IC-COAC - Coaching Core Credential

Learn the foundations of professional coaching in two four-hour live online sessions, covering all eight ICF Core Competencies, the Code of Ethics and a first practice round. You earn the ICA Core Credential for Coaching (IC-COAC), the first step towards ICP-COA and the first part of Coaching Skills for Impact.

Description

Coaching Certification: Earn the ICA Core Credential in Coaching (IC-COAC) in Two Live Online Sessions

Learn the foundations of professional coaching and earn your IC-COAC badge, the first step towards the ICA Certified Professional: Coaching certification (ICP-COA).

IC-COAC Coaching Core Credential badge

Format: Live and instructor-led, online

Duration: Two 4-hour live sessions

Language: English

 

Credential: IC-COAC Core Credential

Class size: Typically around 12, maximum 20

Experience needed: No formal prerequisites

Good coaching is a skill you build by practising it, not a technique you read about. This live online class gives you the foundations of professional coaching, so you start applying what you learn straight away.

Over two four-hour live sessions you work through all eight ICF Core Competencies and the ICF Code of Ethics, and have your baseline one-to-one, a 30 minute session included with the Core Credential.

IC-COAC is the ICA Core Credential for Coaching and the first step towards ICP-COA. It is also the first part of our Coaching Skills for Impact programme.

How Does This Fit into the ICA Coaching Certification (ICP-COA)?

Core Credential in Coaching (IC-COAC) selected, plus any two of three Specialised Credentials, Listening and Inquiry (IC-LSTN) suggested first, Coaching Ethics and Boundaries (IC-CHEB) and Coaching Presence and Stance (IC-CHPS), equals ICA Certified Professional: Coaching (ICP-COA)

IC-COAC is the Core Credential. Add any two of the three Specialised Credentials, taken in any order: Coaching Ethics and Boundaries (IC-CHEB), Coaching Presence and Stance (IC-CHPS) and Listening and Inquiry (IC-LSTN). This class earns the Core. The full Coaching Skills for Impact programme adds all three, the Integration session, 10 hours of mentor coaching and the programme certificate.

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Agile Affinity is rated 4.9 out of 5 from 48+ verified Google Reviews

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Vasileios Manolas

“Great experience gaining my certificate with Agile Affinity. I like the way the training is organised and the mentoring sessions helped me gain valuable feedback across my training!”

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“Thank you so much for the best course and your support. The step-by-step approach and clear explanations allowed me to learn and apply the knowledge in real life.”

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Take the Full Programme: Coaching Skills for Impact

Coaching Skills for Impact programme certificate badge, Agile Affinity

The Core Credential (IC-COAC) is one part of Coaching Skills for Impact, our online coaching programme launching in April 2027. The programme gives you the whole route in one place: the Core Credential and all three Specialised Credentials, the Integration session, 10 hours of mentor coaching (3 one-to-one sessions and 7 group sessions), peer practice dojos, the ICA Certified Professional: Coaching certification (ICP-COA) and the programme certificate.

Get £600 worth of training included. The Core Credential, the three Specialised Credentials and the Integration session are all part of the programme price. The rest of your investment pays for the mentor coaching, the programme certificate from an ICF accredited provider and the support around you.

You do not have to pick credentials one at a time. Choose the programme and you have a mentor coach alongside you all the way, with the self-paced work open as soon as you sign up.

Programme price: £2,000 + VAT  |  €2,400  |  $2,650 USD

See the Coaching Skills for Impact programme

Agile Affinity online class: twelve participants smiling on camera in a live video call

What Will You Receive?

1

The IC-COAC Core Credential

Earn the ICA Core Credential badge for Coaching across two four-hour live sessions.

2

Eight hours of live teaching

Two four-hour live sessions with your trainer.

3

A 30 minute baseline one-to-one

Included with the Core Credential, so you start the programme with a clear baseline.

4

A clear route to ICP-COA

IC-COAC is the first step towards the ICA Certified Professional: Coaching certification, and counts towards Coaching Skills for Impact.

Included: A Free 30-Minute Coaching Session After the Class

One-on-one coaching session via Zoom

Every booking includes a free 30-minute one-on-one session with your trainer, scheduled after the class when you need it most.

Talk through a real situation where you want to use what you practised.

Get tailored feedback on how you are applying the skills.

Build confidence before your next coaching conversation. The full Coaching Skills for Impact programme goes further, with three one-to-one mentoring sessions and seven group sessions.

How Does the Coaching Core Class Work?

Two live four-hour sessions

The class runs over two days. It is live and instructor-led, so you learn with your trainer and your group rather than from recordings.

A baseline one-to-one included

Your 30 minute baseline one-to-one comes with the Core Credential, so you know where you are starting from.

Take it on its own or as part of the programme

Book the Core by itself, or take it as the first part of Coaching Skills for Impact, which adds the three Specialised Credentials, the Integration session and 10 hours of mentor coaching.

Who Is This For?

This class is for anyone who wants a solid foundation in professional coaching, whether you plan to take the full programme or just the Core.

People starting out in coaching. You want a structured introduction to coaching competencies and ethics.

Agile coaches, Scrum Masters and team leads. You want to formalise the coaching you already do.

Managers and leaders. You want coaching skills for your own people.

What Does the IC-COAC Credential Cover?

In the two live sessions you work on these ICA learning outcomes:

Purpose and Boundaries of Coaching
In our class: you practise telling coaching apart from mentoring, advising, teaching and facilitation in workplace scenarios.

Coaching Presence and Active Listening
In our class: you coach in your own turn, keeping attention on the client's agenda.

Questions That Evoke Awareness
In our class: you practise open, client-centred questions without steering the client.

Reflection and Reframing
In our class: you practise reflecting and reframing without directing the client's conclusion.

