MICROPROJECTS

Microprojects are small, structured learning opportunities that help motivated individuals access or offer relationship health learning with light-touch support from a trained professional.

They also form part of the practical certification pathway for I Matter Link and Lead practitioners, helping professionals build confidence through real-world supported practice.

Each microproject involves one participant. For certification, practitioners would usually complete three separate microprojects (three participants), allowing them to build confidence and demonstrate experience across different situations.

Microprojects are intended as prevention and early support learning opportunities, not therapy or clinical interventions.

CORE PRINCIPLE

Microprojects offer light-touch access to learning that is matched to readiness, need, and complexity.

They sit within the wider Community Wheel model, helping ensure participants are not isolated and can access ongoing connection and learning opportunities.

HOW MICROPROJECTS HELP

For the invited participant

• Access a funded or supported learning opportunity
• Gain practical understanding of relationship health
• Reduce isolation through connection routes
• Build confidence through small steps

For the practitioner

• Develop skill in recognising readiness for change
• Practise light-touch support approaches
• Build confidence in real-life settings
• Progress Link or Lead certification

🧩 MICROPROJECT LEVELS

Link Level

Type 1 – Universal Prevention
Low complexity general learning opportunities.

Type 2 – Early Concern / Early Help
Low-level need with a more specific focus.

Lead Level

Type 3 – Supported Learning / Workshops
Low to moderate need, workshops, guided online learning, or team development.

Type 4 – Complex Engagement
Higher concern, motivated participants, or more complex professional practice settings.

In addition, many microprojects use a simple progress and reflection tracker to support learning, guide conversations, and help capture learning priorities and progress with the following guidelines

• Type 1 = optional tracker
• Type 2 = recommended tracker
• Type 3 = recommended tracker
• Type 4 = required enhanced tracker 

🧭 1. Entry Requirements (Readiness to Practice)

Before starting a Microproject, practitioners must have:

✔ Learning Foundation

• Completed I Matter Introduction pathway
• Completed Level 1–2 Foundations with study support
• Completed Informed Practitioner and Link Training (For Type 1-2 projects)
• Completed Deep Dive and Lead Training (For Type 3 and 4 projects)

✔ Practice Readiness

• Understanding of I Matter principles
• Awareness of relational, non-clinical boundaries
• Ability to reflect on practice in structured ways

✔ Licence Status

• Valid Microproject Practitioner Licence (Link or Lead level)
• Organisational approval under Enhanced Practice licence

🧩 2. Defining a Microproject (Scope Rules)

A Microproject must:

• involve 1–3 focus areas, individuals, or situations
• be clearly defined at the start
• be time-limited and bounded
• focus on understanding, communication, and relational patterns
• include structured reflection

✔ Appropriate focus examples:

• patterns in parent–child communication
• stress and misunderstanding in family dynamics
• workplace relational tension and communication clarity
• supporting early understanding of behavioural responses

❌ Not appropriate for Microprojects:

• crisis intervention situations
• safeguarding assessment or decision-making
• clinical diagnosis or treatment planning
• high-risk or acute mental health presentations
• legal or disciplinary investigations

🧭 3. The Microproject Practice Cycle

All Microprojects follow a structured 6-stage cycle:

🟦 Step 1: Identify the Focus

• define the situation or relational pattern
• clarify what is being explored (not “fixed”)
• confirm it fits Microproject scope

🟨 Step 2: Check Suitability & Safety

• assess whether this is appropriate for Microproject work
• consider complexity, vulnerability, and risk factors
• confirm no safeguarding or clinical escalation is required
• seek advice if uncertain

🟩 Step 3: Plan the Microproject

Using the Microproject Planning Framework:

• what is being explored
• who is involved (max 1–3 focus areas)
• what learning lens is being applied
• what “success” means in terms of understanding (not outcome fixing)

🟧 Step 4: Agreement & Framing

• ensure participants understand the purpose
• clarify that this is a learning process
• agree boundaries and expectations
• confirm voluntary participation where applicable

🟪 Step 5: Apply Learning in Context

• use I Matter concepts in real-life interactions
• support clearer communication and reflection
• observe changes in understanding and response patterns
• remain within non-clinical role boundaries

🟫 Step 6: Reflect & Record Learning

• structured reflection on what was observed
• identify patterns, shifts, and insights
• complete Microproject record
• consider implications for future practice

🕯 4. The Candle Principle (Practice Ethic)

Microproject Practice is guided by a simple principle:

“We cannot do everything, but we can each do something.”

