From Conflict to Co-operation

Conflict is a natural part of people working together and can be seen as a creative tension; there is much truth in the African proverb "Smooth seas do not make successful sailors” and resolving conflict is a key part of developing partnerships and relationships.

In developing partnerships and working relations we recognise the skills and efforts of those we work alongside and start our work assuming the goodwill of all parties. Reaching mediation and requesting third party involvement is not a personal failure, more a recognition of underlying issues, perhaps in systems and ways of working, which need resolving to build better foundations.

The co-operative movement as a whole has an array of models for resolving conflict that arise from a wide variety of settings. All models used by CASE involve conflict resolution approaches and encourage dialogue between differing parties.

CASE offers mediation services to our clients and has worked with enterprises to focus on relationships and solutions-based thinking. We work within the context of co-operative and community development and deliver via a values-based approach.

We work alongside people within their own context and offer a proportionate and flexible response. The aim is to use a solutions-focused approach to reach a positive result to disputes. It is not about finding a judgement but agreeing a path.

We offer tools and techniques to develop more effective relationships and ways of working which reduce the risks of a future conflict and move the parties from conflict to co-operation.

We are experienced at connecting with, and understanding, situations and complex relationships and we know that informal connections can matter as much as formal relationships.

Our approach recognises that each individual, person or organisation may have a legitimate interest or need and that any intervention has to recognise the ongoing relationships. We can only move at the speed of trust and therefore starting to rebuild trust is an important part of any outcome.

To discuss further please contact us: enquiries@case.coop / 0116 222 5010