Level 02 – Conflict Management

Conflict Management & Personal Safety Training for Security, Facilities & Enforcement Staff

A structured programme for security officers, civil enforcement officers, and facilities staff managing site access or compliance who may encounter challenging behaviour or potential aggression, where a foreseeable risk of physical harm exists. Designed to build confidence, situational awareness, and proportionate, defensible responses under pressure.

Stand2’s most popular programme.

 
Duration 6 Hours
Delivery Methods
  • In person
  • Standpoint
  • Affiliate Trainer Programme
Assessments
  • OBSERVATION
  • PARTICIPATION
  • DISCUSSION
  • COACHING
Back view of two security guards wearing high-visibility yellow vests with SECURITY printed on them

01COURSE OVERVIEW

Developing the communication, situational awareness, and personal safety skills staff need to prevent, manage, and respond to challenging behaviour under pressure.

Participants learn to recognise escalation early, apply structured de-escalation  strategies, and make proportionate decisions that are professionally and legally  defensible. The course introduces safe, low-level breakaway options and  withdrawal principles while reinforcing clear ethical boundaries and  organisational responsibilities.  

By the end of the programme, staff are equipped to maintain personal safety, uphold  professionalism, and support safer outcomes across higher-pressure environments.

02 THE IMPACT

How this training helps your organisation

  • More confident security and enforcement staff who can manage aggressive individuals without escalating situations
  • Reduced incidents and clearer communication during site access disputes
  • More consistent, defensible decision-making that stands up to client or SIA scrutiny
  • Improved staff safety and reduced anxiety when dealing with unpredictable or aggressive individuals
  • Better incident reporting to support client audits and site governance
Wrist grabbing training

03.RISKS ADDRESSED

When verbal aggression can turn physical, the risks are too high to leave to chance. Without the right training, your staff may:

Checklist icon Misjudge early warning signs and miss opportunities to prevent escalation
Checklist icon Rely on inconsistent or non-defensible responses during high-pressure encounters
Checklist icon Place themselves or others at increased risk by withdrawing unsafely
Checklist icon Escalate situations unintentionally through unclear communication
Checklist icon Fail to adapt to changing environments or unpredictable behaviour
Checklist icon Under-report incidents, limiting your organisation’s ability to identify patterns and mitigate risk

The good news is that this is entirely preventable. That’s what this course is for.

04 LEARNING OUTCOMES

Here’s what your staff will be able to do differently:

Recognise and manage the three types of risk. 
04 LEARNING OUTCOMES

Here’s what your staff will be able to do differently:

  1. 01 Recognise and manage the three types of risk. 
  2. 02 Recognise early behavioural and environmental indicators of escalating conflict.
  3. 03 Demonstrate effective situational awareness and dynamic risk assessment before and during encounters.
  4. 04 Apply structured, evidence-based communication techniques to reduce tension and maintain control of interactions.
  5. 05 Set and maintain professional boundaries that support safety and reduce the likelihood of escalation.
  6. 06 Describe the hierarchy of responses, emphasising prevention, deescalation, and last resort physical contact.
  7. 07 Maintain professional standards during conflict.
  8. 08 Make proportionate, defensible decisions when faced with challenging or aggressive behaviour.
  9. 09 Understand the legal, ethical, and organisational frameworks that guide safe and appropriate responses.
  10. 10 Perform low-level breakaway skills designed to release from common, low risk grabs or holds and create safe space to withdraw.
  11. 11 Use physical skills in a controlled, proportionate manner consistent with training, policy, and the principles of least restrictive practice.
  12. 12 Implement safe withdrawal strategies and know when to disengage or seek support.
  13. 13 Work effectively as part of a team.
  14. 14 Record and report incidents accurately to support safeguarding, organisational learning, and risk management.
  15. 15 Reflect on their own responses and identify opportunities for continuous improvement in both communication and personal safety practice.
05 CASE STUDY

Stevenage Borough Council – Housing and Antisocial Behaviour Teams

Stand2 delivered Conflict Management & Personal Safety training to Stevenage  Borough Council’s Housing and Antisocial Behaviour teams. These staff work in  community environments where frustration, service pressures, and complex  behavioural issues can lead to challenging encounters, both in person and during  property visits. 

Training strengthened staff confidence in risk assessment, proportionate  decision-making, and personal safety strategies when managing escalating  behaviour. Officers reported clearer communication during difficult  conversations, improved boundary setting when enforcing tenancy conditions or  safety requirements, and more consistent use of deescalation approaches.

Woman laughing
06 Course Delivery & Assessment

Training that’s built around the environments your staff actually work in – and the risks they actually face.

Delivery: This course is delivered in person through a blend of structured discussion, practical communication exercises, scenario-based examples, and supervised breakaway activities. Every session is built around your organisation’s specific environment, policies, and the real situations your staff encounter. StandPoint, our online learning platform, supports the programme with additional resources and materials.

Assessment: Learning is assessed through observation, participation, and demonstration of key principles in practical exercises. There are no formal written exams – assessment is continuous, realistic, and based on how staff apply what they’ve learned.

Certification: Every participant who successfully completes the programme is formally certified by Stand2, receiving a uniquely numbered certificate that confirms they have met the programme’s assessed standards. Each delegate is entered onto the Stand2 Training Register, which we maintain on your behalf – giving your organisation a clear, auditable record of who has been trained and when refresher training is due.

