Training from Colleagues on the Front-Line.

Health coaches support people to pursue what matters most to them. Good health often provides the bedrock for a good life, and we most often achieve good health when we are in control and managing our lives well. A health coach works as a partner alongside people, supporting, encouraging, and challenging them to look after themselves well. They use expert tools and techniques to help people think about and do the things they care about most.

NHS England have published a framework for health coaching in the NHS. They outline a baseline 4 days of NHS approved training. This training must be a course accredited by the Personalised Care Institute. Coaches then go on to progress through 4 levels of achievement, via supervised experience and assessment. Peak Health Coaching offers a PCI accredited 4 day course, supervision, and assessment at all 4 levels.

NHS England has defined 4 levels of health coaching in the NHS. These correspond to 50, 200, 500 and 1000 + hours of coaching experience, on top of Personalised Care Institute approved training.

Health Coaches are mostly employed via Primary Care Networks, although other providers are starting to employ health coaches. You must have had 4 days baseline training by an approved provider and be working with ongoing supervision. NHS jobs can be a good place to look for job adverts.

Health Coaching is the application of skills and approaches that support the role patients take in looking after themselves. It is a whole system approach, and everyone has a part to play, from the front door to the most specialised role. It is especially important for people living with long term conditions, who need to play a key role in keeping themselves well. We offer 2 day NHS accredited training for all NHS staff, offering a great introduction to the practice of health coaching, and 4 day NHS accredited training for dedicated health coaches.

Tailored health coaching is a concept introduced by Peak health Coaching Ltd in 2016. It involves matching the right support to the person’s capabilities and context. It enables everyone to save time, by offering the right things at the right time. It avoids waste by avoiding things people are either not yet ready for or have already mastered.

You should be able to access a health coach for free on the NHS. There are currently 1300 coaches working across the UK, with numbers increasing all the time. Ask your GP or practice team how you can access support from a health coach.

Health and Wellbeing Coaches are employed at band 5 on the NHS agenda for change scale. However, with more experience and a supervisor role this may increase.