What Is an Adolescent Wellbeing Coach?

Every secondary school and college has young people who are getting by, but only just. Their attendance is slipping. They have stopped putting their hand up. They are anxious about exams, or quietly disengaging, or finding a transition harder than anyone realised. They are not in crisis and they will not meet the threshold for CAMHS. But without the right support at the right time, some of them will get there.

An adolescent wellbeing coach is the person who can reach them first.

What is an adolescent wellbeing coach?

An adolescent wellbeing coach is a trained practitioner who works with young people, one-to-one and in small groups, to help them build the skills that protect their wellbeing, attendance and sense of belonging. Coaching gives a young person a consistent, trusted adult and a structured space to set their own goals, recognise their strengths and find their own ways forward.

The role is designed for the targeted layers of support in secondary schools, post-16 settings, colleges and higher education: the space between universal pastoral care and specialist mental health services. It is early, preventative support, delivered before difficulties become entrenched.

How is this different from a teen life coach?

"Coaching" covers a lot of ground, and "teen life coach" is a broad label that tells you little about the method behind it. Adolescent wellbeing coaching is a narrower, more specific approach. It is:

• grounded in psychology, drawing on positive psychology, coaching psychology and Self-Determination Theory
• designed for adolescents, rather than adapted from an adult or executive coaching model
• focused on prevention and early intervention, not therapy or crisis response
• built with disadvantage and vulnerability in mind, and co-produced with young people

It is underpinned by published research. A UK grounded theory study by Robson-Kelly and van Nieuwerburgh (2016) found that coaching helped young people at risk of mental health problems develop greater choice and control over their thoughts, feelings and behaviour, leading to increased confidence, better coping and improved wellbeing.

Why schools and colleges need adolescent wellbeing coaches now

The system around targeted support is changing fast, and the middle tier is where the pressure lands hardest.

The SEND and inclusion reforms. The reforms describe a strong universal offer for every pupil, with flexible access to Targeted, Targeted Plus and Specialist layers of support. Settings now need well-evidenced interventions they can deliver themselves, within the graduated approach of assess, plan, do and review.

Inclusion bases. The DfE's Inclusion bases in schools guidance (June 2026) sets out how schools should run bases for pupils with SEND or needing behavioural or pastoral support, including those at risk of exclusion or low attendance. It names belonging as an overarching aim, expects interventions to be evidence-informed and regularly reviewed, and says access to a base must never be a sanction. Many of the young people in a support base are exactly those adolescent wellbeing coaching is designed for.

Ofsted. From September 2026, the school inspection toolkit asks whether pastoral support is well matched to pupils' needs and deals with underlying issues so that problems do not recur. It looks for timely, well-chosen, targeted interventions for pupils who need extra help with attendance and behaviour, and asks whether pupils feel they belong.

Belonging and attainment. Recent research linking survey data with national pupil records found that pupils who feel they do not belong at school achieve lower grades, even after allowing for prior attainment and other factors. Pupils eligible for free school meals and pupils with SEND reported lower belonging on average. A supportive adult relationship is one of the strongest levers schools have, and that relationship sits at the heart of coaching.

Put simply, settings are being asked to identify needs early, respond with targeted support, and show the impact. An adolescent wellbeing coach gives them the capacity to do it.

What does an adolescent wellbeing coach do?

An adolescent wellbeing coach helps young people develop the psychological resources to cope, engage and thrive. Their work follows the nine competencies the Association for Coaching sets for all coaches, applied to adolescents and to the realities of a school or college.

Builds a trusting relationship

For many disadvantaged young people, their coach is one of the few consistently trusting adults in their lives. The coach is warm, non-judgemental and genuinely curious. They accept the young person as they are and believe in their potential. Trust is not a nice extra. It is the foundation that everything else depends on.

Agrees clear goals and boundaries

At the start, the coach explains in plain language what coaching is, how many sessions there will be, and what will and will not stay confidential. The young person sets their own goals, alongside any reasons the setting had for referring them.

Develops three sets of skills

The coach uses practical, evidence-based tools to help young people build:

• communication and interpersonal skills, such as sharing problems constructively and building positive relationships with peers and adults
• self and emotional awareness, such as recognising strengths, understanding comfort zones and managing stress
• thinking skills, such as reframing unhelpful thoughts, reality-checking, problem-solving and setting achievable goals

Puts the young person in the driving seat

Coaching is non-directive. Rather than telling a young person what to do, the coach asks questions that help them find their own solutions. Each session ends with a small step the young person chooses. Over time this builds ownership, accountability and the ability to self-coach.

