, motivation and courage Making effective interventions and decision making Adding to their professionalism through and credentials Continuous professional development The benefits for organisations also include; It minimises the risks of unprofessional practice or conflicts of interest Checks for “Do No Harm” though the dialogue and reported discussions It ensures that the organisational standards are met and maintained It builds on effective leadership and management behaviours It increases self-awareness and a greater understanding of others It reduces stress through increased knowledge of support strategies and coping techniques It ensures that the boundaries for the client/coach/supervisor professional competence are not over stepped It ensures the working practices and coaching support is aligned with the organisational objectives (if applicable) It ensures that the coaching and supervision professionals operate to the highest possible standards It promotes the best practice and increases professional responsibility It encourages a wider perspective