Privacy Policy & Scope of Practice

SCOPE OF PRACTICE

It is really important to me that you are aware of my scope of practice as a Health & Wellness Coach.

I operate to the scope of practice recommendations of my training provider – The Health Coaches Academy, as well as the UK & International Health Coaches Association to which I am a full member.

HEALTH COACHES ACADEMY

Scope of practice for HCA Health & Wellness Coaches

The Health Coaches Academy are on a mission to make a significant and lasting impact to the health, wellness and happiness of people globally.

Our vision is for people and communities everywhere to be inspired to want the very best from their lives, and by adopting healthy habits and behaviours, reduce the burden of chronic lifestyle diseases that the world faces today.

Titles

Health and Wellness Coaches may go by a variety of different titles, depending on their training and specific area of focus. Some common titles include:

• Health and Wellness Coach

• Health Coach

• Holistic Health Coach

• Health and Nutrition Coach

• Healthy Lifestyle Coach

• Behavioural Health Coach

A Health and Wellness Coach is a professional who works with clients to help them achieve their health goals, improve their overall wellbeing, and make sustainable lifestyle changes. Health coaches focus on empowering clients to take charge of their health by providing guidance, support and accountability.

A Health and Wellness Coach understands and respects that each client is an expert on their own life and is a non-judgemental ally, supporting, educating and motivating them to find sustainable ways to break through resistance in their journey to whole health.

Health Coaches work with clients so they can become the healthiest and happiest versions of themselves. They do this by working with individuals and groups in a client-centred process to facilitate and empower the client to develop and achieve self-determined goals related to health and wellness.

Health Coaches support clients in mobilising internal strengths and external resources, and in developing self-management strategies for making sustainable, healthy lifestyle, behaviour changes.

Health Coaches work across all areas of Health and Wellness including:
 

• Nutrition – real, unprocessed food and optimal hydration

• Exercise and movement

• Stress management

• Sleep

• Self-care

• Social Support and connection

• Meaning and purpose
   

What Health and Wellness Coaches Do

The specific responsibilities of a Health and Wellness Coach can vary, but some common tasks include:

• Understanding a client’s health and lifestyle: Health and Wellness Coaches typically begin by conducting an initial review of a client's current health status, lifestyle, and health goals. This helps them to tailor their coaching to the specific needs of each client.

• Based on the review, Health and Wellness Coaches work with clients to develop personalised health plans that include specific goals and action steps to achieve those goals.

• Providing education and resources: Health and Wellness Coaches help clients learn about healthy eating, exercise, stress management, and other areas related to health and wellbeing. They may also provide resources such as recipes, plans, and educational materials.

• Offering support and accountability: Health and Wellness Coaches provide ongoing support and accountability to help clients stay motivated and on track with their health goals. This may include regular check-ins, encouragement and problem-solving.

• Where appropriate and with permission, a Health and Wellness Coach will liaise with other health professionals to ensure the appropriate support is provided. This may also extend to referrals to trained health professionals for specific advice or consultation and, if requested, to facilitate the introduction.
   

Overall, the goal of a Health and Wellness Coach is to help clients make sustainable lifestyle changes that improve their overall health and wellbeing. Health Coaches do not diagnose conditions, prescribe treatments, or provide psychological therapeutic interventions.

©Copyright Health Coaches Academy 2023

UK & INTERNATIONAL HEALTH COACHING ASSOCIATION

Scope of Practice

Each Health and Wellness Coach’s Scope of Practice is specifically prescribed by their training school and it is imperative that each Coach takes responsibility to confirm and act within this defined Scope of Practice.

With this imperative first and foremost, the guidance below sets out the Scope of Practice for UKIHCA members:
 

• Health coaches work with individuals and groups in a client-centred process to facilitate and empower the client to develop and achieve self-determined goals related to health and wellness

• Coaches support clients in mobilising internal strengths and external resources, and in developing self-management strategies for making sustainable, healthy lifestyle, behaviour changes.

• As partners and facilitators, health coaches support their clients in achieving health goals and behavioural change based on their clients’ own goals and consistent with treatment plans as prescribed by individual clients’ professional health care providers

• Coaches assist clients to use their insight, personal strengths and resources, goal setting, action steps and accountability toward healthy lifestyle change and may offer supporting resources from nationally and internationally recognised authorities, such as current government and public health guidelines and peer-reviewed sources.

• Coaches must unless otherwise credentialed and able to do so legitimately, avoid giving specific personal health advice, but may offer a client direction to health and wellness information and resources from nationally/internationally recognized, robust evidence-based and peer-reviewed authorities, so that clients can draw their own conclusions, gain confidence and a sense of empowerment.

Where the prescribed Scope of Practice of a Member’s training school and that of the UKIHCA differ, Members are expected to hold themselves to the higher standard.

Doing no harm

In common with all health professionals, health coaches must follow a ‘do no harm’ mandate by refraining from or carrying out any actions that would harm clients or patients.

For all Health Coaches, these actions include:

• assessing symptoms

• diagnosing conditions

• interpreting lab results

• giving specific dietary advice

• removing food groups

• prescribing treatments or therapeutic interventions (including nutritional)

• making claims to prevent or cure any condition
   

or engaging any other activities that could ultimately:
 

• harm a client or patient

• lead to legal lawsuit

• invalidate insurance cover

• bring UKIHCA and the Health Coaching profession into disrepute

​The boundaries of the health coaching Scope of Practice may include, but is not limited to:
 

• coaching an individual

• coaching a group

• writing a blog or articles

• holding or participating in webinars, speaking and educational events

• communicating in online forums, meetings, with colleagues, peers, HCPs
   

The exception to this is where a coach holds multiple, active credentials and insurance. See below.

Holding multiple credentials

While Health Coaches do not, per se assess symptoms, diagnose conditions, interpret lab results, give specific dietary advice, remove food groups, prescribe treatments or therapeutic interventions (including nutritional) or make claims to prevent or cure any condition - if they also hold active, nationally recognized professional credentials and insurance (for example as a nutritionist, nutritional therapist, dietician, nurse, doctor, pharmacist, psychologist, physiotherapist, mental health specialist, osteopath, chiropractor) they may provide expert guidance related to that topic, but must act within the Scope of Practice of that or those profession(s).

Getting informed consent

In such a case, it is the health coach’s professional responsibility to confirm in writing the Scope of Practice for any and each service agreed with a client, and to act within the Scope of Practice for health and wellness coaching and/or the Scope of Practice for the relevant profession or active, credentialed and insured.

Seeking collaboration

Health Coaches should actively seek collaborations with other health care practitioners such as doctors, dietitians, nutritionists and other practitioners and therapists to be the anchor of a truly whole-health creating endeavour.

Insurance

Our UKIHCA-Approved Full Members must hold a valid insurance schedule that covers the qualification as detailed in the Member's qualification certificate. UKIHCA-Approved Student Members must also obtain insurance; however the Student insurance is extremely limited so it is essential that Student Members read and understand the following statement: https://www.ukihca.com/student-insurance

UK & International Health Coaching Association - September 2022