Awful place to work - Coach Brain in Hand Employee Review

1.0
Oct 19, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

9 day fortnight Fully remote

Cons

• Coaches are expected to deliver five coaching sessions per day, which is unsustainable and damaging to quality. • Caseloads exceed 100 users, many with complex needs, including conversations about self-harm and safeguarding — yet no mental health first aid training or structured supervision is provided. • Coaches who ask for support are told they should be able to handle the workload, with no dedicated time or space for decompression. • All managers are themselves new to coaching, which limits their ability to provide effective guidance or professional supervision as they are also completing the ILM3. • There are no opportunities for progression — coaches are told they’re not yet qualified for more senior roles, yet no pathway or developmental opportunities are provided to help gain the experience needed to progress. • Despite hiring some experienced coaches, two of six left within six months, echoing concerns many of us shared early on. Turnover is high with coaches saying they feel overworked, undervalued and unsupported by management. • There’s a constant pressure to increase output and meet session targets, with little recognition of the emotional intensity and relational depth that good coaching requires. • Senior management often appear detached from the reality of the coaching role, I doubt they would be able to deliver that volume of sessions day in day out, and being a remote organisation makes it easy to ignore these issues.

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Brain in Hand Response
7mo
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear you’ve felt unsupported, we know the coaching role can be challenging as well as rewarding, and your comments raise important points. Over the past year, we’ve been strengthening how we support our coaching team, including regular supervision and reflective practice sessions, improved wellbeing support, and a sharper focus on workload balance. We’ve also recently invested in leadership development to ensure managers are better equipped to listen and respond effectively. If you’re still part of the team, we’d really welcome a conversation so we can understand your experience and explore any individual support that could help. You can contact the People team or your manager in confidence. We’re grateful for the work our coaches do every day and remain committed to making Brain in Hand a supportive and sustainable place to work.

Explore other reviews about Brain in Hand

1.0
Mar 18, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

9 day fortnight very talented and friendly colleagues (many now gone) fully remote which is rare now

Cons

- Sudden mass layoffs with no warning signs - Leadership take no responsibility or face consequences for their poor decisions - team morale is now very low with people having to do several people’s work

2
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Brain in Hand Response
1mo
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. We know the last few months have been really difficult for many people, and we understand why some colleagues have felt unsettled and frustrated by the changes. The restructure affected roles across the business, including within the executive team, and these decisions were not taken lightly. Like many organisations working across health, social care and higher education, we’ve seen significant change across the sectors we support in recent years, including shifts in funding and commissioning priorities. The changes made were focused on creating a more sustainable organisation, and ensuring we can continue delivering high-quality support to the people who rely on our services. We genuinely appreciate the positive comments about colleagues and our flexible way of working. There are a lot of talented, committed people here, and we know periods like this can have a real impact on morale. We remain committed to supporting our teams through the changes and being as open as we can about the direction of the business going forward.
4.0
Jan 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I wanted to share a more balanced view, as some recent reviews don’t match my experience. This is a demanding job. Supporting neurodivergent people, some of those with complex needs is never going to be easy or low-pressure, and I think that’s something you need to go into with your eyes open. From my interview, expectations were explained clearly — including booking around five sessions a day alongside admin time (3 hours+). In reality, I’ve always been given flexibility where I’ve needed it, whether that’s for medical appointments, screen breaks, or just managing my day in a way that works for me. Day to day, I'm juggling sessions, admin, meetings, and safeguarding, so being organised really matters. It can feel busy, but that’s the nature of the role. Some users do have significant mental health challenges. That’s not hidden and it is something that comes with working in this space. There are safeguarding, peer support and reflective practice processes in place to support us and if its an area I felt I needed to up skill I take ownership of my own learning alongside what is offered at brain in hand. Day to day I’ve always felt able to ask for support, debrief, or escalate concerns when needed. Personally, I’ve seen safeguarding taken seriously and handled with care, with users’ safety clearly coming first. I've found the targets are reasonable and Being data-driven feels pretty standard for an ambitious organisation. But that doesn't mean I'm not supported, my lead has always been understanding and taken time to look at the bigger picture. There’s ongoing conversation about how performance is measured, and while it’s not perfect, the focus has always been on supporting users well. I’ve worked with genuinely supportive managers and colleagues who care about what they do and about each other. The coaching team is collaborative, and the support I get from my peers is one of the best parts of the job. Yes- App changes and updates can happen quickly, often based on user feedback and the UX team have a dedicated channel to seek coaches feedback on designs and changes so we can advocate for our users. We have weekly drop-ins and resources to help with changes. Sometimes it takes a bit of effort to keep up, but I actually enjoy the challenge. Every user is different, and engagement varies a lot. That said, I’ve personally seen many users make real, positive changes — whether that’s at work, in education, or in their day-to-day lives — and that’s what makes the job worth it. Overall, I work with kind, skilled, and passionate people who care deeply about the users they support. The work can be emotionally heavy at times, but I also know this comes with the remit of the role and the area I have chosen to work in. It’s not a perfect company — but it’s also not the uncaring or chaotic place some reviews suggest. Like most jobs in this sector, it’ll suit some people much more than others * Work that actually feels worthwhile * Supportive team who have your back * Flexibility around personal needs * Support always available when things feel challenging * Seeing users make progress is really rewarding *On the whole a great coaching team

Cons

* Can be emotionally draining * Busy and sometimes full on * Changes happen quickly * Limited career progression due to company size * Not a low-stress job

1
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