This means:

• working at a small, intentional scale
• focusing on clarity rather than control
• valuing understanding over fixing
• maintaining steady, reflective practice

🧠 5. Reflection Requirements

Every Microproject must include:

• what was noticed in relationships or communication
• what changed (if anything) in understanding or response
• what felt helpful or unhelpful
• what learning emerged for future practice
• whether anything requires escalation or referral

Reflection is a core part of the practice model, not an optional add-on.

⚖️ 6. Safeguarding & Escalation

Practitioners must always:

• remain alert to safeguarding concerns
• follow organisational or statutory safeguarding procedures immediately where needed
• pause Microproject activity if risk escalates
• seek supervision or consultation when uncertain

Microprojects do not replace professional safeguarding responsibility.

🧑‍🏫 7. Support & Consultation Pathways

Practitioners are supported through:

🧩 Link Practitioner Support

• orientation to the system
• light-touch guidance
• access support for participants

🧭 Lead Practitioner Support

• structured consultation
• reflective practice support
• group or 1:1 study support sessions
• complex case reflection (within non-clinical boundaries)

🏫 Organisational Support

• governance alignment
• supervision structures
• integration into team practice

📦 8. Microproject Pack (Required Tools)

Each Microproject must use the standard pack, which includes:

• Planning template
• Focus definition sheet
• Safety check prompts
• Reflection framework
• Learning capture record
• Closure checklist

This ensures consistency and safe practice across settings.

🔁 9. Closure of a Microproject

A Microproject is considered complete when:

• planned focus has been explored
• reflection has been completed
• learning has been recorded
• no outstanding safety concerns remain
• participants understand closure has occurred

Microprojects may also be paused or paused and revisited if needed.

🧭 Certification (Lightweight Practice Recognition)

Some practitioners may choose to work towards a Microproject Practice Certification within the I Matter Learning System.

This certification is designed to be lightweight, meaningful, and practice-based, recognising safe and reflective application of relationship health learning in real-life contexts.

It is not a clinical qualification, and it does not replace or compete with existing professional training or accreditation. Instead, it is intended to complement existing qualifications by supporting applied understanding in everyday practice.

🧠 What the Certification Recognises

Certification is based on evidence of:

• completion of relevant I Matter learning pathways (e.g. Introduction and Level 1–2 Foundations)
• safe, structured application of learning through 3 individual Microprojects
• reflective practice using guided prompts and learning capture tools
• engagement in at least one peer learning or reflective discussion space
• appropriate understanding of boundaries, including non-clinical scope and escalation awareness
  
  

🧩 What it is NOT

This certification is intentionally designed to remain light-touch and scalable. It is:

• not a clinical qualification
• not a therapeutic accreditation
• not a replacement for professional training or supervision systems
• not an assessment of performance or outcomes
• not a pass/fail competency test

It does not measure “how well someone fixes a situation”, but rather how safely and reflectively they apply relationship health thinking in context.

🌱 Purpose of Certification

The purpose of this certification is to:

• support safe, structured application of learning in real-world situations
• strengthen confidence in using relationship health concepts in practice
• develop reflective capacity and shared understanding across roles
• create a consistent but flexible standard for applied learning
• support scaling of the I Matter approach across individuals, practitioners, and organisations
  
  

🕯 Design Principle

This certification is built on a simple principle:

It is better to recognise small, safe, reflective application of learning than to create complex barriers to participation.

The aim is to support practitioners to light a candle in practice — doing something small, thoughtful, and grounded in understanding — rather than attempting to demonstrate perfection or control outcomes.

