Code of Conduct

Our commitment to you as a coaching and mentoring client

This Code of Conduct sets out how we work, what you can expect from us, and the principles that guide every coaching and mentoring assignment we take on. It replaces our previous privacy policy and now covers both how we handle your information and how we conduct ourselves professionally throughout our work together.

We’ve written this in plain language on purpose. Coaching and mentoring only work when there’s trust between us, and trust starts with being clear about what you’re signing up for.

1.  The frame of reference for our work together

Every coaching or mentoring assignment we take on is guided by the following principles. These aren’t just words on a page, they’re the standard we hold ourselves to in every session.

Client-centred. The agenda belongs to you. Our role is to help you think more clearly, see more options, and move towards what matters to you – not to tell you what to do or steer you towards our own opinions about your life or work.

Contracted, not assumed. At the start of any assignment, we’ll agree together:

• what we’re working on
  • how we’ll work
  • how often we’ll meet
  • and how we’ll know it’s going well

If anything needs to change along the way, we’ll talk about it and re-contract rather than letting things drift.

Competence and ongoing development. We only work within the limits of our training and experience. Where a topic falls outside coaching or mentoring, for example, if it touches on mental health, legal, financial, or medical matters, we’ll say so, and where appropriate, encourage you to seek support from a qualified professional. We invest in our own supervision, training, and development so that our practice keeps improving.

Honesty about the relationship. Coaching and mentoring are not therapy, consultancy, or friendship, even though they can feel warm and personal. We’ll always be clear about the nature of our relationship and won’t blur that line.

No conflicts of interest. If a conflict of interest arises – commercial, personal, or otherwise

-we’ll raise it with you openly and, if necessary, step back from the work.

2.  Ethical relationships

Respect. We treat every client as capable, resourceful, and whole. We won’t make assumptions about your background, beliefs, identity, or circumstances, and we’ll adapt our approach to what works for you, not the other way around.

Non-discrimination. We work with people from all backgrounds and won’t discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender, gender identity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, or any other protected characteristic.

Boundaries. We keep clear professional boundaries around time, contact outside sessions, gifts, and personal involvement – so that the relationship stays safe and useful for you. If a boundary needs discussing, we’ll raise it rather than let it sit unspoken.

Autonomy. You’re free to end the coaching or mentoring relationship at any time, for any reason, without needing to justify it to us.

Independence of judgement. Any advice, tools, or frameworks we offer are suggestions, not instructions. You remain responsible for the decisions you make and the actions you take, both during and after our work together.

Complaints and concerns. If you’re ever unhappy with how we’ve conducted ourselves, we want to hear about it directly. If we can’t resolve it between us, independent coaching bodies have complaints process you’re entitled to consult.

3.  Confidentiality

What you share with us in sessions stays between us. We won’t discuss the content of our conversations with anyone else, including if you’re being coached as part of an organisational programme, unless:

• You give us explicit permission to share something (for example, a summary for a sponsoring employer, agreed in advance).
  • We’re legally required to disclose information.
  • We believe there’s a serious risk of harm to you or to someone else, in which case we have a professional obligation to act, and we’ll always try to discuss this with you first wherever possible.

Where coaching is sponsored by an employer or third party, the boundaries of what will and won’t be shared with them are agreed as part of our initial contracting – not decided on the fly.

4.  Privacy statement

What we collect. In the course of our work together we may hold your name and contact details, notes from our sessions, information you share about your goals and circumstances, and administrative details such as invoices and scheduling records.

Why we collect it. We use this information to deliver coaching and mentoring effectively, to keep track of our agreed goals and progress, and to meet our own legal, accounting, and insurance obligations.

How we store it. Your information is stored securely, whether digitally or on paper, and access is limited to us. We keep session notes only for as long as they’re useful to our work, or as required by law or professional guidelines, and dispose of them securely afterwards.

Who we share it with. We don’t sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. We may share limited information with a supervisor for the purposes of professional supervision, in an anonymised or confidential way, to support the quality of our practice.

Your rights. Under UK data protection law (the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018), you have the right to ask what information we hold about you, to ask us to correct it, to ask us to delete it, and to withdraw consent for its use, subject to any legal or professional obligations that may limit this.

Getting in touch. If you have any questions about your data, or want to exercise any of these rights, you can contact us at alan@alanjoenn.co.uk.

5. A living document

Coaching practice evolves, and so will this Code of Conduct. We’ll update it as needed to reflect changes in how we work or in relevant law and professional guidance, and we’ll always make the current version available here.