LEVEL 1: LEARN THE I MATTER FRAMEWORK
ARE YOU WELL PREPARED FOR YOUR ROLE WITH CHILDREN?
YOU CAN EQUIP YOURSELF WITH MORE CLARITY AND SKILLS, AND/OR START TURNING THINGS AROUND
WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE I MATTER FRAMEWORK AND A RELATIONSHIP HEALTH APPROACH TO WELLBEING
IN THE FACE OF WIDESPREAD CONCERN ABOUT CHILD AND ADULT WELLBEING, THERE ARE QUESTIONS WE MUST ASK:
FIRST: ARE YOU WELL INFORMED AND WELL-PREPARED FOR YOUR ROLE WITH CHILDREN AT WORK AND AT HOME?
Professionals as well as parents-carers and young people who have progressed an I Matter Learning Journey, say that the understanding they have gained and the tools they have learned have transformed their confidence in work and home roles - especially when there are challenges.
WE OFFER A ROLLING ENROLLMENT FOR BLENDED LEVEL 1
WITH A GETTING STARTED EVENT ON THE FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH
LEVEL 1: LEARN THE I MATTER FRAMEWORK:
FOUNDATIONS FOR A RELATIONSHIP HEALTH APPROACH
TO IMPROVING CHILD AND ADULT WELLBEING
PLEASE NOTE: Level 1 is for personal-professional development only.
Any resources are licensed to you for your own use only and are not for copying or distributing.
This training does not equip you to train others in the I Matter Framework.
I Matter Training and Relationship Health Matters are the only licensed providers of this training
We work with licensed partners to provide local study support services
Being ready for challenging roles with the I Matter Framework and an Relationship Health Approach
Wellbeing in adult-child and adult-adult relationships based on Relationship Health concerns vital long term issues!
When relationship health is present, it is felt. It feels good
It means we can be helpful
When it is not present, we also know it. It doesn't feel good
Our ability to help people that matter can decreases.
Relationship health and ill-health impacts every single aspect of life.
However professionals rarely if ever get any training in the skills involved and nor do parents-carers or young people.
The truth is there is a lot involved.
Thankfully, it's never too late to make a difference.
However good preparation can really help avoid common challenges
And good foundations can help turn challenging situations around.
The I Matter Learning Journey aims to equip participants with solid foundations: We work in phases:
+ Engage with I Matter (First Course and Fundamentals)
+ Learn I Matter: Learn the Framework (Level 1)
+ Living I Matter: Deepen and Extend (Level 2-3)
+ Offer I Matter: Helping Us Help Others (Level 4-6)
Each person's learning journey is unique with always more to learn
What is a Linked Parent-Carer? The I Matter Training programme is for professionals and parents-carers. Wherever possible we like parents-carers and young people to access the programme with a recommendation from an I Matter link practitioner in a community hub and member school. We train professionals to support access to the programme in their own communities. If you are a parent-carer not in a hub area, please speak to professionals in your area and encourage them to take a look
So... this training and skills building is for professionals and non-professionals who would like:
- less confusion and more clarity about how to understand what the research evidence is telling us about the way to proactively help yourself, your children and other adults
- more confidence to work well with others using robust ideas with a strong evidence base
- confidence to know clearly what the priorities are and how to track progress over time
- more confidence in how to fulfill your own really key role in your work or home setting
....so that key relationships can feel easier and so that you, and others in your work and community and home , can thrive whatever the challenges happen to be
UNDERSTANDING I MATTER AND RELATIONSHIP HEALTH PRACTICE CAN
HELP PREPARE YOU FOR A PROFESSIONAL OR PERSONAL ROLE
IN ORDER TO PREVENT DIFFICULTIES AND SPOT THINGS EARLY
UNDERSTANDING I MATTER AND RELATIONSHIP HEALTH PRACTICE CAN ALSO HELP YOU STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK OR HOME
AND HELP YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO HELP RECOVER THEIR HEALTH
You have the power to make a difference in your work or home setting by developing your understanding and skills!
If you are concerned about what is happening in work or home roles with one or more children or adults who are struggling.
If you know of a child or adult finding relationships difficult
Or demonstrating challenging behaviour
Or struggling with mental health challenges
Your insight and understanding matters
In a Relationship Health Approach to helping children or other adults we work using the power of your own role
We start with you!
