Conflict resolution training online in the UK: where to train and what employers look for

What employers look for in an online conflict resolution certificate

Your employer decides what conflict resolution training you need, based on its risk assessment of violence and aggression. Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and regulation 3 of the Management Regulations require employers to assess the risk of violence to staff and to give the information and training needed to control it. When an employer checks a certificate, they usually look for:

• Content that follows the current law and guidance. The duty to assess and control the risk of violence at work, and the HSE's guidance on work related violence.
• A clear, verifiable record. The course name, hours of learning and completion date, with a way to confirm the certificate.
• The essentials every frontline worker needs. The causes and warning signs of aggression, how to calm a situation with words and body language, keeping yourself safe, and reporting and recording incidents.
• A refresh date. Employers expect frontline staff to refresh their skills regularly, and many care, health and housing providers work to a three year cycle, so a refresh date matters.

Lift College's certificate does each of these. It records Conflict Resolution and De-escalation Training, 2 hours of learning, your completion date and a recommended refresh date 3 years on, with a unique certificate number and a verification link. This course covers the communication and personal safety skills. It does not cover physical intervention or restraint, which needs face to face training that your employer arranges if your role requires it.

What the Lift College course covers

There are 5 short modules, each with a knowledge check, then a multiple choice final test with an 80% pass mark and unlimited free retakes.

1. Understanding conflict. Causes and triggers, and how frustration, fear, pain, confusion, alcohol and drugs affect behaviour.
2. Spotting the signs. Verbal and physical warning signs, and the stages of escalation from irritation to aggression.
3. Calming a situation. Tone, words, listening, empathy, body language and personal space, and the phrases to use and avoid.
4. Staying safe. Positioning, exits, when to leave and call for help, and working alone or in someone's home.
5. After an incident. Reporting, recording, the duty to report some injuries under RIDDOR, debriefs and support for you.

By the end you can recognise the warning signs of escalation, use your voice, words and body language to calm a situation, position yourself safely and know when to leave, and report and record an incident properly.

The law and guidance it is written around

• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 2 (England, Wales and Scotland). Employers must provide the information, instruction, training and supervision needed to keep employees safe, including from the risk of violence at work. Northern Ireland has the same duty in the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978.
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3 (Great Britain). Employers must assess risks to their staff, including the risk of violence and aggression, and put controls in place.
• The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (Great Britain). Employers must report certain work related injuries to the enforcing authority. An injury to a worker from physical violence at work is reportable when it is a specified injury or keeps them off work for more than seven days.

Northern Ireland has its own RIDDOR regulations with the same reporting duties. The communication and personal safety skills in the course apply wherever you work.

How Lift College compares with other UK providers

Details below are as each provider shows them on its own course page, checked 23 October 2026. "Check provider" means the page did not state it.

With Lift College the £19.99 is the full price for one learner, with nothing added at checkout, and the refresher is free when your recommended refresh date arrives. Retakes of the final test are free and unlimited.

Who it suits

Conflict Resolution and De-escalation Training is for anyone whose work brings them into contact with people who may be upset, frightened or angry, in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is for you if:

• you work in care, health, housing, retail, hospitality or on a front desk
• you deal with upset or angry people as part of your job
• your employer's risk assessment identifies a risk of violence or abuse
• you work alone or visit people in their homes
• you want practical ways to calm difficult conversations

The course covers the words, tone, body language and positioning that calm a situation and keep you safe. It does not teach physical intervention or restraint.

Staff who visit people at home should pair this course with our lone working guide. Conflict between colleagues is covered in our sexual harassment guide and Lift College's Bullying and Harassment Training, and the mental health side in our mental health awareness guide. See every course on the workplace compliance courses page or browse all Lift College CPD courses. Buying for a team? Ask about team enrolment.

Enrol on Conflict Resolution and De-escalation Training for £19.99 and start module 1 the minute you pay. Ask within 14 days of paying and we refund you in full.