One of the main reasons for such a high percentage of part-time positions is the way in which sport is funded in the UK. The funding streams which organisations can access are constantly changing and many have restrictions around how the funds can be spent. This can often limit the scope for a coaching role and may mean that a part-time position is the only option available, often for only a couple of hours per week. The outcome of this is that many coaches have a fragmented working week which can lead to disillusionment with a career in coaching and in turn weakens the drive towards professionalising coaching in the UK.
In addition to this, there is also a lack of understanding into the legal implications associated with employing people and in some cases no infrastructure to support the employment of coaches. The result of this is that many coaches are paid “cash in hand” often under the assumption that they are self-employed. This can have serious implications for the “employing” organisation if the coach is not actually registered as being self-employed.
Spire Recruitment Solutions recognise that organisations throughout the UK face the same problems and have been working with a number of clients to address this and other issues that can arise when employing staff.