Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Course Content

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 1: Using information, communication and technology ICT in the study of Coaching

This first unit in the Level 5 Diploma in Coaching course aims to raise learner awareness of the different types of ICT skills, and provide the opportunity for them to develop these skills commensurate with H4 and H5 study. The course is delivered via distance learning with no face to face contact between tutors and students, therefore understanding appropriate research techniques, portfolio skills and self-reflection is important in terms of independent study at this level as well as facilitating a positive learning experience.

Students are encouraged to conduct independent research related to the study of Coaching using ICT skills, so that they can begin to compile their own resource list and also prepare themselves for further and more complex activities later in the course.

1 Applications of ICT in the study of Coaching

• Information, communication and technology (ICT) comprises core skills for learning.
• Utilisation of methods , tools and strategies of ICT to establish and maintain a sound working relationship with tutors and the college.
• Development of ICT skills in order to communicate effectively and maximise study progression.

2 ePortfolio constructs

• Setting up an ePortfolio for use during the lifetime of the course for storage of files including coursework, self-assessment activities, independent research notes and reflective journals.
• The ePortfolio may be requested from time to time by tutors and moderators. Learners will be asked at various points in the course to upload files for this purpose.
• A structured system of unique information but once completed can be used as a resource for continuing professional development (CPD), and a body of revision for future studies.

3 Independent web based research

• Independent research to equip students with confidence to source and evaluate information relevant to the core course topics within MMA.
• Develop tools and strategies with which to begin to undertake independent research and integrate this into coursework activities, for example suggesting ways to read research articles and assimilate types of information from these.

4 Principles of self-assessment and reflective writing

• The development of knowledge and understanding through writing skills for communicating ideas and arguments to tutors and other readers of written work.
• Reviews of writing skills.
• Reflective writing skills and practice.
• Promotion of pro-active implementation of skills enhancement through tutor feedback and self-assessment.

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 2: Understanding Coaching Principles

The aim of this unit within the Coaching course is to provide learners with the opportunity to explore and evaluate the key principles concepts and strategies within coaching. Learners are also provided with an opportunity to study the historical emergence of coaching, and examine key components of its applications.

1 Historical emergence of coaching

• Defining coaching in context.
• Origins of coaching from 16 th century to present.
• The humanist psychological perspectives of coaching.
• Integration of coaching contextually and related to application specifics.

2 Communicative approaches

• Competency skills.
• Communication strategies in coaching: methods, concepts, verbal, listening.
• Barriers to effective communication in coaching.
• Socialisation.
• Attachment.

3 Ethical considerations

• Ethical, legal and moral responsibilities.
• International Coaching Federation codes of ethics.
• International Coach Federation codes of practice.
• European Coaching Institute codes.
• Accountability.
• Standards or practice.
• Confidentiality.

4 Aims and objectives of coaching

• Assessment strategies and processes.
• Aims and objectives of the coaching process.
• Client expectations and perceptions.
• Client values, motivators and interests.
• Client history.

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 3: Application of coaching principles

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with the opportunity to study the concepts and components of coaching principles and applications as well as evaluation of group strategies and coaching levels. Learners are also provided with the opportunity to learn about transference and the coaching relationship.

1 Coaching principles

• Client strengths and weaknesses.
• Holism in coaching.
• Agenda setting.
• Collaboration.
• Action learning.
• Identity/self.

2 Levels of coaching

• Primary: cognitive and constructivist approaches; solution versus problem focussed.
• Secondary: irrational beliefs (Ellis, ABC); reframing, collaborative negotiation, working techniques ( visualization, relaxation, confirmation of change, reflexivity).
• Transference and counter-transference.
• Ending the coaching relationship.

3 Group coaching

• Primary and secondary levels in group work.
• Therapeutic groups.
• Conferencing.
• Tuckman and Schultz.
• Group strategies.
• Group coaching elements.
• Peer coaching.
• Leadership objectives.

4 Systematic approach

• Evaluation of the work of Murray, Bowman, Carruthers.
• Group dynamics.
• Ice breakers.
• Changing cultures.
• Professional settings.