Tracks progress and plans a good ending

The coach reviews progress each session, celebrates achievements and measures impact using wellbeing, belonging, goal and attendance data. Programmes are time-limited and end with a plan the young person owns, so they leave more independent, not more dependent.

Works as part of the team

The coach shares outcomes, never session content, with the staff responsible for the young person's support. They contribute to the setting's graduated approach and inclusion strategy, and share strategies that work so that coaching approaches strengthen practice across the setting.

Knows when to refer on

The coach is trained to recognise when a young person's needs go beyond coaching. They follow safeguarding procedures immediately and help connect the young person to counselling, a Mental Health Support Team, CAMHS or other specialist support.

Keeps developing

The coach attends regular supervision, reflects on their practice and completes ongoing professional development, just as any professional working with vulnerable young people should.

What does a coaching programme look like?

Adolescent wellbeing coaching fits naturally into the graduated approach of assess, plan, do and review.

1. Assess. Staff notice early signs, such as falling attendance, withdrawal, emerging anxiety or a difficult transition. The member of staff leading the coaching offer checks that coaching is the right fit: the young person is willing, there is no immediate risk, and their needs are below clinical thresholds.
2. Plan. The coach meets the young person, explains coaching and confidentiality, agrees goals and completes baseline wellbeing and belonging measures.
3. Do. A time-limited programme of one-to-one or small-group sessions builds skills step by step.
4. Review. Progress is reviewed every session and with the coaching lead at agreed points.
5. Exit or escalate. The programme ends with follow-up measures and a plan the young person owns. Progress is checked again later to see if it has lasted. If needs increase at any point, the young person is referred to specialist support.

A week in the role

Here is how the role might look across one week. Names and details are invented.

Monday. At the weekly inclusion meeting, Jay in Year 9 is flagged. His attendance has dropped from 96% to 84% since Easter, but there is no safeguarding concern and he is below the threshold for the Mental Health Support Team. He is referred for coaching. In the first session, Jay and his coach agree what he wants to be different.

Tuesday. In the school's inclusion base, the coach works with Kai, who is gradually spending more time in mainstream lessons. Kai sets a goal for returning to science and chooses one strategy to use when he feels the urge to walk out.

Wednesday. At a local FE college, the coach runs a group programme for first-year students at risk of dropping out. Today the group practises reframing unhelpful thoughts about a failed assignment.

Thursday. The coach attends group supervision and talks through a tricky question from a parent about confidentiality.

Friday. The coach reviews the term's outcomes with the school's Pastoral Lead and SENCO. Attendance, wellbeing and goal data show who has made progress and who might need a different kind of support.

Two ways to work as an adolescent wellbeing coach

The coaching method and ethical standards are the same either way. What differs is who employs the coach and how young people reach them.

The in-setting coach

An in-setting coach is a member of staff who coaches young people as part of their role. They might be a pastoral leader, learning mentor, teaching assistant, inclusion base practitioner, youth worker or student services adviser.

• They are employed by the school, college or HE provider and have a named line manager.
• Young people are referred through the setting's graduated approach, against agreed entry criteria.
• They follow the setting's safeguarding policy and report concerns to its Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• They have a defined caseload, for example six to ten young people a term, plus group programmes.
• They attend regular group supervision, with time protected in their timetable.

The big advantage is that the capacity stays in the setting. Young people have a consistent key adult on site every day, and coaching approaches spread into wider practice.

The independent practitioner

An independent practitioner is a self-employed specialist coach who is commissioned by schools, colleges, trusts, local authorities or families.

Independent practitioners typically work in two ways:

• Directly with families. Parents or carers pay the coach to work one-to-one with their teenager or young adult, for example around confidence, exam stress, a difficult transition or re-engaging with school or college.
• With schools and settings. Schools, colleges, trusts and local authorities commission the coach to deliver packages of support, such as one-to-one coaching interventions for referred young people, group coaching programmes, or a wellbeing and resilience curriculum delivered to a class or year group.
• They agree referral criteria, safeguarding and reporting arrangements with each setting they work in, usually in a three-way agreement between the young person, the sponsor and the coach.
• They report safeguarding concerns to the commissioning setting's DSL.
• They hold their own professional indemnity insurance and arrange their own supervision.
• They often work across several settings, offering one-to-one and group programmes.

Independent practitioners give settings without trained staff access to specialist capacity, and can cover peaks in need. Some settings combine both: an independent coach launches the offer while staff train, then moves into a supervisory or top-up role.

Who does an adolescent wellbeing coach work with?