You learn the I Matter Framework
You start to read what is happening more accurately
You start to figure out your own next key steps
We encourage you to stick with your own learning process long enough to bring about results
More About the I Matter Learning Journey
The I Matter Learning Journey is an online programme and learning community which helps adults and young people to understand all relationships but especially the difficult ones and take steps to bring about positive change through their own role.
Typically, these difficult relationships manifest as:
- Challenging behaviour including angry, defiance and unco-operative patterns
- Mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and self-harm
- Unhelpful stuck patterns in relationships whether adult-child, adult-adult or self-self e.g difficult patterns observed in young children that are still not addressed years later
Whatever your role, it can be incredibly challenging to know how to best behave in some relationships including how to support some young people or adults and how to have a healthy and supportive relationship with them. Some children or adults with challenges have formally diagnosed conditions but many do not. It can nonetheless be difficult to understand why quite so many children are struggling these days.
For example, at home, as a parent or carer or partner or young person, it can also be extremely challenging to get drawn into escalated behaviour yourself, or see a child or adult struggling with their emotions and lashing out or withdrawing, whilst you are feeling ill-equipped to support them and are feeling so isolated and misunderstood yourself. Of course, you really want to help your child but you may feel you have been asking for help for so long. You do worry your efforts are sometimes making things worse, but you know you can’t do this on your own. It’s just you didn’t know parenting was going to be so difficult and you often simply do not know how best to respond.
Or, in school or in community roles, it can be shocking to be drawn into incidents with children and young people who seem out of control and potentially a risk not just to themselves but also to others in your care, whilst feeling your training didn’t prepare you for the situations you are in. Being faced with disengaged or angry, escalated parents-carers who are sometimes blaming you can at times be even more difficult than the work with young people. It can be very discouraging to see situations around you getting worse. But where should you start?
So a common experience can be one of feeling confused and overwhelmed with a sense that you are failing to move forward on things that matter a lot or failing to help others who are clearly needing help.
The main intended outcome of the I Matter Learning Journey is to give you a clear roadmap to improved relationship health with children and young people or adults both typical and more complex, through helping you focus on the foundations of relationship health. The programme, developed by Dr Cathy Betoin, a highly experienced clinical psychologist, teacher and parent herself. draws together decades of research evidence on what helps children and adults to thrive into a practical easy to understand set of ideas. These help you strengthen your understanding of the links between stress and wellbeing, child development, brain development and the adult role including the power of beliefs and attitudes.
An understanding of the I Matter Framework can then support you in:
· Strengthening of relationships with a young person/s when there are mild-moderate challenges
· Recovery of relationship health with young people when there are escalated or complex challenges
· Preparation for relationship health in a role in parenting or caring for children
· Continuing Professional Development helping you take forward the overlooked issue of relationship health in your roles so you can better support the young people in your care and work more effectively with parents
All I Matter training in the UK is overseen by Cathy Betoin. We are currently focussed on building a network of practitioners. No other training or accreditation in the I Matter Framework is approved or recognised by I Matter Training Ltd.
How exactly does the I Matter Programme work?
- We work with community hubs and member schools as our goal is to create a well-informed community of adult professionals and parents around children and young people who are struggling. We start with GP’s and school leadership who want to work together to help parents and young people in their own locality
- Then, whether you are a senior leader or a professional or a parent, you’ll study the I Matter Framework through video lessons designed to help you better understand and then implement positive changes to your relationships with young people in your care.
- You will also have the option to join small group explorations with others in similar contexts to yours, as well as opportunities for personalised consultations, subject to the availability of practitioners, to help you address specific issues
- Where possible, we aim to connect you to a local community hub that is joining up professionals in health and education and community roles.
- The I Matter Programme does not offer any quick fixes. Putting I Matter principles into practice is a life-long learning process with every individual journey unique. What you should remember is that if you ever have the feeling that ‘it is not working’ then there is simply more for you to still learn. This is why we refer to the theory to practice stage as an I Matter Challenge.
- An I Matter Learning Journey is not about changing others. It is about creating the conditions that support relationship health for children and for yourself and others in work and home roles. In this process, you are a key agent in bringing about the changes you want to see.
To join I Matter Programme you need to be:
- Committed to working with others in your own community and able to access local support
- Willing to commit to study, including online study (one step at a time)
- Motivated to learn more about yourself and your own relationships and ready to make some personal changes to help children and other adults in your settings
- Available to access and engage with I Matter discussion groups
- Interested in developing the skills that support healthier and happier relationships
The initial steps to join the I Matter Learning Journey and progress an I Matter Challenge include
- Completion of an initial short online expression of interest form and initial discussion
- Completion of an in-depth online assessment questionnaire and consult on priority goals
- Registration for an online account for Preparation and Level 1
- Participation in small group online discussion of I Matter Principles and theory to practice:
- Encouragement to keep working on your own I Matter Challenge and skills.
