UK ICF Definition of Coach Supervision

The purpose of coach supervision is to support the coach's ("the supervisee's") professional, personal and coaching practice's health and wellbeing.  In doing so, it is to ensure that the clients of the supervisee are also well supported and receive the best possible coaching experience.

The coach supervision process supports the supervisee's reflective practice.  This stimulates the supervisee's ongoing learning and development and helps to maintain and raise quality standards across the profession.

It is a 'peer to peer' relationship that provides a place for continual professional development.  This is by using the supervisee's own experiences with clients as one method of reflecting on skills, competencies (including the ICF Core Competencies and Code of Ethics) and behaviours and through this to support the supervisee to develop their own 'internal supervisor'.

Coach supervisors, although peers, are typically more experienced coaches and therefore can provide mentoring and training as part of supervision which is a way of supporting the supervisee to be continually developing themselves professionally.

Coach supervision provides a place to review and uncover potential ethical issues and therefore ensure the supervisee's clients are well supported and served.  It also provides a safe and confidential space for the supervisee to explore their coaching and to uncover any unconcious behaviours or biases that may get in the way of being the best you can possibly be for your client

Coach supervisors are trained in the skill of supervising coaches.