Successful difficult conversations

Capability Conference

Tackle under-performance quickly, kindly and legally

When?

Thurs 20th March 2025 (09:30 - 16:00, online)
Next year: Thurs 19th March 2026

Where?

Delivered online using zoom (save money and time and learn together as a team)

What?

Come along to our conference, where you’ll learn the key aspects of employment law in just one day, so you can manage your team with confidence and within the law

You’re expected to know the legal aspects of managing people, but have you been trained to?

Meet your expert guides for becoming confident in the key aspects of employment law you need to know

Clare Fowler, Employment Solicitor

At YESS law they believe ‘life’s too short to litigate’. She uses her wealth of experience to support many Educationalists’ navigate capability without going to court.

Sonia Gill, Founder & Director of Heads Up

Education leadership specialist and author of #1 Amazon ranked books ‘Successful Difficult Conversations in School’ and ‘Journey to Outstanding’.

Maria Brosnan, Wellbeing Specialist

Maria is a specialist in educational leadership, health, and wellbeing, with over three decades of experience as a counsellor, coach, author, and public speaker.

This one day conference is designed to help you resolve current issues with capability and sickness
- and avoid future ones

You’ll receive expert advice on:

Managing Capability
  • A step by step employment law guide to what you must (and must not) do during a capability process.
  • Common mistakes to avoid when handling a formal capability management procedure.
  • How to avoid capability in the first place.
  • What the unions are looking for you to do (and what will trip you up).


Managing Sickness
  • How to handle long term sickness absence.
  • The stages to follow when assessing sickness related absence.
  • What defines reasonable adjustments and your obligations.
  • Current employment law issues to be aware of.


Managing Wellbeing
  • The impact of stress on you and your team.
  • Proven and practical methods that make measurable improvements to your health and wellbeing.

And you'll receive:

Best selling book for each of your team

A copy of #1 ranked book: Successful Difficult Conversations in School

Q&A session

Your opportunity to ask experts for advice about real life challenges you're facing in confidence

Recordings of the talks

So you can use them with your team

The conference is rated on average 9.1/10
by all delegates since 2017

FAQs

Lol! We get it, but school leaders love our training because we’ve made it better by being on zoom. It’s very interactive, you don’t have any travel costs and it means more of your SLT can be part of the training which means it has great impact. This day always gets great feedback and attendees are pleasantly surprised by how well it works online.

Yes, and you’ll be given access via our online portal.

Yes, they’ll be available for you in our online portal.

One ticket gives access to all members of your SLT.

Please contact [email protected] if you require any assistance regarding your booking.

What attendees found helpful at previous conferences:

2025 Schedule

 
09:30 – 09:45 Introduction to the day
09:45 – 10:45 Clare Fowler: “Managing capability: avoiding the pitfalls and working with Unions”
10:45 – 10:55 Break
10:55 – 11:55 Clare Fowler: “Managing sickness”
11:55 – 12:40 Lunch break
12:40 – 13:25 Sonia Gill: “Introduction to solving your difficult conversations (without capability or court)”
13:25 – 13:40How Heads Up helps schools
13:40 – 13:55 Break
13:55 – 14:40 Maria Brosnan: “Managing Wellbeing”
14:40 – 14:55 Break
14:55 – 15:55 Q&A with Clare Fowler, Maria Brosnan and Sonia Gill
15:55 – 16:00 Conference wrap up

What’s my investment?

£360+VAT

Registration opens Autumn 2025. Contact [email protected]