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There has been interest in integrating health and social care services for over two decades, but it is only in the past few years that real progress has been made. The Health Act provides the accountability structure for a single Executive Leadership Team, pooled budgets and common goals. Interest has been sharpened firstly by funding of the Integrated Care Pilots in 2009, and more recently through the Better Care Fund announced by the Government in the June 2013.

Dealing with conflict in the workplace is a difficult task, but one that most managers will encounter at some point in their careers. The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) devotes a considerable amount of time and resources to advising on how to deal with conflict at work and to stop it from escalating to an employment tribunal claim. Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution that can be effective in helping to resolve a tense and difficult situation in the workplace. It involves using a trained, neutral mediator to engage with the conflicting parties and to help them work towards finding a solution that is acceptable to both sides. Mediation does not necessary need to result in a definitive solution, but is more about bringing both sides together to find a way forward.

These short, sharp masterclasses are designed to stimulate your thinking. They can be run on-site in your organisation, so that you and your colleagues can learn together and explore how new ideas might be applied within the organisation.

Most existing surveys are of the views of the coach, but this study, by the College of Business, Law & Governance at James Cook University (Australia) and the Institute for Employment Studies (UK), surveyed 644 industry professionals from 34 countries, who either had received or were currently receiving coaching. The researchers found that 89 per cent of coachees found coaching to be effective, while just 11 per cent said it was of limited use.