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 4: Life coaching

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with the opportunity to apply the core competency coaching skills, strategies and concepts to life coaching contexts, and to explore different methods and approaches commensurate with client needs.

1 Aims and objectives

• Aims and objectives of life coaching.
• Contexts and rationale.
• Client-coach relationship.

2 Questioning methods and approaches

• Essential questioning: lifestyle, daily routine, expectations of coaching process, health status and perception, role and identity.
• Topic centred questioning: goal setting, work related, hobbies, childhood experiences, relationship experiences, family, financial issues, health expectations.

3 Relationship and sexuality contexts

• Temporary displacement contexts.
• Pivotal issues.
• Emotional issues.
• Acceptance and compromise.
• Expectations, goals and outcomes.
• Re-centring.
• Session rules.
• Questioning techniques.

4 Death and bereavement

• Stages of dying.
• Tasks of mourning.
• Bereavement stages.
• Loss and reality.
• Pain of grief.
• Adjustments
• Coaching principles and procedures.
• Coaching approaches.
• Cognitive restructuring and memory work.

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 5: Coaching: special contexts

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with an opportunity to study special coaching contexts including addiction and psychological disorders. Learners will also be given an opportunity to study related physiology and thereby expand knowledge and understanding of integrative applications within the coaching field and transferable skills related to different contexts.

1 Alcohol addiction

• Short and long term consequences.
• Drinking patterns related to behaviour.
• Physical and psychological symptoms and effects of alcohol dependence and addiction.
• Coaching strategies: journal writing, self-reflection, abstinence.

2 Drug dependence

• Physical and psychological effects of drug dependence and addiction.
• Examples: inhalants, cannabis, depressants, cocaine, narcotics, designer drugs.
• Coaching strategies for drug dependency.
• External factors, financial issues, goal setting and integrated objectives.

3 Depression and stress conditions

• Symptoms and physical expressions.
• Coaching commitment, role and history taking from clients.
• Identification of stressors.
• Development of coping strategies.
• Relaxation techniques.
• Stress reduction techniques.

4 Suicidal clients

• Physical and psychological symptoms and expression.
• Approaches and applications related to coaching role and responsibilities.
• Competency skills.
• Crisis recognition.
• Goals setting.

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 6: Career coaching 1

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with the opportunity to study the principles, applications and models related to career coaching. The unit also offers learners the opportunity to explore group strategies and leadership issues within a range of contexts.

1 Historical emergence

• Historical timeline and emergence of career coaching as a specific application.
• Relevance in modern society.
• Aims and objectives.

2 Life Purpose Questionnaire

• Views, beliefs and significant life influences.
• Hopes and aims.
• Life Purpose Statements.
• Life Purpose Questionnaire as an organisational tool.
• Maslow’s hierarchy in career coaching.
• Ventral pivots.
• Establishing the coaching relationship.

3 Role of the career coach

• Identification of client aims.
• Collaborative partnerships.
• Facilitation of goal achievement.
• Strategy development.
• Promotion of stimulating and motivational actions.

4 Psychology of experience

• Definitions.
• Effects of experience.
• Social controls.
• Pleasure and happiness.
• Task related experiences.
• Intrinsic reward systems.
• Contextualising experience within the work environment.

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 7: Career coaching 2

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with an opportunity to explore the mechanics of career coaching related to job searching, CV production and interview skills. Knowledge and understanding gained can be expanded through independent research and practice in order to transfer these skills to practical applications.

1 Marketing strategies

• Marketing strategy development for individual clients.
• Job search evaluation.
• Skills audit processes.
• Marketing matrices.

2 Curriculum Vitae (CV)

• Core elements and processes.
• Generic and specialised CVs.
• Personal profiling.

3 Interview techniques

• Pre-interview strategies.
• Interview questions (interviewer and interviewee).
• Interview processes.
• Strengths and weaknesses.
• Logistics.
• Types of interview : face to face, telephone, sequential, panel, psychometric evaluation, competency based.

