Governance & ethics

A governed standard

How we keep every Vision to Value Practitioner accountable: one Code of Ethics, a clear scope of practice and a register that's kept current every year.

Our standard

Real World Consultancy is the licensing body for the Vision to Value Methodology®. Every licensed practitioner pledges to follow the Vision to Value Methodology® Global Code of Ethics as a condition of their annual licence. Alongside it, each practitioner agrees a Scope of Practice and Working Agreement with every client, which sets out what they will and won't do, how sessions run and the commercial terms.

Code of Ethics

The Global Code is taught in Module 5 of the Strategic Coaching Diploma, Professional Ethics: The Global Code. Alleged breaches are investigated by Real World Consultancy. If proven, a breach may lead to suspension or removal of the practitioner and withdrawal of their right to use the methodology and its trademarks. In summary, practitioners commit to:

Professional competence and annual licensing

Practitioners complete annual re-licensing, verifying their command of the Vision to Value Methodology® and the Ambitious Growth Model™.
They represent their status, title, certification and experience accurately, so as not to mislead anyone.
They hold adequate Professional Indemnity Insurance before charging professional fees.
They commit to ongoing reflective practice, professional supervision and methodology updates.

Integrity of the coaching relationship

Practitioners work peer to peer with the client, as a supportive challenger, and manage any power or status differences.
They build the client's own capability and avoid creating dependency.
The client keeps sole responsibility for decisions and outcomes, and practitioners make no claims of revenue outcomes that cannot be demonstrated or guaranteed.
Quality stays the same whatever the package or fee.

Boundaries

When moving between coaching and any agreed advisory service, practitioners say so out loud, so the client always knows which role they are in.
Practitioners recognise the boundary between future-focused coaching and therapy, and recommend a qualified healthcare professional if clinical issues come up.
They pause their practice if their own health means they cannot practise safely.
Sexual or romantic involvement with current clients or sponsors is prohibited.

Confidentiality, data and intellectual property

Client information is disclosed only with explicit written consent or under legal compulsion.
Records are stored securely and processed in line with data protection law, including UK GDPR.
Clients use the methodology's tools for their own business only.

Fair commercial agreements

Roles, responsibilities and financial terms are agreed in writing before any work starts.
Practitioners disclose any payment they might receive from third-party referrals.
Clients can end the relationship at any point, subject to their signed contract.

Legal compliance and resolving issues

Practitioners encourage open, direct conversation to resolve any billing or delivery issue with the client.
All promotional material must be legal, decent, honest and truthful.
If an alleged breach cannot be resolved directly, the practitioner must contact Real World Consultancy, as the licensing body, and cooperate fully with its review.

Scope of practice

Scope of practice is the clear boundary of what a practitioner is qualified, contracted and ethically permitted to do. It covers what they offer, what they don't offer and what they refer on. It's agreed and signed at the start of every engagement, and revisited whenever a conversation starts to move outside it.

What a practitioner does

Strategic coaching across the four pillars of the Ambitious Growth Model™: personal ambition, business vision, growth strategy and delivery.
Tracking progress, keeping the plan aligned and challenging anything vague.
Specialist advisory work only where the practitioner is genuinely qualified, and only when it is written into the client's agreement.

What a practitioner doesn't do

Doing the work for the client: no tactical execution, operational management or admin inside their business.
Therapy or clinical issues.
Legal, accounting or regulated financial advice, unless the practitioner holds that qualification and it is agreed in writing.

When to refer on

The referral network is agreed at onboarding, before the first session, so the client knows who they'll be referred to: a therapist, an accountant, a solicitor or a financial planner. Practitioners check that each partner is on the right professional register, such as the BACP Register for counsellors or the FCA register for financial advisers. If a topic drifts outside scope, the practitioner names it in the session, refers the client to a qualified specialist, keeps coaching on everything else and notes the referral in the session record.

How the Practitioner Register is kept current

Every practitioner has a register number on the public Practitioner Register.
The Practitioner Licence renews every year, at £1,200 + VAT a year, with the first year included with the Diploma. Renewal keeps the practitioner's methodology current and keeps them listed.
A practitioner is removed from the Practitioner Register immediately when their licence lapses.
Each profile shows the coach's status. Licensed Practitioners hold the Diploma and renew their Licence each year. Coaches on the associate path have trained in the Vision to Value Methodology® and are clearly badged. The associate path applied only to associates who trained in and delivered the Vision to Value Methodology® for Real World Consultancy as associates in 2025/26. It is not open to new applicants: everyone else qualifies through the Strategic Coaching Diploma.

CPD accreditation

The Strategic Coaching Diploma is a Diploma-Level professional qualification and an Accredited CPD Activity recognised by The CPD Standards Office (Provider 51104, 2026 to 2028), worth 180 CPD hours.

Raising a concern

Anyone can raise a concern about a Vision to Value Practitioner by emailing support@realworldconsultancy.org. Alleged breaches are investigated by Real World Consultancy. If proven, a breach may lead to suspension or removal of the practitioner from the register and withdrawal of their right to use the methodology and its trademarks.