144 The Coaching Toolkit for Child Welfare Practice
Coaching Agreements
Prior to coaching — regardless of what model is used — a coaching
agreement must be written between agency leadership, supervisors,
learners, and coaches. Each person must understand the scope and
boundaries of the coaching process. An agreement for an external
coach will differ from an agreement for a coach who is already an
employee. For details on coaching ethics and liability, see Chapter
11.
The purpose of the Coaching Agreement is to detail the scope,
boundaries, and roles of each member in the coaching relationship.
During the conversation to create the agreement, coaches should be
prepared to foster a working alliance with partners and provide
background information on coaching as needed.
Formulating the partnership agreement
The first step to developing a partnership agreement coaches and
agency representatives must answer key questions. Table 6. 4
provides a sampling of questions that can be used to start the
contracting process (adapted from the National Staff Development
Council, 2008).