Complete Coaching Conversation
In our class: you conduct a complete coaching conversation, from the client's desired outcome to a meaningful close.

Agile Affinity Powerful Questions Quadrant: Understand Outcomes, Explore, Define Actions and Next Steps, each with example coaching questions

Good coaching questions do not arrive by accident. This is the question map we use to move a conversation from what the client wants, through exploring it, to actions and next steps. It is our own tool, and you keep it.

Source: ICA learning outcomes for IC-COAC, International Certification Alliance, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (licence). Titles quoted unaltered.

Your Trainer: Helen Meek

Helen Meek, ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and trainer at Agile Affinity

ICF-PCC · Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC) · Certified Team Coach (CTC) · Accredited Kanban Trainer (AKT) · 18+ years

Helen is an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with over 18 years of experience working with individuals, teams and organisations on their road to agility. Her credentials include the Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC) and Certified Team Coach (CTC) from Scrum Alliance, and the Accredited Kanban Trainer (AKT) credential from Kanban University.

What sets Helen apart is that she is not just teaching coaching theory. She is a practising professional coach who works with real clients every day, with lived experience from organisations including ASOS, Merck and Cambridge University Press, and a genuine passion for helping people discover their own coaching stance.

Alternate trainer: John Barratt. John is a Founding Partner and Agile Coach at Agile Affinity, a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) and Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC) with a military background and named client results at IAG Loyalty, Maersk and Vodafone.

Benefits of Training with Agile Affinity

Get Certified

Earn your IC-COAC credential, the ICA Core Credential for Coaching.

 

Save on Future Courses

Receive 20% off all future Agile Affinity certifications when you sign up for our newsletter.

Join the Community

Access the Agile Affinity Discord and Scrum Event, the largest Scrum Alliance meetup in Europe, for ongoing peer support.

 

Part of a Programme

Everything you learn counts towards Coaching Skills for Impact, with mentor coaching available through the programme.

Agile Affinity is a UK-based boutique agile coaching and training consultancy, established in 2019. We have trained over 1,000 practitioners and certify over 750 per year across Scrum Alliance and ICAgile® programmes and run some of the UK’s most active agile communities, including Scrum Event (the largest Scrum Alliance meetup in Europe), the Kanban Coaching Exchange, the Agile Coaching Exchange, and Agile Coach Camp UK. When you train with us, you are joining a community of practitioners, not just attending a class.

Agile Affinity training community

Take the Full Programme: Coaching Skills for Impact

Coaching Skills for Impact programme certificate badge, Agile Affinity

Want the full route to ICP-COA? Coaching Skills for Impact brings the Core, all three Specialised Credentials, the Integration session and 10 hours of mentor coaching together in one programme.

Programme price: £2,000 + VAT  |  €2,400  |  $2,650 USD

See the Coaching Skills for Impact programme

Your Investment

£200 + VAT  |  €230  |  $275 USD

Your investment includes both live sessions, your IC-COAC credential, a free 30-minute 1:1 session with your trainer and lifetime Discord community access. No hidden costs.

Classes are kept small: typically around 12 people, with a maximum of 20, so everyone gets time to practise and get feedback.

Scroll up to choose your date and register. Want the full route to ICP-COA with mentor coaching? Take Coaching Skills for Impact instead. See the Coaching Skills for Impact programme.

Money-back guarantee: We stand by the quality of our training. If you are not fully satisfied, contact us before the end of the class for a full refund.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I book the full Coaching Skills for Impact programme instead?

If you want the ICA Certified Professional: Coaching certification (ICP-COA), the programme is the simplest route. It includes the Core Credential, the other credentials, the Integration session and 10 hours of mentor coaching, with a mentor coach alongside you all the way. Programme price: £2,000 + VAT, €2,400 or $2,650 USD. See the Coaching Skills for Impact programme.

Do I need any prior experience to attend?

There are no formal prerequisites. You can take this credential on its own or as part of Coaching Skills for Impact.

Is there an exam?

No. You earn the IC-COAC credential through full participation in the exercises across the class.

How should I prepare?

Joining instructions are sent before the class, with anything you need to prepare.

Can I book this on its own, or only as part of the programme?

Both. You can book the Core Credential on its own, or take it as part of Coaching Skills for Impact. See the Coaching Skills for Impact programme.

How many people will be in the class?

Classes typically have around 12 participants, with a maximum of 20.

Are the sessions recorded?

No. The live sessions are not recorded, so everyone can practise openly and take risks without a camera capturing it.

What software do I need?

For the live sessions you need the latest Zoom desktop application (not the web or mobile version), a stable internet connection, and a working webcam and microphone, with your camera on throughout.

What if I need to cancel or reschedule?

We offer a full refund if you contact us before the end of the class. If your schedule changes, you can transfer your booking to a future class at no extra cost. Just let us know at least 5 working days before the class starts at talk@agileaffinity.com.

Can my employer pay, or can I get an invoice?

Yes. Select “Pay by Bank Transfer” at checkout and an invoice will be generated automatically. Payment must be received before joining instructions are sent. For larger corporate bookings or bespoke requirements, please contact us at talk@agileaffinity.com.

What if I have another question?

We are happy to help. Email us at talk@agileaffinity.com and we will get back to you quickly.

To pay in another currency, select your location at the top right of the website. UK-based buyers must pay in GBP.

ICF Core Competencies and ICF Code of Ethics are the intellectual property of the International Coaching Federation. ICA is the International Certification Alliance.

ICP-COA, IC-COAC, IC-CHEB, IC-CHPS and IC-LSTN are credentials of the International Certification Alliance (ICA).

ICAgile® is a trademark of the International Consortium for Agile (ICAgile). Agile Affinity LLP is an ICAgile Transformation Member.

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