Training environment: All sessions are delivered using trauma-informed practice with clear opt-out options, ensuring both psychological and physical safety throughout. Practical elements are low-risk and fully aligned with medical and organisational standards. No participant is asked to take part in any activity they are uncomfortable with.

07.Frequently asked questions

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Call us or drop us a message.

Does this course include physical intervention?
Only low-level breakaway and safe withdrawal options are included. The programme teaches staff how to release from common grabs or holds and create safe space to withdraw – not how to physically restrain or control others. Full physical intervention is covered at Level 3.
What is the difference between this course and Level 1?
Level 1 focuses on communication and de-escalation in lower-risk environments where physical harm is unlikely. This Level 2 programme builds on those foundations and introduces personal safety skills – including breakaway techniques and safe withdrawal – for environments where a foreseeable risk of physical harm exists. Prior Level 1 training is helpful but not required.
Is personal safety and conflict management training a legal requirement?
Employers have a legal duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to assess and manage foreseeable risks to their staff. This is a well-evidenced risk in security and enforcement roles: HSE data shows protective service occupations experience workplace violence at a rate roughly six times the national average. Where staff may face verbal aggression that could escalate to physical harm, appropriate training is one of the most direct control measures available. The HSE is explicit that where physical risk is foreseeable, staff should receive training that includes practical personal safety skills – not just communication and de-escalation theory.
What sectors is this course suitable for?
This course is suitable for organisations where staff encounter challenging behaviour in environments where there is a foreseeable – if not frequent – risk of physical aggression. Stand2 regularly delivers this programme to housing and local authority teams, community services staff, security and civil enforcement officers, frontline customer-facing teams, education professionals, and healthcare staff working in lower-acuity settings. It is not appropriate for roles where physical aggression is a regular and significant risk – those environments require Level 3 training.
Are the breakaway techniques suitable for all staff regardless of age or fitness level?
Yes. The breakaway and safe withdrawal techniques taught on this programme are low-risk, biomechanically sound, and designed to be accessible to staff of all ages, fitness levels, and physical abilities. They are not strength-dependent — they rely on correct technique, positioning, and timing rather than physical force. All practical elements are closely supervised, delivered within a trauma-informed framework, and fully aligned with medical and organisational standards.
Can the scenarios be built around our specific environment?
Yes. Every Stand2 programme is built around your organisation’s specific policies, risk profile, and the real situations your staff face – whether that’s an aggressive individual on a retail site, a confrontation during a civil enforcement visit, or an access dispute at a corporate building. Where helpful, we carry out a Training Needs Analysis beforehand to ensure the content, scenarios, and practical exercises directly reflect your operational environment and the challenges your teams encounter.
Does Stand2 training come with a certificate?
Yes. Every participant who successfully completes the programme is formally certified by Stand2 and issued with a uniquely numbered completion certificate. Each delegate is also entered onto the Stand2 Training Register, which we maintain on your behalf — providing your organisation with a clear, auditable record of who has been trained and when refresher training is due.
How do you ensure the training is safe for participants?
All sessions are delivered using trauma-informed practice with clear opt-out options – particularly relevant given that security and enforcement staff face workplace violence at around six times the national average, and many will already have experienced verbal or physical aggression in the course of their work. Practical activities – including breakaway techniques – are closely supervised and fully aligned with medical and organisational standards. No participant is asked to take part in any activity they are uncomfortable with, and both psychological and physical safety are prioritised throughout.
Is this course aligned with our safeguarding and organisational procedures?
Yes. Where necessary, we work with you beforehand to understand your policies, escalation routes, and service expectations — ensuring the programme is fully aligned with your organisational procedures and defensible under scrutiny.
How often should staff refresh this training?
Stand2 recommends a refresher interval of 24 months for this programme. The refresher course follows the same 6-hour format as the initial programme. Stand2 will proactively notify you when your staff are approaching their refresher date through the Stand2 Training Register.
08.Start the conversation

This course is ideal for organisations where staff manage challenging behaviour and require a defensible, proportionate approach to both communication and personal safety.

If you’re responsible for staff safety, operational risk, or service delivery, we can  help.

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Google Reviews

At Stand2 we go above and beyond to understand and meet your expectations. Here are some of our recent reviews.

As the trusted leader in conflict management, personal safety, and physical intervention training, we aim to elevate standards across the UK and beyond by bringing evidence-based practice, operational credibility, and expert instruction to every sector we serve.
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Excellent. Done a few courses over the years regarding conflict management and this was the best. Relaxed teaching and no one was afraid to make a mistake or ask any questions. Enjoyed this much more than my recent SIA renewal in all honesty.

Really thoughtful and experienced teachers. After the training I felt really confident in conflict resolution and physical intervention. Thank you now I know how to protect myself, the general public and my organisation if a situation comes up.

Very well structured course and effectively taught. Techniques and solutions were very helpful.

Very good! Other security companys should learn this Easy to learn


Fantastic course, gave a really easy to remember process for handling conflict management. Trainers were great, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Really course, tutors were great especially Chris who made it fun and interactive

Really enjoyed the training Dave and Chris are very engaging

Engaging PowerPoint, really good instructors, time to practice techniques

I recently completed training at Stand2 and had a great experience. The course was well organised, engaging and delivered by Chris C, who explained everything clearly using practical, real-life examples. The training has given me greater confidence in managing conflict, assessing risk, and keeping myself and others safe. I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to develop these important skills.