Recording coaching sessions: how to get and record consent
Before you record a coaching session, ask the client for specific, written permission that names the purpose, who will hear the recording, where it is stored and when it will be deleted. Keep the recording separate from consent to be coached, and let the client withdraw their permission at any time.
Why recording needs its own consent
A recording captures a person's voice and what they say about their life and work. It is personal information about them, and clients are likely to be more cautious about it than about notes. Treat the permission as something to ask for clearly, not as a line buried in your terms.
The ICO's guidance on valid consent describes consent as freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous, and says it should not be bundled up as a condition of service unless it is necessary for that service. For most coaches, recording is not necessary to deliver the coaching, so the client should be able to say no and still be coached.
Limiting use to your qualification samples or supervision
Many coaches record sessions for a specific purpose: a sample submitted for a qualification, a recording reviewed in supervision, or their own reflection. If so, say exactly that and no more. A client who agrees to a recording going to your assessor has not agreed to it appearing in a training video or on social media.
List each purpose separately and let the client agree or refuse each one. Use wording such as: the recording will be used only for the purpose ticked, heard only by the people named, and deleted by the date stated. Then keep to it.
What to record about the consent
The ICO notes that you should keep records to demonstrate consent. For each client keep the signed slip, the date, the purpose agreed, and the date the recording was deleted. Do not rely on a verbal "yes" at the start of a recording alone, and do not use pre-ticked boxes or assume silence means agreement. The ICO says these do not count as clear consent.
Withdrawing consent, storage and deletion
Tell the client they can change their mind. The ICO says people have the right to withdraw consent easily and at any time, so decide in advance what you will do: delete the recording, and tell anyone you shared it with.
On storage, the ICO says security should be appropriate to the risk and that data should be accessible only to those authorised, and it recommends encryption for stored or transmitted personal data. Keep recordings in a locked or password-protected folder, not loose on a phone or in a shared drive. The UK GDPR sets no fixed retention period, so pick a deletion date you can justify and write it on the slip.
Recording an online session
Video platforms often record to the cloud by default and show a banner only to the host. Check your settings, tell the client when recording starts and stops, and see where the file lands. Our guide to online coaching paperwork covers the rest of the set-up.
What a recording consent slip should ask
A preview of our free Session Recording Consent Slip. The complete, print-ready version is sent to you by email.
Details
- Client name
- Coach name
- + 3 more in the full form
Purposes you are asked to agree to
- For my coach's own reflection and learningYes / No
- To be reviewed by my coach's supervisorYes / No
- + 3 more in the full form
Who will hear it and how it is kept
- Who will hear or see the recording?Free text
- Will it be transcribed?Yes / No
- + 3 more in the full form
Your choices
- I understand that agreeing to a recording is not a condition of being coachedYes / No
- I understand I can stop a recording during a sessionYes / No
- + 2 more in the full form
The full form has 19 questions in 4 sections, a signed declaration and space for your business details. Get it free below.
Free template
Get the print-ready Session Recording Consent Slip
A print-ready slip for the client to sign before you record, with each purpose agreed separately. Free, and yours to adapt.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a client's consent to record a coaching session?
Ask for it, in writing, every time. A recording of someone is likely to be personal information about them, and the ICO says consent must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous. Check your insurer's and awarding body's expectations too.
Can a client refuse and still be coached?
Yes, unless recording is genuinely necessary to deliver the service, which it rarely is. The ICO says consent should not be bundled up as a condition of service unless necessary.
Can I use a recording for anything other than what the client agreed?
No. Keep to the purposes the client agreed to, and ask again before any new use. If you promise to use it only for your qualification, do exactly that.
How long can I keep a coaching recording?
The UK GDPR sets no fixed time. Decide a deletion date you can justify, write it on the consent slip and delete the file by then.
Sources
- What is valid consent?, Information Commissioner's Office
- Storage limitation, Information Commissioner's Office
- A guide to data security, Information Commissioner's Office
Every agreement your coaching practice needs
Starter (£29) covers the coaching agreement, cancellation and refund policy, GDPR and confidentiality and online coaching addendum. Pro (£49) adds group, corporate and intake documents. One payment, no auto-renewal.
See the packs, from £29 →These articles are general guidance for UK coaches, not legal advice. Our documents are editable templates: adapt them to your own practice, your insurer's terms and, where it matters, take advice from a solicitor. Coaching is not therapy or counselling.