CODE OF CONDUCT

Journey with Passion coaches are committed to maintain and promote excellent coaching practice to every single client. This code of ethics is designed to set parameters of conduct for all our ISOL (International School of Life) accredited coaches. Along with our ISOL values, each of our coaches complies and adheres to the spirit and principles of this code of ethics.

OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE

Terminology

• Autonomy: Respect for the client’s rights to be self-governing. It is important for a client to be a voluntary participant; e.g. an explicit contract discussing your terms of service, including protecting the client’s privacy. A contract should clearly state when, where and to whom you may disclose information.
• Beneficence: This is a commitment to promoting the client’s well-being. Acting in the best interest of the client, this includes working strictly within the limits of one’s competence, providing services based on adequate training and experience. Updating your skills, qualifications, and providing supervision to guarantee quality and competence.
• Coaching: Coaching is assisting a client and/or sponsor in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional growth potential.
• Client: The client is the person(s) that receives coaching.
• Conflict of interest: In the event that a coach has a private/personal relationship with a client, the client is referred to a different coach, mentor or facilitator. This includes relationships such as family, friends or romantic partners.
• Ethical and moral personal qualities and/or virtues, includes the following:
  o Competence – is the effective use of skills and knowledge to do what is required.
  o Courage – is the capacity to help in spite of uncertainty, risks and fears.
  o Empathy – is the ability to communicate and understand another’s experiences from his/her own point of view.
  o Fairness – is appropriately evaluating decisions and actions without judgements or biased wisdom.
  o Humility – is self-awareness about one’s own strengths and weaknesses.
  o Integrity – is moral, consistent and honest behaviour.
  o Resilience – is the ability to work with the client’s issues without being diminished.
  o Respect – is acknowledging another’s personal experience, feelings and point of view.
  o Sincerity – is practicing what you preach.
• Fidelity: Honouring the commitment when trust is placed in a practitioner. It requires trustworthy secrecy/confidentiality when clients disclose any information.
• Justice: Treating all clients unbiased and to provide adequate service. Treating all clients fairly; respecting their dignity and human rights. Providing appropriate treatment for the client’s needs; while being alert for possible conflict scenarios between legal and ethical obligations.
• Non-maleficence: This is a commitment to avoid harm to the client. Protecting the client’s right to avoid sexual-, financial-, emotional- or other manipulation and/or exploitation. Protecting the client’s right to avoid malpractice and/or incompetence. Not treating a client when the coach is unable to provide optimal services, because of his/her own illness, intoxication or personal circumstances.
• Personal moral qualities: Personal moral qualities is an extension of the 3-core practitioners’ qualities: empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard.
• Professional coaching relationship: A coaching relationship exists when a coach enters an agreement (including either verbal or written contracts) that defines the role, responsibilities and obligations of the coach and the client.
• Self-respect: Every practitioner will nurture self-knowledge and self-care. Practitioners will apply all the above principles, within the CODE OF CONDUCT, to themselves; including supervision and mentorship. Will seek counselling and support for self-growth and personal wellbeing. Will seek professional training, in order to self-develop. Practitioners will engage in living a healthy lifestyle which includes exercise, supportive personal relationships/outside of the work environment.
• Sponsor: The sponsor is the entity paying for and/or arranging for coaching services, by a coach or coaching institution. All coaching and/or engagement agreements should clearly establish the rights, roles and responsibilities for each of the parties – the coach, the client and/or the sponsor.

1. Ethical principles of coaching

• A coach’s obligation is to consider all the relevant circumstances with as much care as is reasonably possible and to be appropriately accountable for decisions made.
• Coaching may encounter contradictory or controversial circumstances. This is when a client will need to make a choice; and these don’t necessarily become unethical because other practitioners don’t reach the same conclusion.
• Ethical decisions are considered well substantiated if it is strongly supported by one or more values; without contradiction from others.
• Principles direct attention to important ethical responsibilities.

2. Working with Clients

As a Life coach, I:

• will understand my clients’ and/or sponsors’ expectations and goals, and accurately identify my coaching qualifications, expertise, experience, and certifications.
• will not start coaching or mentoring any client or group before explaining my commitment to abide by this code.
• will ensure that all clients know, and fully understand the terms and conditions, of my coaching and/or mentoring contract. This includes financial, logistical and confidentiality arrangements.
• will be open about the coaching methods I use that are provided by my coaching institution, and on request be ready to supply the client with information about the processes involved.
• will ensure that the duration of the coaching and/or mentoring contract is set out to achieve the client and sponsor’s goals.
• will attribute ownership of work, and not claim it as my own.
• will maintain the highest level of confidentiality with all clients and/or sponsors unless otherwise required by law. I will have a clear agreement with all clients of when confidentiality will be broken.
• will store all client records and information, including electronic files and communications, in a manner that promotes confidentiality, security and privacy.
• will avoid any romantic or sexual relationship with any current clients, sponsors or students.
• will not coach or mentor any client that I have a private relationship with; such as friendships, family members or romantic partners, to avoid conflict of interest.
• will dismiss any conflict openly with any client and agree to withdraw from the coaching contract if a conflict arises which cannot be managed effectively.
• will respect the client’s right to terminate the engagement at any point in the process, subject to the provisions of the coaching or mentoring service agreement.
• If I believe that my client or sponsor would gain more from another coach, mentor or professional help, I will encourage my client to do so.
• understand that I have a professional responsibility to continue to uphold the confidentiality of every client and sponsor after the termination or completion of their contract.

3. Professional Conduct

As a Life coach, I:

• understand that I am expected to conduct myself in a manner that reflects positively upon the coaching and mentoring profession as well as my coaching institution.
• will show respect for the variety of coaches, mentors and other individuals in the coaching and mentoring profession. This includes fellow coaches of my institution. I will also show respect, learn and gain from various coaching methods and techniques.
• will abide by the rules, statements and policies of my respective coaching institution.
• will not discriminate on any grounds and will constantly seek to enhance my own awareness of possible areas of discrimination.
• will challenge and assist colleagues, employees, service providers and clients who are racist or discriminate in any form.
• will monitor my language, spoken, written and non-verbal.
• accept that any breach of this code of ethics, may result in loss of accredited status and/or coaching membership.
• I am obliged to stay up to date and comply with all statutory and/or legal requirements of South Africa, in which coaching or mentoring takes place.

4. Excellent Practice

As a Life coach, I:

• will have the qualifications, skills and experience appropriate to meet the needs of the client. If my qualifications do not meet my client’s needs, I will refer the client to a more experienced or suitably qualified coach, mentor or professional.
• will continue to learn and broaden my knowledge for personal and learning development to fit the needs of my clients.
• Should any ethical problems occur with a client, I will report it to my coaching institution.