How to fund coachingyou probably don't have to pay for this yourself.
There's a good chance someone else should be paying for this.
Two routes: your employer's learning and development budget, or Access to Work if you're a disabled person or have a health condition that affects your work. Both are legitimate, both are used regularly, and neither requires you to justify yourself at length.
Your employer's L&D budget
Most companies that employ engineers have a professional development budget. Most employees never use it. If you're at a company with any kind of L&D policy, this is worth a conversation with your manager.
A single coaching session at £350 fits comfortably within a typical individual L&D allowance. If there's a cap, ask whether there's a separate personal development pot, or whether your manager has discretion to top it up for something with a clear return.
Who this works for
Newly promoted managers, senior ICs heading toward leadership, anyone navigating a significant role change. If your company is investing in your progression, coaching is a direct line to that investment paying off faster.
How to have the conversation
You don't need to oversell it. The straightforward version:
- Name the thing you're working on: a new role, a promotion you're targeting, a specific situation that needs support
- Say what coaching gives you that a course or a book doesn't: someone external who can work on the live thing, not a hypothetical
- Point to the outcome: faster effectiveness in role, fewer expensive mistakes, clearer decision-making
Most managers say yes to this if you ask directly. The ones who don't usually have a budget cap, not an objection to coaching itself.
I've worked with people funded by their employers at companies across the UK tech sector, from early-stage startups to scale-ups. It's not unusual. You're not asking for something weird.
Ready-to-send templates
Pick the option that fits, edit the bracketed bits, and send it. Done.
The Decisive Hour: one session, £350
Subject: L&D budget request for coaching
Hi [Name],
I'd like to use my L&D budget for a coaching session. I've found a coach I think would be genuinely useful: Val Dryden at Outraged Racoon Coaching. She's an ILM-certified executive coach and former CTO/VP Engineering with nearly two decades in tech, so she understands this industry and the specific situations I'm navigating.
A single session is £350, which fits within my L&D allowance. I'm looking at it as a way to [get sharper on X / work through Y / develop faster in Z].
Happy to talk through it if useful. Let me know if you need anything from me to get this approved.
Thanks,
[Your name]
Send this to your manager. Opens in your email, ready to edit and send.
The Campaign: three sessions, £800
Subject: L&D budget request for coaching
Hi [Name],
I'd like to use my L&D budget toward a block of three coaching sessions with Val Dryden at Outraged Racoon Coaching. She's an ILM-certified executive coach and former CTO/VP Engineering with nearly two decades in tech.
The block is £800 in total. I'm looking at this as a way to [get support on X / develop faster in Y / work through Z] over the next few months.
Happy to talk through it if useful. Let me know if you need anything from me to get this approved.
Thanks,
[Your name]
Send this to your manager. Opens in your email, ready to edit and send.
Access to Work
Access to Work is a UK government grant scheme that funds support for disabled people and people with health conditions, including mental health conditions and neurodivergent profiles, that affect their work. It covers coaching where the coaching directly supports your ability to do your job.
The maximum grant is £66,000 per year. It does not need to be repaid.
Who it's for
You don't need a formal diagnosis to apply. If you have a physical or mental health condition, a neurodivergent profile (ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia), or a disability that makes work harder, you may be eligible. The scheme is broader than most people realise, so it's worth checking even if you're not sure.
How it works
You apply directly to Access to Work, explaining how your condition affects your work and what support would help. If approved, they fund some or all of the cost. You don't need your employer's approval to apply, though your employer is involved in the process.
You can name me directly in your application. There's no approved provider list. I'll provide whatever documentation the application needs.
Where to apply
Applications go through GOV.UK Access to Work (opens in new tab). The application asks about your condition, your job, and what support you need. Coaching for work-related challenges is a legitimate use of the scheme.
If you're going through an Access to Work application and want to talk through what to include, get in touch. I can help you articulate how coaching supports your work specifically.
Self-funding
If neither route works for you and you're paying out of pocket, especially if you're under-represented in tech, get in touch. We can usually find a way to make it work. I'd rather have the conversation than have someone rule themselves out before asking.