Step by Step: The programme encourages you to aim for one happier and healthier relationship at a time and can provide a positive complement to other learning. We love to celebrate results!
After Level 1 training, some people stop or pause, others progress to further learning with varied levels of support including options for personalised small group and 1:1 coaching with our growing network of I Matter Informed and Certified practitioners.
We encourage you to stay involved so as to have the benefits of staying checked in to the I Matter Framework and Relationship Health conversations and ideas that will help you to continue finding the way forward. We would love you to join us!
Overview of Steps of the I Matter Learning Journey
The I Matter Learning Journey is for professionals and personal development,especially for those caring for children in work or home roles.
From time to time we offer the Getting Started Course as a taster in partnership with member organisations and certified practitioners
Level 2-3 is by application

Discover I Matter
Explore Relationship Health
FIRST COURSE
5 + KEY IDEAS
Getting Started
Essentials of Attachment
More information

Learn the I Matter Framework
Prepare Relationship Health
CORE LEVEL 1
24 + KEY IDEAS
Everyday Living
Build Yourself a Map
More Information

Offer I Matter Study Support
Train to Guide Learning
LEVELS 4 - 6
SUPPORTING OTHERS
Learn to support learning
1:1 and small group
More Information
Feedback about I Matter Training
Over the last 10 years, people in a wide variety of situations have taken part in our CPD accredited I Matter training programme. Here is the sort of thing they say...
- “I Matter Training completely changed the way I feel about my role at work
- “I Matter Training gave me the confidence that I can help my child and have a better relationship with him. Even my relationship with my partner has improved!
- “I Matter Training gave me tools that I wish I had been given so many years previously
- "The I Matter Framework and Training has been adopted by our Integrated Care Community to support our local strategy for work with children and families"
Now we are moving into a new phase of building a bigger team and sharing thinking more widely.. so if you are in our local area, and have a child with some challenges, and are determined and want help to turn things around then we might be able to help...
LISTEN TO THE FOLLOWING VIDEO TO UNDERSTAND THE OUTLINE OF I MATTER TRAINING
FOR MORE ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS CLICK HERE
What You Get in the Level 1 Programme
Over the course of 8 weeks, you’ll learn about the I Matter Framework, with taught videos, reflective questions, and activities to try out. Everything is self-paced, so you can progress as works for you as you have a full 6 months to complete the course content. The course includes:
IMPORTANT: The Fundamentals and Level 1 Learn the I Matter Framework course is an important step of a longer learning journey. It can be supported in local communities by certified I Matter Professionals. We request that participants who wish to share the I Matter Framework with their own clients commit to progressing their own training first to become a certified Lead. This requires completion of Level 2-3, finding a supportive local host organisation and registering as a Trainee at Level 4-6 dependent on your current role.
PLEASE NOTE: The I Matter Fundamentals and Level 1 course is not suitable for those who are currently in situations of high stress and low support. In these situations local well informed support around the learning is vital. If you are not sure please discuss options with local professionals who know your situation.
What You Will Learn:
LEVEL 1: LEARN THE I MATTER FRAMEWORK - TRAVEL FROM CONFUSION TO CLARITY
Through a carefully constructed, step by step process, the course modules take complex, often familiar evidence based concepts and ideas and help you build you a clear map that will provide you with an powerful foundation for formulation and thinking through complex decisions.
An understanding of the I Matter Framework will change the way you see everyday professional and personal situations. These tools help you work effectively in teams with strong partnerships.
Module 1: Registration and Preparation
The need for Relationship health Practice
at home, in education, health and community settings
Module 2: Getting Started
Symptoms of stress and wellbeing: Introducing the I Matter Model
Organising what you already know a lot about
Module 3: Essential Ideas
How do we make sense of everyday high stress incidents?
Your role in high challenge situations
Module 4: Attachment Relationships
You and Your Child: What exactly is meant by attachment?
What does it look like across the developmental process?
Module 5: Alarm and the Brain
What exactly is happening in everyday challenging incidents?
Discover a simple model for dynamic relationship process
Module 6: How Children start Thinking
How do everyday moments shape brain development?
Why is the adult role so key?
