We have answered some of the most frequently asked questions here, but please don’t hesitate to contact us for any other information you might need.
General FAQS
What is Queen Bee Coaching?
Queen Bee Coaching offers free coaching to support all women, particularly those from diverse backgrounds and experiences, to overcome barriers, increase their impact on society and rise to positions of influence, in order to accelerate Greater Manchester toward equity.
What is coaching?
Coaching might be different from other kinds of development support you’ve had in the past.
A coach believes that you already have all the answers within you, so coaches don’t give advice. A coach and coachee build a partnership – a non-judgemental and supportive environment – so that the coachee can work out what those answers are.
A coach is fully present and really listens, to support you to think about and explore a topic for yourself, looking at options and obstacles, then deciding a way forward that you can commit to. Coaching gives you time to momentarily step away from the demands of your life to focus on yourself and think about how you want to develop.
Coaching might help you find a way around any barriers you are facing. It could help you with confidence, career development, work-life balance, challenging work relationships and achieving your goals – among many other things!
How does it work and how do I get involved?
You can apply to receive coaching or to become one of our volunteer coaches. The application forms can be found on the Join Us page, which you can get to by clicking the button at the top-right of the screen. If you’re not sure our offer is for you, we’d urge you to get in touch with us using the Contact Us page so we can help you decide. After a successful application, you’d be matched with a coach, who would contact you to arrange an initial conversation before you begin your six sessions together.
You can also apply to volunteer with our support team, who keep the whole operation running.
Is the coaching offered for free?
We offer our coaching for free thanks to our volunteer support team and our amazing volunteer coaches. Coaching is often associated with corporate executives and can be expensive, but we know it can be a powerful development tool for anyone. That’s why QBC was founded to offer free coaching to those who might not usually be able to access it.
FAQS for potential coaches
Is there a set length of time that coaching is provided and is there a limit to the number of people each coach supports?
We usually offer six free sessions to our clients, plus an initial conversation to get to know each other. Most coaches and clients choose to meet once a month, so on average coaching lasts six months. However, it’s not unusual for people to take a break in the middle and then resume coaching after that. Equally, the client may feel like the coaching has reached a natural end before they have completed six sessions and end the coaching partnership sooner.
In terms of a limit to the number of people each coach supports – a coach usually only has one client at a time and will be matched with a new client following the completion of a coaching partnership.
Is there access to CPD and supervision?
We run monthly CPD sessions for coaches and these are often recorded if you can’t make it. All our volunteer coaches can also access free supervision. We want to make sure all of our coaches are supported and enjoy being part of QBC. We have a QBC community whatsapp group where our coaches share learnings and support each other.
I’m interested to hear more about the CPD sessions for coaches. Can you give me some examples please?
Our CPD is usually delivered for coaches over Zoom, with quarterly in-person events that bring our coaches and clients together. We plan ahead, asking coaches what they may want or need and using the skills of our coaches to deliver the sessions. Recent topics have included strengths-based coaching, the social model of disability and supporting clients with ADHD. Many CPD sessions are recorded for coaches to access later.
FAQs for potential clients
Who is the coaching for?
Queen Bee Coaching offers free coaching to support all women, particularly those from diverse backgrounds and experiences, to overcome barriers, increase their impact on society and rise to positions of influence, in order to accelerate Greater Manchester toward equity.
Coaching might help you find a way around any barriers you are facing. It could help you with confidence, career development, work-life balance, challenging work relationships and achieving your goals – among many other things!
Can I be matched with someone who has the same protected characteristics as me?
There is an opportunity on the application form to state a preference for this and we will do our best to match client and coaches in this way. It’s not always possible due to the coaches that we might have available at the time ready for a new client, but we will absolutely work with you on this.
What does a typical coaching session look like?
There really isn’t a ‘typical’ coaching session, as it all depends on the client and what they want to get out of it. Put as simply as possible, coaching is a conversation. Sessions are usually about an hour and take place once a month.
A coaching session will often be guided by the goals that the client set out when they started coaching. In a session it might be that a client looks at what’s not going the way they want and discusses why that might be. Sessions may also reflect on what’s changed since the last session and the progress that has been made.
A coach believes that you already have all the answers within you, so coaches don’t give advice. A coach and coachee build a partnership – a non-judgemental and supportive environment – so that the coachee can work out what those answers are.
A coach is fully present and really listens, to support you to think about and explore a topic for yourself, looking at options and obstacles, then deciding a way forward that you can commit to. Coaching gives you time to momentarily step away from the demands of your life to focus on yourself and think about how you want to develop.
What happens with my personal information?
Queen Bee Coaching is committed to keeping your personal information safe and secure. For further information about how your data is protected, please read our privacy statement.
QBC is constantly reviewing its processes and listening to its users. If you would like to comment or complain about your experience please email info@queenbeecoaching.org addressed to the Chair Sarah Harness.