4 Pots interview strategy development

• Interview follow up.
• Evaluation and self-reflection.
• Matrix process.
• Acceptance/rejection letters.
• Integration of rehearsed scenarios.

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 8: Child coaching

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with an opportunity to study child coaching principles, applications and contexts. Learners will also be given an opportunity to explore theoretical concepts relating to child development (cognition, socialisation, relationships), and conduct independent research into child coaching settings.

1 Socialisation and human interaction

• Communication needs.
• Socialisation processes.
• Attachment.
• Child coaching approaches and strategy development.
• Human interaction and relationship building: cultural, meshing, scaffolding, communication.

2 Principles of play

• Concepts.
• Cognition.
• Aims and purpose of play in child coaching.
• Types of play.
• Play environments.
• Task related or outcome based play.

3 Facilitation of change

• Avoidance and resistance.
• Exploration strategies.
• Self-image.
• Role modelling.
• Coaching skills.
• Experiential focus.

4 Behavioural changes

• Confirmation and affirmation.
• Behaviour assessment.
• Motivation and meaning.
• Integration approaches/strategies.
• Irrational beliefs.

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 9: Health coaching 1

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with the opportunity to study aspects of health, health perception, growth and development and the role of health coaching within health contexts.

1 Health perception

• Medical model and holistic model of health.
• Personal perceptions of health.
• Aspects of health and definitions.
• Psychosocial aspects of health promotion.
• Maslow’s Hierarchy related to health perception.

2 Growth and development

• Physical and psychological maturation.
• Statistic predictions.
• Life expectancy.
• Milestones in development.
• Social class and demography.
• Cultural and familial influences.
• Social factors.
• Educational factors.

3 Transitions

• Adolescent transitions: physical, psychological, family groupings, peer group interaction, self-perception.
• Adulthood transitions: maturity and independence, reproduction, the aging process, Nature versus nurture, lifestyle choices, influences and consequences.

4 Health coaching

• Defining health coaching.
• Aims and objectives.
• Settings and contexts.
• Coachee development.
• Client expectations.
• Determinants of health related to positive states.
• Health promotion issues and relevance.

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 10: Health coaching 2

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with the opportunity to study, explore and evaluate a number of theories and models related to health coaching, and relate this to behavioural change strategies and health coaching philosophy.

1 Health coaching concepts and models

• Differentiation between theories and models.
• Principles of cause and effect in life ( Social Cognitive theory and Theory of Planned Behaviour).
• The Health Belief Model.
• The Health Action Model.

2 Behavioural change

• Effective behavioural changes: key issues and dependent variables; self-initiated change; value of change; expectations of change; coping strategies.

3 Philosophy

• Underpinning principles and philosophical concepts.
• Transitional and situational elements.
• Hierarchy needs.
• Safe zones.
• Commitment.
• Programme structure.

4 Scientific principles

• Anatomy and physiology of body systems.
• Aging and health.
• Mental health perceptions.

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 11: Health coaching 3

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with an opportunity to explore the client role in health coaching contexts and to explore different settings for delivery related to application, agency involvement and client need.

1 Behaviour related to health coaching objectives

• Statistical issues, research and data.
• Deviant states.
• Functionality.
• Behaviour related objectives in health coaching.

2 Role of the client

• Personal commitment and needs.
• Settings and contexts.
• Health promotion components.
• Self-reflection.
• Life purpose in health coaching.

3 Public Sector

• Role of public health.
• Processes and data.
• Coaching issues related to public health.
• Legislation and professional role.

4 Private Sector

• Role of private sector health coaching.
• Processes and data.
• Coaching issues related to client needs, accessibility and statistical data.
• Legislation and professional role.

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 12: The principles of neurolinguistic programming

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with an opportunity to study the historical development of NLP and the underpinning principles of practice.

1 Historical development of NLP

• NLP evolution and practice.
• Overview of techniques.
• Applications of NLP.
• Integration of NLP.

2 Principles of NLP

• Assumptions related to human senses.
• World view.
• Linguistic relevance.
• Modelling.
• Beliefs and values.
• Core skills.
• Anchoring.
• Reframing.
• Presuppositions.
• Filtration of perception.

