The Coaching and Mentoring Exchange provides a range of coaching and mentoring opportunities for the people profession community across NHS Wales.
Whether you are a coach or mentor seeking to support other NHS Wales people professionals, or looking for a coach or mentor to support your own personal and professional growth, this space will be for you. We offer a range of resources and information for coaching and mentoring, including reverse mentoring, access to coaches and mentors for both senior and aspiring people professionals via the Coaching and Mentoring Exchange and a chance to sign up as a coach or mentor and support colleagues across NHS Wales in their career journey.
Contents:
About Coaching and Mentoring | Sign Up as Coach or Mentor | Find a Coach or Mentor |
Registration Support | Additional Resources
About Coaching and Mentoring
Coaches and mentors both play critical roles in guiding individuals toward their goals, but they differ in their approaches and the nature of their relationships. Both offer tools which are intended to be supportive, non-judgmental, and provide a great degree of confidentiality and clear boundaries. Coaches typically provide structured, short-term support, focused on skill enhancement and goal achievement. Mentors offer long-term, holistic guidance based on their own experiences and a more informal relationship. Both roles are invaluable in helping individuals reach their full potential, each contributing unique perspectives and approaches to personal and professional development.
Coaching aims to produce optimal performance and improvement at work. It focuses on specific skills and goals, and may also have an impact on an individual’s personal attributes such as social interaction or confidence (CIPD).
Coaches provide:
- Structured Approach: Coaches typically follow a structured process tailored to the individual’s needs, focusing on specific goals and outcomes.
- Skill Enhancement: They help individuals enhance specific skills or overcome challenges by providing feedback, support, and accountability.
- Objective Perspective: Coaches often provide an objective viewpoint, offering insights and strategies to help clients achieve clarity and make informed decisions.
- Short-Term Focus: Coaching relationships tend to be more short-term and task-oriented, aiming to achieve specific objectives within a defined timeframe.
Mentoring in the workplace describes a relationship in which a more experienced colleague shares their greater knowledge to support the development of an inexperienced individual. It calls on the skills of questioning, listening, clarifying and reframing that are associated with coaching (CIPD).
Mentors offer:
- Long-term Relationships: Mentors develop long-term relationships with mentees, offering ongoing guidance, support, and wisdom.
- Experience Sharing: They share their own experiences, knowledge, and expertise to help mentees navigate their career paths and personal development.
- Holistic Approaches: Mentors focus not only on professional growth but also on personal development, offering holistic guidance to help mentees succeed in all aspects of their lives.
- Informal Structure: Unlike coaching, mentoring relationships often have a more informal structure, with guidance and support provided based on the mentee’s needs and the mentor’s availability.
Sign Up as a Coach or Mentor
Contact the team on HEIW.WODProfession@wales.nhs.uk to find out how to register on the Coaching and Mentoring Exchange.
Find a Coach or Mentor
All you need to do is sign up to the Coaching and Mentoring Exchange and complete a personal profile, stating your personal goals and experience. Our system will provide some recommendations on suitable coaches and mentors, who will be able to support you to reach your full potential.
The Process
- Individuals will need to register and create a short profile to enable matching with a Coach or Mentor using the Coaching & Executive Mentoring Hub. Please email HEIW.WODProfession@wales.nhs.uk to request access.
- Individuals will be able to identify a suitable Coach/Mentor using algorithmic functionality in the Coaching and Mentoring Exchange based on the profile information uploaded by both Coach/Mentor and the Coachee/Mentee.
- Once a suitable ‘Best Fit’ Coach/Mentor has been identified, the individual will be able to progress with a 30- minute virtual chemistry/introductory conversation.
- Once the individual is content with their match (following the chemistry/introductory conversation), individuals and their Coach/Mentor can agree the time commitments required, including session duration and frequency.
Os nad yw’r unigolyn yn fodlon â’r paru yn dilyn y sgwrs cemeg/rhagarweiniol, bydd yn gallu mynd at Hyfforddwr/Mentor arall.
Registration Support
For support registering or creating your profile on the HEIW Mentoring and Coaching Hub, consult our short User Guide 
or watch a Pushfar Platform Participant Video .
If you require any further support, please contact HEIW.WODProfession@wales.nhs.uk.
Learning and Development Resources
Are you looking for additional resources to support you on becoming a coach or mentor, or enhancing your existing skills and knowledge in Coaching and Mentoring? Please explore our additional resources available.
