It was a great honour for me to deliver the European Mentoring Coaching and Supervision Conference 2019 opening address. The theme of the conference was reflect, learn, transform.

The European Mentoring and Coaching Council exists to develop, promote, and set the expectation of best practice in mentoring, coaching, and supervision globally for the benefit of society.

Conferences are vital, and in addition evidence based coaching training programmes are important to meet the demand for the skill set.
As we deliver training programmes we must also assess their effectiveness.

I encourage all trainers and programme participants, programme accreditors to have an emphasis on continuous quality improvement.

In June 2011, the International Coach Federation (ICF) and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) jointly filed with the European Union (EU) a Code of Conduct for Coaching and Mentoring as the benchmark standard for the coaching and mentoring profession

This Code of Conduct is intended to establish a standard of ethics and good practices for the coaching and mentoring profession in Europe.

The International Coach Federation aims to advance the coaching profession by setting standards, providing independent certification and building a network of credentialed coaches.

Coaches at every stage in their coaching journey must seek to develop their skills, deepening their coaching presence and awareness.

Competency is not a fixed process, it is ongoing.

Supervision of coaching practice is a recent concept, and it is important for all coaches and mentors to engage in supervision – either by peers or within a group setting. It is a finding that supervision is supported by science professionals, this endorses the practice.

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The Government of Ireland endorses – coaching and mentoring. Our Senior Public Service Leadership Development Strategy, 2017-2020 recommended executive coaching, team coaching, diversity and networking initiatives.

The benefits of coaching, mentoring and supervision are significant for individuals, departments and organisations. Coaching, mentoring and supervision promotes the concepts of a learning environment, supporting workers/clients, encouraging workers/clients, promoting retention and assisting succession plans.

We must also address the issue of precarious working environments- international approaches need to continue to support many workers who are marginalised.

Good health is an essential resource for everyday life, a public good, and an asset for health and human development. It is fundamentally important for coaches, mentors and supervisors to prioritise their own health and wellbeing.

The pillars are – adequate rest, a balanced diet, reducing alcohol, increasing exercise and getting vaccinations –to enhance our individual wellbeing and to enable us to meet the demands of our roles.