Conflict Resolution Week Conference 2026

The flagship event of Conflict Resolution Week brings together practitioners, leaders and community professionals for a full day of practical learning, grounded expertise and real conversation.

Hosted at Brabners Solicitors in central Manchester, the conference is designed as an immersive, hands on day where you can build confidence, deepen your conflict skills and explore approaches that genuinely work in real settings.

The day opens with a welcome from Kim Logan of ADR Mediation, followed by four interactive workshop rotations, giving every delegate the opportunity to experience each specialist session.

Breakout workshops include:

• The Crime and Policing Act: What It Means for Conflict Resolution in Practice
• Resilience that Works on the Frontline: Skills for Managing Conflict in Your Work Without Burnout with Emma Goddard
• Complaints Done Well: How to Navigate Difficult Feedback and Reach Fair Outcomes with Anna Doe
• What’s Driving the Conversation? Tools for Reading Dynamics and Choosing the Right Response with Diane Nicholson

Each session is designed to equip you with tools and frameworks you can apply immediately within your organisation or community.

Alongside the workshops, the main plenary programme brings powerful sector insight and lived experience into the room. Ben Osu of Everton Football Club will deliver a speaker session exploring diversity and conflict resolution in high profile environments.

In the afternoon, our Conflict & Community Safety Panel will tackle the question: Re-thinking Safety: What Effective Conflict Response Really Looks Like. The panel brings together Cathy Chattaway of ADR Mediation, Mushtaq Khan, CEO of Housing Diversity Network, Jo Grimshaw, ASB Lead at Surrey Police, Charlie Hamilton Kay, Deputy CEO of ASB Help, Kelly Smith of Vivid Homes, Zoe Conroy of Brabners and Rob Griffiths of Change Arc.

The day concludes with a specialist session on Conflict & Neurodiversity led by Marie Coombes, before a final address from Kim Logan.

This conference is shaped around the core aim of the week: turning conversation into change. Expect interactive sessions, sector insight and space to reflect on how conflict resolution can strengthen teams, services and communities.

Who should attend:

Housing professionals
Community safety teams
Leaders and managers
Mediators and aspiring mediators
Education, health and voluntary sector practitioners
Anyone looking to build stronger, more confident approaches to conflict

Why attend:

Practical tools you can use immediately
Four expert led workshop sessions
Insight from national sector leaders
Opportunities to learn from peers
A supportive environment that values real world experience over theory
A key moment in a national awareness week dedicated to positive change

Supported by our sponsors Brabners, CMSG and Consilium Training & Support, this conference is a central part of a growing movement to strengthen conflict confidence across workplaces and communities.

Location: Brabners Solicitors, Manchester, M2 3BD
Date: 30 April 2026
Time: 10am to 4.30pm