The alarming number of humanitarian crises around the world reminds us of those organisations, such as Save the Children, who work around the world to ensure children are kept safe, healthy and learning both before, during and after disaster strikes. Save the Children also houses the Humanitarian Leadership Academy (HLA) which provides capacity-strengthening support to self-guided e-learning, and in-person support in response to emergency situations. One part of this offer is Leadership Coaching, through a pool of trained and qualified Humanitarian coaches. The HLA also provide individual and team coaching and coach training for humanitarian actors in national and local organisations.
Our five coach supervisors at the Coaching Supervision Partnership have been privileged to support some of those coaches in the last two years as part of our pro bono practice, and we learned so much about the work of the organisation and their coaches.
We became aware of the need to support through supervision the safety and well-being of coaches to cope with the emotional and psychological impact of coaching colleagues whose coaching issues were drawn from living with very high levels of stress and trauma. We also learned about the coaches’ feeling of hopelessness that they couldn’t offer more to help and support their coachees. Reflecting on this work we were struck afresh by the importance of all three strands of supervision (qualitative, developmental and resourcing) with a particular emphasis on providing a reflective and restorative space to process the coaches' exposure to high levels of stress and trauma.
It is challenging to supervise coaches whose practice focus varies from those front line traumas to office-based career and relationship issues. Thankfully, it was also rewarding to play our part in supporting and developing their coaching practice for the benefit of the coaches, their coachees, and the wider Save the Children organisation. And fortunately, the feedback from Charlotte Balfour-Poole, Head of Coaching at Save the Children’s Humanitarian Leadership Academy, was hugely positive.
“The provision of coaching supervision with CSP has been transformative and enlightening for coaches from our Humanitarian Coaching Pool. Providing a space to share their challenges, develop their practice and find a restorative space has been so needed during incredibly challenging times. We are incredibly grateful to CSP for all their support to help our coaches develop, enhance and receive supervision for their practice. Thank you CSP!”
The work for these coaches grows ever more challenging and we are full of admiration for their skills and dedication.
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