09 · Offboarding and Suspension
Three pathways out of active delivery: planned pause, suspension during investigation, and exit. Each one prioritises participant continuity first, coach dignity second, MEM brand third. In that order.
Planned pause (coach-initiated)
Examples: parental leave, bereavement, capacity dip, taking a new salaried role with limited hours.
| Step | When | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Coach gives notice | ≥6 weeks before pause, where possible | Coach |
| Active cohorts assessed | Within 5 working days | Account Manager |
| Replacement coach matched | Before pause begins, per Sprint 3 / 02 rubric | Account Manager |
| Warm handover to incoming coach | Joint session if participant consents, otherwise written summary | Both coaches |
| Status changed to "paused" on bench | At pause start | People Lead |
| Re-activation check-in | 4 weeks before planned return | Head of Coaching |
Paused coaches keep access to group supervision and CPD. They do not appear in matching pools.
Suspension during investigation
Triggered by any of:
- Safeguarding concern raised by a participant, manager, or fellow coach.
- QA observation score of 1 on any dimension.
- Breach of Code of Conduct reported and not yet investigated.
- DBS update flagging a new disclosure.
- Insurance lapse or scope-overreach (e.g. coach giving regulated financial advice).
Within 24h of trigger:
- Coach removed from active delivery (current sessions covered by Head of Coaching or a Senior).
- Coach told in writing why, in plain language, the same day.
- Participants of any in-flight cohort told: "Your coach is unavailable; here is your replacement; here is how to raise any concern." We do not share investigation details.
- Investigation lead assigned (Compliance + Head of Coaching, plus external if conflict of interest).
- Target close: 28 days. Extensions in writing with reason.
Outcomes:
| Finding | Action |
|---|---|
| Unfounded | Reinstated. Written apology if appropriate. Lessons logged. |
| Founded — minor | Action plan, additional supervision, re-observation within 90 days. Reinstated. |
| Founded — serious | Exit (see below). Notify professional body if applicable. |
| Inconclusive | Reinstated with monitoring. Reviewed at next QA cycle. |
Suspension is not punishment. We say so out loud, including in the coach's own letter, because it changes how people behave during investigation.
Exit
Triggered by:
- Founded serious finding.
- Coach resignation.
- End of fixed-term arrangement.
- Sustained failure to meet CPD / supervision minimums after support.
| Step | When | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Participant continuity plan | Before exit communicated externally | Account Manager |
| Coach file frozen (no edits, retained per file 05 schedule) | Within 24h of exit decision | Compliance |
| Access revoked (systems, comms, materials) | Same day | Ops |
| Final supervision session offered | Within 30 days | Head of Coaching |
| References policy explained to exiting coach | In exit letter | People Lead |
| Lessons-learned note circulated (anonymised) | Within 60 days if serious finding | Head of Coaching |
What we do not do
- Quiet exits ("we just stopped giving them work"). Every exit has a letter, a reason, and a date.
- Public attribution of reasons for exit on websites, social, or to clients.
- Forced NDAs covering safeguarding findings. A coach can always speak to a regulator, the police, or their own professional body.
- "Mutual termination" clauses dressed up as resignation when we should have run an investigation.
Client-side communication template
A change has been made to your coaching team. [Coach name] is no longer available to support [cohort name]. Your continuity coach is [name], who will pick up from session [n] on [date]. The handover note from your previous coach has been shared with [name] with your prior consent. If you have any concerns about this change, please raise them with [Account Manager] or directly with our Head of Coaching at [email].
Sent within 24h of the change to every affected participant, individually. Never as a group BCC.