NHS Leadership Academy

Coaching and Mentoring is an inclusive offer available to all professions within health and social care, irrespective of pay grade, clinical and non-clinical roles.

Coaching and Mentoring are two different helpful tools to support individuals with their personal and professional development:

• Coaching is task orientated and focusses on making positive changes in behaviour. Coaching helps individuals reflect and clarify their thinking on work challenges and opportunities. It is a safe space for individuals to explore issues and determine their own solutions. The coach's role is to listen attentively and ask questions that may help the coachee to think more deeply. It is usually non-directive in its approach enabling the coachee to come up with their own ideas to address a challenge.
• Mentoring is relationship driven and focusses on building a mutually beneficial association. Mentoring is more directive in its approach. A mentor is usually someone that another individual can learn from to help develop their skills at work and it is also useful to support career development. The mentor is usually more senior to the mentee and can help by sharing their expertise, providing guidance, and helping an individual to develop networks and connections.

Coaching and Mentoring have many potential benefits all of which can help individuals move forward or create positive change for themselves and for their organisation. We know that demand for health and wellbeing support has grown substantially over the last few years, not just for leaders themselves individually but also to enable them to best support their teams, especially with increasing stress, fatigue and burnout.

Whether you are leading an organisation, heading up a service managing a team or leading yourself and colleagues, coaching and mentoring can support you on your leadership journey.

You can find more out about Coaching and Mentoring offers in the Midlands by visiting our website or contacting your local team.