Key points

• Don't ignore conflict - it won't go away.
• Acknowledge the importance of people's feelings.
• Be clear about people's roles, responsibilities and territory.
• Talk problems through before they fester and grow.

Checklist

• An equal opportunities policy.
• Grievance, disciplinary and harassment policies for staff.
• Guidelines for dealing with conflict.
• The option of using mediation in case of a dispute written into staff contracts.
• A complaints policy for service users.