Coaching works best as part of a joined-up system, not a standalone service. Every setting needs one senior leader who leads the coaching offer. Because schools and colleges organise leadership differently, this might be:

• the Senior Mental Health Lead
• the Inclusion Lead or Deputy Head for Inclusion
• the SENCO, particularly where coaching supports pupils on SEN support or in an inclusion base
• a Pastoral Lead, Head of Year or Head of Key Stage
• the Designated Safeguarding Lead or a deputy, where pastoral and safeguarding leadership are combined
• in colleges and universities, the Head of Student Services, Wellbeing or Student Support

The coaching lead agrees who coaching is for, manages referrals and caseloads, and uses outcome data in the setting's inclusion strategy. Ideally they sit on, or report directly to, the senior leadership team.

Alongside the coaching lead, the coach works with:

• the Designated Safeguarding Lead, who receives any safeguarding concern straight away, whoever leads the coaching offer
• the SENCO, to align coaching with SEN support plans and EHC plan outcomes
• the inclusion base lead, where coaching is one of the base's planned interventions and supports a young person's return to mainstream lessons
• tutors, teachers and pastoral staff, who refer young people and help them use new strategies in class
• counsellors, Mental Health Support Teams and CAMHS, who receive onward referrals and may step young people down to coaching
• parents and carers, who are informed and involved as agreed with the young person

What an adolescent wellbeing coach is not

Being clear about the boundaries of the role is what makes it safe and effective.

• Not a counsellor or therapist. Counselling explores emotional distress, often looking back. CBT is a structured, clinical approach. Coaching is forward-looking, focused on goals, strengths and action. It complements these approaches rather than replacing them.
• Not a mentor. A mentor shares their own experience and advice, guiding a young person along a path they have walked themselves. A coach does not give answers or act as a role model to copy. Instead they ask questions that help the young person discover their own strengths, goals and solutions. Coaching is also time-limited and structured, with agreed goals and measured outcomes, whereas mentoring is often informal and open-ended. The two can work well side by side.
• Not a clinician. The coach does not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Coaching works best at the pre-clinical stage, and when needs go further, the coach refers on.
• Not a sanction. Coaching, like time in an inclusion base, is support to meet a young person's needs, never a consequence for behaviour.
• Not directive. The coach does not tell young people what to do or "sort them out". The young person leads.

Ethics and safeguarding

Adolescent wellbeing coaches work to the Association for Coaching's Global Code of Ethics. Because anyone can call themselves a coach, this matters. In practice it means the coach:

• explains the limits of confidentiality in plain words at the first session: if there is a risk of harm to the young person or others, it is always shared
• agrees confidentiality arrangements with the setting or parents in the young person's best interests, in line with safeguarding practice
• follows safeguarding legislation and the setting's procedures, and reports concerns to the DSL straight away
• keeps contact to agreed, visible channels, never personal social media or private messaging
• describes their training and accreditation accurately
• stores records securely and in line with data protection law
• attends regular supervision and works within their competence

How do you become an adolescent wellbeing coach?

Most adolescent wellbeing coaches already work with young people in education, youth work, health or community settings. What they need is a proven method, practical tools and the confidence to use them safely.

Step 1: Train as an adolescent wellbeing coach. The Worth-it Coach Training programme is an Accredited Award in Coach Training with the Association for Coaching, recognised by the ACCPH as Level 3 equivalent. It combines live online skills workshops, online learning modules and supervised coaching practice with young people, and includes a toolkit of coaching resources.

Step 2: Become certified and accredited. Coaches who want to build a specialist practice, in their setting or independently, can join the Certified Adolescent Wellbeing Coach programme. It adds further coaching practice, supervision, CPD and business support, leading to Foundation Coach accreditation with the Association for Coaching.

Step 3: Keep developing. Practising coaches attend regular supervision and continue their professional development each year.

Find out more

• New to coaching young people? Start with our free CPD bundle, Introduction to Coaching Young People.
• Ready to train? Download the coach training prospectus or visit our coach training page.
• Planning your setting's targeted support? Use the Wellbeing and Inclusion Planning Tool to see where coaching could make the biggest difference.

References

• Association for Coaching. Global Code of Ethics for Coaches, Mentors and Supervisors (2021) and Coaching Competency Framework.
• Department for Education (2026). Inclusion bases in schools guidance.
• Ofsted (2026). State-funded school inspection toolkit: for use on inspections from 7 September 2026.
• Banerjee, P. (2026). School belonging and attainment at key stage 4: linked data study. University of Cambridge / Department for Education.
• Robson-Kelly, L., & van Nieuwerburgh, C. (2016). What does coaching have to offer to young people at risk of developing mental health problems? A grounded theory study. International Coaching Psychology Review, 11(1), 75–92.