About I Matter Training

We are a social enterprise with a social impact mission!

About Us and Our Social Impact Mission

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The mission of the I Matter Training Company is to improve the mental health and well-being of children and young people by sharing the I Matter Framework with professionals and parents, including parents to be.  

The I Matter Framework is a practical back to basics integration of the evidence base and research on outcomes for children.  Training in the I Matter Framework helps adults better understand what the research evidence is REALLY saying - notably as regards their own key role in improving well-being and outcomes for children in

+ education,
+ mental health,
+ physical health and
+ safer communities  

The carefully structured training journey is especially important for those who support children who are struggling or challenging.  Our focus is on building the insight needed to create the conditions for happier healthier relationships and communities.

Now since COVID-19 - our focus is on helping adults in schools and local services to get really clear about the personal steps needed from them to help them work well with parents in a manner that can make most difference for children through everyday relationships

In the last 3 years, our focus has been to work primarily with a locality hub focus through GPs and schools in the Kendal area in Morecambe Bay.  This is because though GPs and schools are not specifically funded to work with parents they provide a natural local community in which professionals and parents come together to think about the needs of children, especially the most vulnerable

Since COVID-19 we have developed some ways of sharing I Matter thinking more widely that you we hope you will find interesting and helpful!

 

 

 

 

 

Our Objectives

We aim to provide practical psycho-education and support for professionals and parents and complex children - that makes a difference to the number of healthy adult-child relationships and the amount of healthy empathy and care in the world.   Since 2011 the core aspirations driving this project has been:

'The professional or parent who is looking for help to support a child who is struggling with relationships, can access it in timely fashion in supportive partnership with their child's school and community'.

'Schools are delivering a developmentally sensitive national curriculum in partnership with parents that prioritises social emotional development and empathy and care development not just literacy and numeracy'

​To achieve this end, our aims are to:
1.   Improve professional understanding of the key role of relationships and social-developmental in children's brain development
2.   Support schools and services in developing the capacity to provide affordable impactful parent education and support that strengthens healthy relationships and empathic understanding of self and other
3.   To build a community focused approach that supports parents and carers in developing healthier happier relationships over the longer-term
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​We aim to connect with people and help transform relationship confidence

 

 

AS OF JANUARY 2020 OUR FIVE YEAR PLAN 2020-2025 HAS THE FOLLOWING THREE KEY OBJECTIVES:

1. To build on our social enterprise mission and become financially self-sustaining and effectively run built on a community engagement model

2.  Delivery of a rolling program of I Matter CPD accredited training for professionals in the Kendal- Morecambe Bay area to help strengthen the Kendal hub and prepare for supporting others

3.  To improve the care of children, especially those with social emotional challenges, through impacting the quality of local School-Home thinking, EHCP planning, Adoption Support Plans and Looked After Child planning


OUR MANTRA THIS YEAR IS THINK GLOBAL - ACT LOCAL - SHOWCASE NEW THINKING

 

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT OUR LEGAL AND FINANCIAL STRUCTURES 


Since June 2020 and under the influence of COVID-19 we are now sharing I Matter thinking through the
vehicle of the I Matter Challenge and I Matter Award Schemes

Dr Cathy Betoin

Dr Cathy Betoin Director of the I Matter Project is a practising clinical psychologist, an experienced teacher and a parent.  

After nearly 30 years of practice with children and adults with complex social emotional needs, Cathy is committed to finding ways to provide psycho-education and meaningful support to professionals and parents-carers, so that understanding increases between home and school and community.    

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CATHY AS A SPEAKER

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THE KENDAL INTEGRATED CARE COMMUNITY 

The home of the I Matter Framework and the linked training programme is located with the network of the Kendal Integrated Care Community a network of agencies and organisations that are working together to help Kendal and beyond support a happier healthier community for people of all ages.

 

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WE ARE CURRENTLY BUILDING A NETWORK AND DIRECTORY -



I Matter Values

I Matter Values in work with struggling children and families include being Canny, Cautious, Compassionate, and Courageous
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You have a key role to play - Your Well-being and Confidence Matters!