Coaching Skills Qualifications from the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM)

At the Development Partnership we recognised that coaching is an integral skill for anyone in a leadership or managerial role, which empowers, enables and energises individual managers to become more competent in developing and releasing potential in others. We have seen an increasing number of organisations benefiting from the value of their staff gaining a recognised coaching qualification.

The Development Partnership is an accredited ILM centre and offers the following vocational qualifications (VRQ), which are recognised on the National Qualification Framework in Coaching and Mentoring:

• Level 5 Diploma for Professional Management Coaches and Mentors
• Level 5 Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring in Management
• Level 3 Certificate for Professional Workplace Coaches
• Level 3 Award in Workplace Coaching
• Endorsed Programme in Coaching

The programmes are stimulating and challenging, and include the development of essential and indepth knowledge, skills and confidence to perform effectively as coaches and mentors. Participants engage in collaborative learning workshops, reflective learning, and elements of open, distance and online learning. A comprehensive workbook is provided, which is used throughout the programme. Participants are required to complete a work-based assignment on a live work project and a coaching diary (on some programmes, an extended coaching learning log is also required to be completed), where they record reflections on their coaching practice and personal development.

Successful completion of the programme also provides eligibility for Associate Membership (AMInstLM) of the Institute of Leadership and Management, which can be upgraded to Member (MInstLM) upon additional qualifications.

An example of our ILM Level 5 Qualification programme includes:

• A workbook with all the information needed to complete the programme, including distance learning materials, diagnostics and coaching information to build a portfolio of evidence towards the qualification. It is a “one-stop” manual to develop, record and reflect participants’ knowledge and skills in effective coaching.

• 45 guided learning hours (partly completed as preparatory work prior to the workshops) led by two accredited coaches, including support in triads and a personal 1 to 1 coaching session.

• Four days of tutor based learning in a classroom environment, which provides the opportunity to engage in discussion, debate issues and take part in practical exercises, and to network with others on the programme.

• A coaching diary – a reflective log recording 12 hours of practical workplace coaching, responses and feedback from those you coach, and personal reflections to identify areas for improvement. If participants don’t have client coachees, they can opt to coach peers or other participants from the programme.

• Completion of a work based assignment, which assesses achievement of workshop learning. The work based assignment should be planned to be undertaken in the workplace and should provide answers to the following questions:

  1. Context of the assignment
  2. Ensuring best practice in coaching or mentoring practice
  3. Strategies to overcome barriers to mentoring and coaching
  4. Preparing a business case for using coaching or mentoring in the workplace and suggesting how its effectiveness could be evaluated
     

This Level 5 Certificate Diagram (PDF) shows the complete process over a period of approximately 9 months.

Examples of feedback from participants

• I came away with a renewed sense of awareness of coaching across all the objectives [learning outcomes] thanks in large part to the well balanced structure. The chance to explore perceptions and experience with colleagues, coupled with the informative and challenging input from the facilitators worked very well for me in addressing the objectives.

• The practical exercises were the real bonus. The approach really got me thinking and reflecting on how I perform as a coach. It was refreshing to be able to exchange ideas and perceptions with others without the usual restrictions imposed by a client/coach relationship and to discover that my values, beliefs and coaching philosophy are not way off beam.

• The workbook was invaluable in helping me to structure my thoughts and gather a sense of purpose for the first two days. I found most of the theoretical models useful in helping to develop thoughts about how I work with different clients. The exercises made me think deeply about what I do and how I do it and made me realise that I have a more structured and professional approach to what I do than I had realised.

• The relevance of the workshops to my work was in a word, essential!
  

If you would like to discuss how the Level 5 (or our other Level 3 and Endorsed Award) qualifications can support you to become empowered, competent and energised coaches, managers and leaders, contact Fariyal Wallez at fariyal@the-dp.co.uk