It would be unrealistic to expect all your involvement with an employer to be plain sailing and you should think about how you can deal with issues and problems that might arise in a way that will help you maintain a positive relationship.

Anticipating problems does not mean that they will happen, but putting procedures in place can help to stop a small problem becoming a crisis.

Try to make sure:

• That there are robust and appropriate support structures for work placements and mentoring relationships.
• That all relevant staff know who to contact if a problem arises – remember that it may not always be the employer who is directly involved in the activity.
• That you respond quickly to any problems and difficulties that arise.
• That you are able to offer alternatives where possible – an employer who finds their initial commitment too time consuming may still be interested in exploring less intensive forms of involvement.
• That you take the time to talk to them about what went wrong, and what you and your organisation could do to avoid similar problems arising in the future.