2025 Programme

Opening Keynote: Early, informal resolution – the key to good workplace relations?
Kevin Rowan, Director of Dispute Resolution, ACAS

Workplace disputes come at a significant cost to the economy - £2.8bn to the due to sickness caused by conflict; £10.5bn due to dismissals caused by conflict; £12bn due to people resigning because of workplace conflict. Staggering figures that can't be ignored.

In his keynote speech, new Acas Dispute Resolution Director, Kevin Rowan, will propose a framework for embedding good employment relations from small enterprises to national systems. Kevin will also share embargoed new findings from unpublished Acas research on what 'informal conflict resolution' in the workplace looks like, the impacts from using alternative dispute resolution, and calls for a more deliberate, confident approach to informal  resolution – how we think about it and do it.

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Transforming Work: How mediation can be used to align People, Culture and Leadership
David Liddle, Chief Executive, The TCM Group

In today's complex and rapidly changing workplaces, conflict is inevitable - but poorly managed conflict is not. In this keynote, David Liddle, founder of The TCM Group and a pioneer of transformational workplace culture, explores how mediation is no longer just a tool for resolving disputes - it is a vital catalyst for cultural and leadership alignment. Drawing on over 20 years of practice and thought leadership, David will demonstrate how embedding mediation principles into everyday leadership, HR, and cultural practices creates more just, inclusive, resilient, and high-performing organisations. Delegates will discover practical strategies for integrating mediation into organisational frameworks, unlocking the true potential of their people and reinforcing values-led leadership. This session will inspire attendees to see mediation not as an add-on, but as a core driver of transformational change.

Cultivating a great place to work. A case study on  culture change and accountability at the BBC
‍Heather Palmer, BBC Senior HR Business Partner Employee Relations (Head of Support at Work), BBC

This session will develop how organisations need to be leaders of good practice and build psychologically safe and inclusive  workplaces for all. Creating a sense of belonging, collaboration and buy in to build confidence and clarity on how we work with others and what to do when things happen that fail to meet these. Growth and learning from the BBC journey of Resolution First.

Refreshments & Networking


Three Essential Conflict Management Skills for People in Organisations Today and in the Future
Alexandra Efthymiades, Director and Co-founder, Consensio

All working relationships experience conflict at some point. While many relationships manage conflict effectively, others become damaged and need the support of mediators and conflict coaches to help resolve conflict. Today, many organisations are putting more focus and investment into informal resolution, yet employees are still likely to end up in destructive conflict. This interactive session will explore three key conflict management skills that are needed in every organisation, to help all employees build stronger and more resilient working relationships, now and in the future.

How to get the best out of your mediation training -
Paul O'Donnell, Managing Director, CMP

You've completed your mediation training, so what next? At CMP, we know that real mediator confidence and capability come from more than just behind-the-screen learning. This session, hosted by Paul O'Donnell, CMP's Managing Director, explores how to make the most of your training investment by embracing continuous, blended learning. You'll discover how to deepen your mediation skills through real-world application and ongoing development. Drawing on CMP's proven approach to building conflict capability, we'll show you how to turn training into long-term professional growth, supporting not just individual excellence but lasting impact within your organisation.

Making mediation an everyday conversation -
Caroline Sheridan, Tracey Fox, David Whincup

Why do so many organisations wait for conflict to escalate before taking action? And why do individuals shy away from the everyday conversations that could make working life less stressful, more collaborative and more fulfilling? In this panel discussion, Sheridan Worldwide’s CEO Caroline Sheridan joins Mediator Tracey Fox and Employment Partner David Whincup to explore the mindsets, beliefs and practical barriers that prevent proactive conflict management. They'll unpack how fear of making a mistake often blocks the development of a resolution culture and suggest that the better way forward involves embedding mediation skills, building confidence and creating workplaces where healthy dialogue is the norm, not the exception.

Lunch & Networking

The Unseen Factor: Navigating Psychological Diversity in Workplace Conflict -
Marie Coombes, CEO, We Restore Calm

Conflict is rarely just about the issue on the table; it's about the unseen differences underneath it. In this interactive session, Marie Coombes explores how psychological diversity - including neurodivergence, mental health variability, trauma, and sensory processing differences - impacts workplace conversations and conflicts. Participants will challenge assumptions, uncover hidden dynamics, and learn why traditional conflict approaches often fail diverse teams. Through live activities and practical strategies, attendees will build an "Inclusive Conversation Toolkit" they can immediately apply. Whether managing a mediation, leading a meeting, or simply having a tough conversation, this session will equip you to create psychologically safe spaces where diverse thinking styles aren't just accommodated, they are actively supported. Come ready to think differently, engage fully, and leave with new tools to make the invisible, visible.

Diverse Mediators: Creating an Inclusive Strategic Space to Enhance Mediation Success! -
Selina Morgan-Gayle, Founder, CEO & Mediator, SMG Mediation Ltd
Simone Bowman, Barrister, Chair Lambeth Mediation Service
Insley Ettienne, Founder/Director, Cosil Solutions Limited

When conflict arises, the mediator you choose can either escalate tension—or unlock resolution. What if the missing link isn’t process, but perspective?

This dynamic session, led by pioneering mediators Selina, Simone, and Insley, reframes diversity not as a moral checkbox but as a strategic business advantage. With cultural intelligence, lived experience, and cross-sector expertise, diverse mediators build trust more quickly, engage more meaningfully, and deliver stronger outcomes across legal, employment, workplace, business, and property disputes.

The session explores how inclusive mediation enhances trust, connection, and effectiveness by reflecting the communities it serves. It challenges outdated assumptions and positions representation, accessibility, and equity as critical levers for organisational resilience.

Delegates will leave with actionable strategies for embedding inclusion into conflict resolution—through procurement, policy, and panel selection—aligning mediation with today’s workforce realities and tomorrow’s business demands.

If your organisation is ready to resolve conflict—not just contain it—this is where the future of mediation begins.

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Mediating at the edge - using mediation for sexual harassment and whistleblowing cases
‍Liz Rivers, Mediator, IPOS Mediation
Jane Gunn, Mediator, IPOS Mediation

Sexual harassment and whistleblowing cases are some of the trickiest situations for HR to deal with - handled poorly these allegations can ruin the reputations of leaders and organisations. Given this, you might think that formal investigation is the only appropriate response. Liz and Jane will share real life case studies of how mediation can be used to resolve these delicate situations in a way where everyone is satisfied and nothing is swept under the carpet.

Refreshment & Networking

Before the Break: Mediators Supporting Organisational Climate with Courage and Compassion. An interactive session on early intervention, Ubuntu Round Tables, and building cultures of connection in uncertain times. -
Sarah Boulton, Head of Ubuntu Round Tables Programme and Organisational Development Consultant

In today's context of uncertainty and change, the risk of tension escalating into entrenched conflict threatens to increase. While policies and skills act as anchors and encourage positive behaviour, it's the everyday human experiences- how people feel, connect, and respond under pressure that shape the climate of working life.

Mediators, internal and external, have a vital role in supporting early, compassionate interventions that strengthen trust and connection.

This interactive session explores how to recognise early signals of conflict, lead with courage, and use interventions like Ubuntu Round Tables to support organisations as communities - fostering cultures of understanding, resilience, and repair - before the break.