10 · Coach Handbook
Audience: Every coach from offer-acceptance onwards. Length target: readable in 60 minutes. Re-read trigger: every contract renewal, every time it's updated.
This is the document we wish someone had given us on day one. If something here is wrong, out of date, or unkind, tell the Head of Coaching and we'll fix it.
1. Who we are, in two paragraphs
MEM is a workplace wellbeing partner that runs hybrid programmes (workshops + 1:1 coaching + asynchronous nudges) for UK employers. We focus on the things most providers under-do: manager mental health, menopause at work, onboarding, and financial wellbeing inside the FCA boundary.
We are not a clinical service, not an EAP, and not a coaching marketplace. Our edge is the bench: every coach here has been through file 04 and clears the bar in file 01.
2. The non-negotiables
These are the things that get a coach exited if breached. There are no warnings on these six.
- Confidentiality contract honoured (the contract you set, every session).
- FCA boundary held (Sprint 4 / 01). No regulated financial advice, ever.
- No-clinical scope held (see
mem://constraints/no-clinical-services). No therapy, no diagnosis, no medication conversations. - Disclosures routed through warm-handoff scripts (Sprint 4 / 07) within the same session.
- Safeguarding concerns logged within 24h via the Sprint 4 / 05 templates.
- No solicitation of MEM participants for your own private practice.
3. Your first 90 days
| Week | What's happening | What you need to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Offer accepted, vetting begins | Return vetting docs (file 05) within 14 days |
| 1 | Onboarding 1:1 with Head of Coaching (90 min) | Read this handbook + Sprint 1, 2, 4 materials |
| 2 | Shadow 1 workshop, 2 × 1:1 sessions | Bring 3 questions to the debrief |
| 3 | Buddy-supervised 1:1 (you coach, Senior in room) | Reflective journal entry |
| 4 | First solo 1:1 (Associate level) OR co-fac workshop | Same |
| 8 | First QA observation (file 08) | Sit with feedback for 48h before responding |
| 12 | First quarter review with Head of Coaching | Bring journal themes |
4. How a typical engagement runs
See the Sprint 5 hybrid playbook for the full picture. Your part:
- Stimulus (workshop): you co-facilitate or lead one of the curriculum modules.
- Practice (1:1): 4 × 50-min sessions with each participant over 8 weeks.
- Feedback (async): you write the nudges your participants receive between sessions, using the Sprint 1 / 06 sequence as a base.
- Reinforcement (manager retro): you support the manager retrospective at week 10.
5. How we pay you
- Day rate by accreditation level (Associate / Coach / Senior — see file 06; current numbers in your contract, not this handbook).
- Invoiced monthly, paid within 14 days of valid invoice.
- Cancellations by client <72h: 50% paid. <24h: 100% paid.
- CPD time is paid for mandatory refreshers (file 07). Optional CPD comes out of your CPD budget (£600/year + supervision hours).
6. How we talk about you to clients
- We name you on the cohort brief (with your photo, level, specialisms) only after you've consented.
- We never disclose your day rate to clients.
- Testimonials about you go to you first; we don't quote you without sign-off.
7. How you talk about us
- Use the MEM coach badge on your own LinkedIn — yes please.
- Quote MEM impact stats (from the Sprint 8 impact report) — yes, citing source.
- Pitch your own products to MEM participants — no, never.
- Speak to journalists about MEM clients — only via Head of Coaching.
8. When something goes wrong
| Situation | First action |
|---|---|
| Safeguarding disclosure in session | Use Sprint 4 / 07 script in-session. Log within 24h via Sprint 4 / 05 template. |
| You get something wrong with a participant | Repair in-session if you can ("let me re-ask that"). Note in journal. Bring to next supervision. |
| A participant complains about you | Welcome it. Don't defend. Route to Account Manager. Be available for investigation. |
| You feel scope-pressured (manager wants therapy, participant wants advice) | Re-state scope, signpost. If pressure continues, escalate to Account Manager same day. |
| You feel out of your depth | Pause the session if needed. Book extra supervision. We pay. |
| You're going through your own hard thing | Talk to Head of Coaching. We'll plan a pause (file 09). |
9. Tools you'll actually use
- Session note template: Sprint 4 / 05.
- Signposting decision tree: Sprint 4 / 06.
- Warm-handoff scripts: Sprint 4 / 07.
- Four-signal model: Sprint 1 / 04.
- Manager pocket card: Sprint 1 / 03 (give to managers in workshops).
- Menopause manager card: Sprint 2 / 02.
- FCA boundary card: Sprint 4 / 01 (keep visible at your desk).
10. What we promise you
- We will tell you the truth, including when we're declining you for a cohort.
- We will pay you on time.
- We will not surprise you with a complaint — you'll know within 48h.
- We will support you to grow up a level when you're ready, not by length-of-service.
- We will exit you with dignity if it comes to that.
- We will publish our coach numbers and diversity targets (Sprint 8 impact report) so you can hold us to them.
11. What we ask of you
- Hold the scope. The bench is what makes MEM credible — every coach who drifts costs all of us.
- Bring your real cases to supervision. The polished ones don't teach us anything.
- Tell us when we're wrong. Especially when it's awkward.
- Look after yourself first. A depleted coach is unsafe.
Last updated: by Head of Coaching at every contract renewal cycle. Questions: Head of Coaching directly. Found an error or a phrase that lands badly: open a PR against this file or email it in.