UK Coaching welcome the publication of the new Standards for Deployment Policy and urge all coaching organisations to consider how standards for deployment enhance holistic coaching skills and provide great coaching experiences.
We also ask coaching organisations to consider the experience of coaches when designing learning and assessment. We know many coaches already feel a significant time and financial burden, particularly those who coach in multiple sports and are required to complete multiple training courses. These standards for deployment offer us a way to recognise experience, skills and behaviours and embed consistency across the sector. UK Coaching will work to bring the coaching sector together to collectively support the coaching experience.
In this article, we outline how UK Coaching can support coaching organisations with the resources, products, and guidance needed to implement and uphold these standards effectively, fostering a thriving and cohesive coaching landscape.
UK Coaching’s commitment to supporting coaching organisations
At UK Coaching, we’re dedicated to helping coaching organisations adopt these standards in ways that improve coach education, assessment, and professional growth. Our offerings are designed to provide comprehensive support, from helping organisations understand and implement deployment standards to offering tools that enhance the quality of coaching practices.
Our approach includes:
- Clarifying Standards and Expectations: We offer resources that clearly outline what’s expected of coaches to meet deployment standards, enabling organisations to effectively communicate these expectations to their coaching workforce.
- Duty of Care: Our resources and training programmes embed a duty of care across coaching practices, prioritising safety, well-being, and responsible coaching to benefit both coaches and participants.
Key Products and Services to Support Standards for Deployment
Our wide array of products and services is tailored to help coaching organisations at every stage of meeting deployment standards. From structured learning modules to continuous professional development (CPD) resources, UK Coaching is equipped to support organisations with flexible, high-quality learning and assessment tools:
- UK Coaching Club: In spring 2025, UK Coaching will relaunch its UK Coaching Club, providing free resources across the sector supporting all coaching to obtain their Duty to Care badge and gain the foundational knowledge in the Coach Learning Framework, the foundations of holistic coaching.
- Coach Learning Programme: Our modular Coach Learning Programme aligns with professional standards and the Level 2 Certificate in Coaching qualification. Organisations can select modules to fit their unique needs, covering topics such as:
- Developing Your Role as a Coach
- Protecting Yourself and Others
- Developing your Coaching Practice
- Understanding the Individuals you Coach
- Managing Positive Relationships
- Developing the Coaching Environment
- Safeguarding Workshops (Children and/or Adults): These workshops meet professional safeguarding standards.
- Emergency First Aid (coming soon): A new offering to enhance safety protocols.
- UK Coaching Club Premium Membership: Access to 44 topic areas in the coach learning frameworks, able to be mapped into professional standards and used flexibly as part of your learning programmes.
This flexible approach allows organisations to fill specific gaps in learning or deliver a comprehensive training package that meets professional standards.
- Assessment Pathways and Regulated Qualifications: The Standards for Deployment advocate for externality of assessment. External assessment, such as a qualification, ensures that assessment practices are valid, reliable and robust. Our assessment offerings include the 1st4sport Level 2 Certificate in Coaching and First Aid at Work qualifications, providing an unbiased way to validate a coach’s learning and practical competencies. Additionally, as an externally regulated provider, we are able to support on validation services which would meet standards for deployment if you do not require an externally validated assessment. These pathways help organisations ensure coaches meet deployment standards reliably and consistently.
- Endorsements: Through our 1st4sport endorsement service, UK Coaching recognises high-quality, bespoke learning programmes that meet professional standards, even if they aren’t regulated qualifications or externally validated assessed programmes. This flexibility enables organisations to design training that aligns with their unique requirements while upholding essential quality standards.
- UK Coaching Club for Ongoing CPD: Our Duty to Care Digital Badge, Coach Learning Framework and CPD such as Safeguarding offer coaches continuous access to professional development resources that align with deployment standards. These CPD opportunities help coaches refine their skills, promote participant well-being, and maintain high standards throughout their careers. We have direct delivery and licence models available to flex to your needs.
Partnership Support and Bespoke Consultancy
Each year, our partnership team collaborates with hundreds of coaching organisations to offer insights and guidance in designing, implementing, and maintaining coach education and assessment programmes. We provide consultancy support for workforce skills assessments, learning design, and deployment standards compliance, tailored to meet the distinct needs of each organisation. Our team also connects organisations with peers navigating similar challenges, fostering a community of shared learning and support.
Supporting Digital Transformation in Coach Education
Modernising and digitalising learning systems can help streamline administration and improve learning accessibility. Our digital solutions integrate with platforms like 1st4sport Parnassus to simplify processes for qualification registration, certification, and beyond. From ecommerce solutions to end-to-end digital learning and assessment tools, we provide the infrastructure organisations need to offer seamless, comprehensive coach education.
Here for the Coach
UK Coaching is here to support coaching organisations every step of the way, offering resources, guidance, and collaborative opportunities to help them succeed. Together, we’re building a foundation for coaching excellence, inclusivity, and continuous growth that benefits coaches and participants alike.
UK Coaching’s commitment is to help organisations achieve these standards and create environments where coaches can excel, participants can thrive, and the entire coaching community can flourish.
If you have any further questions on our services, please get in touch with your Partnership Development Manager or email [email protected].