Ruby Bansel, Diversity and Inclusion Project Manager, Leeds and York Partnership NHS FT

I have a general interest in health and wellbeing and was keen to establish myself in a professional role as a health coach trainer, to look at new ways of working in clinical practice.

Through developing my knowledge and skills in health coaching I have gained further understanding and belief in patient experience and empowerment. I have learnt how to use practical applications through models and tools, and developed the ability to share this learning with clinical staff.

I have now delivered a number of sessions as pilot programmes to clinical teams, I am also involved in the Trust’s health coaching steering group, and mapping the future direction of health coaching.

The Continuous Professional Development (CPD) events have been particularly valuable in helping me to implement health coaching, as well as support I received to revise some of the content originally taught in the ‘Train the Trainer’ modules. Peer support from fellow health coaches has also been important.

Evaluation from our pilot sessions indicates an increased level of skills, knowledge and confidence in staff to utilise tools in a clinical setting. They now have the ability to have meaningful and better conversations with patients and staff, and have the belief that individuals are experts in their own recovery journey.

I do think that health coaching is often undertaken in a piecemeal way and I feel that there still needs to be further substantiation and evidence on the impact and benefits in mental health settings, as there is such a range of acuity with mental illness.

Ruby’s tips:

Have a comprehensive plan in place
Understand the evidence base of effectiveness of health coaching when working with patients with specific health needs (mental health)
Seek and secure organisational and leadership commitment to the development and delivery of health coaching
Measure return on investment and impact of adopting health coaching in practice
Market and share success stories

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Kate Nash, Lead Respiratory Nurse Specialist, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust

March 31, 2019

I am using health coaching in my clinical practice and have been given eight days per year outside of my existing role to train others.

Nina Finlay, Trudi Dunn, Zoe Noble, West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

March 31, 2019

Each of us noted positive clinical experiences resulting from the application of health coaching skills following an initial two-day training course.

David Sweeting and Kieran Morling, Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapists, East Coast Community CIC

March 31, 2019

We both work with patients suffering with persistent musculoskeletal pain, many have maladaptive coping strategies that contribute to their symptoms.

Ross Joannides, Team Leader, Impact Health Coaching, West Sussex

March 31, 2019

Having previously worked with young adults with learning disabilities and mental health problems, I became very passionate about the opportunity to implement a new approach.

"Conversation doesn't just reshuffle the
cards. It creates new cards."

How talk can change our lives,
Theodore Zeldin

"I particularly valued the sense of presence I felt Penny had during the coaching sessions. She was able to think of ideas or tools to use in the moment. I was offered words of comfort or encouragement when I needed to hear them. I found Penny friendly and empathic, while professional, analytical and with appropriate boundaries and control of the sessions. I genuinely feel the coaching I have received has been exactly what I needed at this point in time."

"Penny is a great listener, empathetic and also has a good sense of humour so makes you feel very at ease. Penny also has an amazing ability to sum up what I have said and help me make sense of it, through discussion and use of different models. I have really enjoyed working with Penny and will miss our sessions!"

"Penny has a great attitude of being supportive but also being frank and honest. I really valued my coaching experience with Penny especially the space she gave me to develop a different, more constructive understanding and perspective of the environment in which I found myself."

"The sessions were hard work, but they provided me with clarity on my key strengths, gave me direction on what was important to me and focussed my attention on what to work on next. I was also able to explore internal barriers and unhelpful beliefs which may be holding me back and identify unwanted behaviours which could led to burn out if left unchecked.Penny was an excellent coach who not only used coaching techniques to help me secure my goal but also gave me time to focus on my wellbeing and work life balance."

"I have really loved Penny's style of coaching and found it a particularly good fit for me. Penny has been super-creative and used a wide range of prompts to help me think in different ways including drawing, meditation, breathing, talking to bits of myself etc. She generates clear and helpful hypotheses which move my thinking on and refuses to let me stagnate.

"Penny was excellent as a coach. I found Penny was able to achieve a lot through this in the short punchy sessions we had. She demonstrated high levels of empathy, compassion but did not collude. She was also able to challenge me when patterns of thinking or behaviour emerged in a way that was helpful. She was excellent at playing back my words to help me think more deeply.Above all her non-judgmental manner and approach and kindness with which she coached was inspirational to me as someone who works in this area – she really is holistic and has so much to offer to clients."

"Penny helped me to have a more positive focus to everyday problems, have a more helicopter view of my future and realise the impact of my NHS devotion on my personal health. While with other coaches sometimes I was ending the session confused and disoriented, Penny managed somehow to always create a direction. I could say that Penny inspirational and challenging at the same time – but knows when to stop challenging and offer focus."

"The coaching has made such a huge impact, not just professionally but on a personal level too. Penny is extremely intuitive, she gets me, and can read into situations things I wouldn't even see, and get straight to the point. I instantly felt at ease with Penny, she's an extraordinary coach who has boosted my confidence in ways that I don't think she can ever appreciate. I could not recommend her highly enough."

"I have thoroughly enjoyed working with my coach and I have found our time hugely beneficial. She has an exceptional ability to create a safe, non-judgmental and positive environment, which allowed me a deeper level of exploration and growth. She helped me acknowledge and process my emotions in the best interest for my future – for example she challenged my thinking in a way that deepened my thinking and opened my mind to alternative possibilities and realities. Penny is a brilliant coach and it has been an absolute pleasure working with her."

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Note on language

Health coaching works with all health and care professionals and peers. Our primary audience is the NHS, therefore all of our resources use the term 'clinicians' in place of 'coaches'. Health coaching skills can be used equally by all health and care professionals and peer coaches.

Similarly, although we wish to avoid language which suggests dependency, for clarity we refer to the term 'patients' to refer to an individual who is seeking care and support.

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