🔑 In Summary

The Microproject Practice Certification is a lightweight recognition of applied learning in action.

It sits alongside, rather than above or instead of, existing professional qualifications, and is designed to remain:

• accessible
• scalable
• reflective
• safe
• system-compatible
  
  

🧩 MORE DETAIL ABOUT MICROPROJECT TYPES

Link Level

Type 1 – Universal Prevention
Low complexity general learning opportunities.

Type 2 – Early Concern / Early Help
Low-level need with a more specific focus.

Lead Level

Type 3 – Supported Learning / Workshops
Low to moderate need, workshops, guided online learning, or team development.

Type 4 – Complex Engagement
Higher concern, motivated participants, or more complex professional practice settings.

TYPE 1 – Universal Prevention Microprojects (Low Complexity)

Purpose:

Early access, culture change, prevention, normalisation of relationship health learning.

Typical participants:

• Reception families
• Year 7 transition families
• General community participants
• Families not currently in crisis

Delivery model:

• Identified by Link staff
• Invitation into funded pilot
• Access to online I Matter learning
• Optional participation in monthly Community Wheel sessions

Support level:

• Very light touch
• No individualised intervention
• No expectation of ongoing professional involvement

Outcome focus:

• Awareness
• Confidence
• shared language
• early engagement with learning

TYPE 2 – Early Concern / Early Help Microprojects (Low-Level Need)

Purpose:

Early intervention where small shifts in wellbeing or family functioning are emerging.

Typical participants:

• primary school families
• early signs of stress or disruption
• transitional family circumstances

Delivery model:

• Identified by Link staff
• Invitation into funded pilot
• completion of short “priorities consult”
• consult attended by Link staff + Lead Plus
• access to online learning + light touch follow-up

Support level:

• structured but light
• minimal professional input
• no therapeutic intervention

Outcome focus:

• stabilisation
• understanding patterns
• early behaviour awareness
• improved relational confidence
  
  

TYPE 3 – Supported Learning Microprojects (Moderate Need)

Purpose:

Support engagement and understanding where families benefit from guided learning.

Typical participants:

• low–moderate concern
• families needing structured help to engage
• school or PCN identified relational difficulty patterns

Delivery model:

• priorities consult (Lead + or delegated Lead Plus)
• 6 structured sessions (group or 1:1)
• supported navigation of online learning
• integration into Community Wheel

Support level:

• moderate structured support
• educational and relational coaching approach
• non-therapeutic

Outcome focus:

• behaviour awareness in daily life
• improved communication patterns
• increased self-regulation understanding
• stronger engagement with learning system
  
  

TYPE 4 – Complex Engagement Microprojects (Higher Concern, Motivated)

Purpose:

Support families who have ongoing difficulties but show motivation for change.

Typical participants:

• repeated service contact
• prior interventions with limited impact
• relational patterns are entrenched but change is possible

Delivery model:

• structured priorities consult (Lead + Dr Cathy Betoin)
• 6 core support sessions
• potential additional structured backup support
• optional PCN Link staff liaison role

Support level:

• higher skill judgement required
• closely supported engagement
• still non-therapeutic
• explicitly educational/relational framing

Outcome focus:

• breaking repetitive relational cycles
• improved insight into patterns
• increased stability in relationships
• engagement with ongoing learning pathway
  
  

CROSS-CUTTING PRINCIPLES (VERY IMPORTANT FOR FUNDERS)

1. I Matter is Not Therapy   This is explicitly: educational, relational, preventative learning support

           Not clinical intervention.

2. Minimal Escalation System    Even Type 4 remains: No open-ended dependency

• structured
• bounded
• time-limited
• learning-based

3. Embedded Safeguarding Logic (Soft Version)   Not formal escalation-heavy safeguarding pathways — instead:

• professional judgement via Link training
• light PCN involvement where appropriate
• clarity of boundaries

4. Community Wheel Integration     All microprojects connect back to:

• monthly community sessions
• peer learning
• ongoing access to support without case management burden
• This prevents isolation without increasing workload.