Coaching: The Civil Service Leadership Academy
Published 7 July 2020
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Coaching is a way of developing skills and abilities, as well as unlocking potential. It can help with managing issues, barriers and challenges before they become bigger problems. Coaching can support leadership development, particularly for new to grade senior Civil Service (SCS) leaders.
1. How coaching can support the SCS
There are a number of ways in which coaching can support SCS in their roles including:
- leadership
- personal impact
- operating at a new level
- role transition
- confidence building
- relationship management
- conflict resolution
- personal resilience
Coaching is available at an individual, team and board level.
Coaching can be accessed in two ways:
2. Executive coaching
Our executive pool of coaches is managed by EY and comprises around 100 coaches with a wide range of skills, many of whom have first hand experience of working in the public sector. The coaches have all been through a rigorous assessment process and are priced at three tiers according to their level of experience.
3. Internal coaches
The Civil Service also has a pool of around 100 internal qualified coaches who coach in addition to their day job. They are free of charge and are based across departments with a wide range of skills and experience. They are all qualified to a minimum level (ILM level 5) and have experience of coaching across grades and departments. They mainly work with clients below SCS.
4. Booking a coach
Find out more about how to book a coach by visiting the learning website. SCS can access the coaching database to review the coaches profiles within the band selected.
5. Chemistry reviews
Chemistry reviews enable SCS to meet or have a conversation with a coach, discuss what they would like to get from the coaching relationship and discuss how they would work together. This determines whether they have a connection with the coach before committing to the relationship. It is important that the SCS and coach are able to work together in order to get the most from the relationship and we recommend undertaking chemistry reviews with 2-3 coaches before making a final choice. SCS can contact up to three coaches for chemistry reviews, at no cost, before they choose their coach.
The coaching relationship usually lasts for around 6 sessions.