Module 7: The Power of our Beliefs and attitudes
Are experiences just happening to us?
How do we take more control of outcomes?
Module 8: Communication
How does communication impact outcomes?
What are the vital skills?
4 MONTHS FREE MEMBERSHIP INCLUDED
WE OFFER A ROLLING ENROLMENT FOR LEVEL 1 WITH A
GETTING STARTED EVENT ON THE FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH
Several Options
I Matter Level 1:
Online Learn the I Matter Framework
Online version only
Pre-recorded content
Self-paced
£390
MORE INFO
I Matter Level 1:
Online Learn the I Matter Framework
Online + 1 workshop
Pre-recorded content
Monthly start
£450
MORE INFO
I Matter Level 1
Learn the I Matter Framework
Small Group Discussion
4x 75mins + 4 x 60mins
12 weeks
£290
MORE INFO
Blended I Matter Level 1
Learn the I Matter Framework
Online content
and workshops
12 weeks
£590 (periodic)
MORE INFO
VIA LOCAL HUB
WITH LOCAL LEAD
PROFESSIONALS
Where possible local discussion with people who know you is
best
INFO ON HUBS
CERTIFICATION



Dr Cathy Betoin is a practising clinical psychologist, an experienced teacher and a parent.
The I Matter Framework emerged gradually over more than 20 years in clinical practice in response to a sense that something important was missing in our approach to helping children and families. Then it became clear the issues involved all relationships.
The I Matter Learning Journey is designed as a training programme that can help professionals and non-professionals develop a shared language across home, school and community. The language of the I Matter Framework helps to bring a huge well-evidenced research literature together into a practical cohesive approach to inform some urgently needed shifts in our decision making and approach.
Training in the I Matter Framework helps professionals and parents and young people to work together to help themselves and others in their own homes. schools and communities. Here are some of the schools and organisations working with us to take forward this thinking.


Our Mission is Healthier and Happier Homes, Schools, and Communities: One Important Relationship at a Time
Frequently Asked Questions
Who exactly is this course for?
I Matter Relationship Health Training is suitable for professionals or for non-professionals who are ready and open to learn. The training can be very informative in relation to adult-child and adult-adult relationships. The pathway for parents is via community hubs and member schools.
The intention of the I Matter Framework is to help you understand more about what is happening in everyday challenging situations.
Though the ideas can look familiar and fairly simple putting the principles into practice takes a lot of practice, particularly if challenges have been present for a while. The training covers a lot of issues some of which can be experienced as sensitive and so I Matter can offer a challenging learning experience for some.
If there are current challenges, it is therefore important to think through your local support options.
This course is not intended to help you address challenging situations without other support in place.
What is the distinction between the First Course and the I Matter Learning Journey?
There is an important distinction between the First Course and the I Matter Learning Journey.
The First Course is, as it sounds a very basic and introductory level of discussion of the ideas. It is offered via member organisations either by recommendation or supported by an inhouse practitioner.
Those who are interested in more indepth study and a longer more sustained commitment join the I Matter Learning Journey to learn new ideas and to find a community of support with the challenges of putting the ideas into practice in their own settings.
How often does the Level 1 course run?
We open the Level 1 self-paced course to new cohorts of professionals or parent groups by invitation several times a year
What does the course cost?
The Level 1 supported course costs £500pp with discounts for self-paced courses via member schools and services with a Link professionl. It is possible to make multi-purchases at discounted costs.
What can I do with my training?
The Level 1 training is an awareness level course and is intended to support your personal understanding or for CPD only. You are not licensed to use the resources in a professional role with level 1 training only. If you want to use the I Matter Resources in your practice with children or adults then you can apply to join further training. Level 2-3 involves work with children in direct roles and level 4 includes work with parents and professionals who are progressing an I Matter Learning Journey
What is the difference between the self-paced and supported course?
As it sounds, the supported course includes a higher level of personalised consultations.
At present this option is only offered in the Kendal area where we work within a network of I Matter informed professionals.
How can I take part in further training?
To take part in further training requires an application.
We offer further training to professionals with priority given to community hubs to support the building of a shared local language.
We offer further training to parents-carers via I Matter approved professionals or trainees.
CANCELLATION POLICY ON THIS COURSE
Please check out the initial preparation content as soon as possible after registration. If the style or nature of the content is not for then please contact us within 7 days and we can offer you a full no questions asked refund. After this or if you progress beyond the preparation stage, we do not offer any refunds.