3 NLP strategy development

• Rapport.
• Sensory awareness.
• Behavioural flexibility.
• Learning preferences.
• Outcome thinking.

4 Aims and objectives of NLP

• Purpose, meaning, perception and phenomenon.
• Negotiation of aims and objectives.
• Pyramid of Outcomes.
• Positive intention.

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 13: NLP models

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with an opportunity to study NLP models and approaches in depth and to develop understanding which will facilitate transference of knowledge into practical application.

1 State Model in NLP

• Development.
• Holistic perspectives and approach.
• The present state.
• The desired state.
• Personal resources related to desired state and achievement of goals.

2 Life Context Model in NLP

• Development.
• Action.
• Knowledge.
• Ownership.
• Relationships.
• Existence.

3 NLP strategies

• SMART goals in NLP.
• Formulae and determinants.
• Frameworks.
• Aims and objectives of chunking.
• Contexts and perceived difficulty.
• Outcome measurements.
• Rapport and pacing in NLP models.
• Collaborative partnerships and interpersonal dimensions.
• Beliefs and values: irrational beliefs.

4 NLP practice

• Direct decisions, behaviours, beliefs.
• Justification and interpretation.
• Empowerment.
• Cyclical processing.
• Self-belief.
• Matching actions.
• Reinforcement.
• Application of learning preferences.

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 14: Learning theories and concepts related to NLP

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with an opportunity to explore and evaluate learning and personality theories related to NLP models and practice.

1 Theoretical concepts

• Kolb Cycle.
• Kolb’s phases of learning.
• Experiential learning.
• Personality theories and models.
• Myers-Briggs.
• Jung’s extroversion and introversion.
• Honey and Mumford.
• Knowledge concepts.
• Evaluation of research article.

2 NLP levels

• Purpose.
• Identity.
• Beliefs and values.
• Strategies.
• Behaviour.
• Environment.

3 Meta programming

• Motivation traits.
• Internal/external traits.
• Options and procedures.
• Working traits: specific, general.
• The self and others.

4 Cognitive structure in NLP

• Language acquisition.
• Cognitive structure of language.
• Comprehension and contextualisation.
• The NLP Brain Map.
• Metaphors, rapport and memory.

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 15: NLP programme design

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with the opportunity to study NLP programme design from multidimensional perspectives; and also to facilitate expansion of understanding in order to transfer knowledge into practical applications.

1 Administrative components

• The working environment.
• Client and practitioner documentation.
• Feedback processes.
• Affiliation to professional body.
• Public Liability.
• Referrals and client assessment documents.
• Agreements and contracts.
• Exit strategies.

2 Reframing

• The Outcome Frame.
• The Ecology Frame.
• The Evidence of Experiential Frame.
• The ‘As if’ Frame.
• The Review or Backtrack Frame.
• Contextual Frame.
• Sleight of Mouth frame.

3 Modelling

• Historical perspectives.
• Unconscious compliance.
• Stages of modelling (preparation, building, testing and transferring).

4 Anchoring

• Skinner’s reinforcement theory.
• Action and rewards processes.
• Establishing an anchor.
• Installing anchors into programmes.

Level 4+5 Accredited Coaching Diploma Unit 16: Performance coaching

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with the opportunity to study the principles and practice of performance coaching and relate these to a range of contexts and scenarios.

1 Principles and practices of performance coaching

• Issues in performance coaching.
• Communication.
• Identity.
• Interpersonal conflicts.
• Internal dialogue.
• Self-judgement.
• Hierarchy of logical levels.
• Motivation.

2 Approaches

• The STEPPA model.
• Symbolism and symbolic modelling.
• Flexibility and application.
• The inner game of coaching.
• Facilitation.
• Group coaching.
• Self-coaching.

3 Tools and interventions

• Questioning and context –free questions.
• Metaphors.
• Psychological projections.
• Counter transference.
• Ethical issues.

4 Mentoring

• Mentoring.
• e-mentoring.
• Contexts.
• Advantages and disadvantages.
• Specialist skills.