UKIHCA is an independent, non-profit professional membership body operating in the independent, third sector with no commercial ties. We do not sell health and wellbeing coaching services or interventions, and we do not represent commercial interests.
Our independence allows us to act solely in the interests of:
- Public safety and trust
- Professional integrity, quality and consistency
- Ethical and accountable practice
We are an HMRC-approved professional organisation and learned society under HMRC List 3.
Our sole purpose is to advance the profession of health coaching, uphold professional standards, public safety and quality of practice for health coaches, wherever they work.
UKIHCA recognises that health and wellbeing coaches practise across diverse contexts, including the NHS and wider public sector, charities, social enterprises, education, workplaces and in independent practice.
Regardless of the sector, all UKIHCA-Registered Health Coaches are expected to adhere to robust ethical standards, evidence-informed practice, clear professional boundaries and ongoing supervision.
Their professional integrity, ethical practice and client-centred care are not determined by sector, funding model or payment structure, but by adherence to robust professional standards, supervision, scope of practice and accountability to a professional register.
UKIHCA sets clear expectations for:
- Ethical and transparent practice
- Appropriate boundaries and management of conflicts of interest
- Evidence-informed approaches to health coaching
- Ongoing professional development and supervision
- Accountability through professional registration and codes of conduct
These standards apply equally across all sectors.
A healthy profession requires shared standards, mutual respect, a strong unified voice and inclusive leadership, not undermined by a division between public and non-public sector practitioners.
We strongly support collaboration across sectors and countries to strengthen understanding of what high-quality health coaching looks like in practice, to
- Protect the public from inconsistent or poorly defined practice.
- Support confidence among employers, commissioners and policymakers
- Strengthen trust in health and wellbeing coaching as a profession
- Enable collaboration across sectors rather than fragmentation
UKIHCA remains committed to working with NHS leaders, organisations, policymakers and professional groups who share a common goal: advancing health coaching as a credible, ethical and effective profession that serves individuals, communities and health systems.
UKIHCA welcomes constructive dialogue that supports the development of health and wellbeing coaching as an effective, ethical and evidence-informed approach to improving health outcomes, across public, independent and community settings, in the UK and internationally.
Protecting public trust is central to our work. UKIHCA actively encourages constructive dialogue and collaboration with policymakers, NHS leaders, and professional partners to strengthen the consistency, credibility and transparency of health coaching.