I Matter® Practitioner Roles and Permissions

Version 1.0 - 20th May 2026.

A structured development pathway for relationship health practice and learning

The I Matter® Practitioner Pathway provides a structured way for professionals and organisations to develop shared understanding, practical skills, and appropriate levels of responsibility in using the I Matter® framework.

This pathway describes scope of practice, not status or hierarchy. Each role defines what someone is able to do safely and appropriately within the framework.

Training authority is separate and only applies where explicitly licensed.

The training pathway should be read in association with the I Matter Certification Guidelines

How to use this pathway

Each role includes:

• What the role focuses on
• What practitioners can do in practice
• What is outside the role
• Who the role is designed for
• Level of authority or representation

Most roles include a Trainee stage (supervised learning) and a Certified stage (independent practice within scope).

Entry Level Learning

Introduction, Getting Started and I Matter Fundamentals (Level 1–2)

Introduction to the I Matter® framework

This is the starting point for all learners.

You will:

• Learn the core ideas and language of I Matter®
• Reflect on your own professional practice
• Begin to apply concepts in your thinking and reflection

You will not:

• Deliver training or workshops
• Represent yourself as an I Matter® practitioner
• Teach or share the framework formally

Audience: Personal learning and internal professional reflection
Authority: No delivery rights

Practitioner Pathway

Informed Practitioner

Shared language and foundational application

This role supports the use of I Matter® language in everyday professional settings.

You can:

• Use I Matter® concepts in your own professional role
• Contribute to team discussions and case reflection
• Develop shared understanding within your workplace

You cannot:

• Help others access online learning
• Deliver training or workshops
• Supervise others in use of the framework
• Represent yourself as a training authority

Audience: Your own professional setting
Authority: Internal practice use only

Link Practitioner

Connecting people and pathways to learning

This role focuses on helping people access and navigate I Matter® learning.

You can:

• Help teams and services understand available pathways
• Help recognise readiness for learning with low level informal study support
• Support individuals and professionals to access self-help learning
• Provide informal study support (eg showing interest in progress and learning)
  
• Strengthen communication between services and learning resources

You cannot:

• Deliver formal study support programmes
• Certify others in the framework
• Independently run I Matter® workshops or courses

Audience: Multi-agency and service interface
Authority: Internal influence role (non-training)

Senior Link Practitioner

Systems coordination and service alignment

This role supports coordination across teams and services.

You can:

• Support service coordination and shared understanding
• Develop a strategy for team development over time
• Mentor informal use of the framework in teams
  
• Contribute to systems-level discussions
• Monitor organisation development strategy

You cannot:

• Deliver accredited training or study support
• Certify practitioners
• Represent I Matter® as a training lead

Audience: Organisational and inter-service contexts
Authority: Advisory influence only

Child Practitioner

Direct relational practice with children and families

This role applies the framework in direct work with children and young people.

You can:

• Work as part of a team that is informed by relationship health and I Matter thinking
• Use I Matter® in direct practice with children, young people, and families
• Inform intervention planning within supervision or organisational guidance
• Apply tools and concepts in relational work

You cannot:

• Work without access to informed supervision
• Deliver training or workshops
• Certify others
• Work outside I Matter® informed or organisational oversight (where required)

Audience: Children, young people, families
Authority: Practice-only role

Lead Practitioner

Early intervention and family-focused support

This role supports families and young people through consultation and early intervention approaches.

You can:

• Offer consultations for families and carers
• Run workshops for families and young people and local community groups
• Offer time limited study support plans for families registered for online learning in 1:1 or small groups 
• Co-facilitate sessions for professionals with Lead Plus Practitioners
• Support colleagues informally in applying the framework
• Develop a specialist area of interest of I Matter in application (eg age of child, specific needs)

You cannot:

• Deliver professional training independently (unless by specific license)
• Certify others in I Matter®
• Work beyond defined scope of early intervention practice

Audience: Families, children, cross-system support
Authority: Advanced practice role (non-training unless licensed)

Lead Plus Practitioner

Complex needs and system-level practice

This role supports more complex presentations and multi-agency work within specialist services.

You can:

• Support complex family and young people and system-level cases within your service
• Offer consultations for families and carers and young people within your service
• Offer workshops for families and carers and young people within your service
• Offer time limited packages of study support for those registered for online learning in 1:1 or small groups
• Contribute to training design and development (where invited)
• Work across professional systems in complex contexts
• Develop a specialist area of interest of I Matter in application (eg age of child, specific needs)

You cannot:

• Modify the core I Matter® framework
• Certify practitioners independently
• Deliver training for professionals unless separately licensed

Audience: Complex cases and system contexts
Authority: Senior applied practice (non-default training role)

Training & Workforce Development

Advanced Practitioner (Trainer Status)

Authorised delivery of professional training

This is the only role authorised to deliver I Matter® training to professionals or organisations within a defined licence.

You can:

• Deliver approved I Matter® training programmes to professionals
• Use authorised materials and curriculum content
• Represent I Matter® within your licensed scope (e.g. professionals or parent programmes depending on agreement)
• Develop a specialist area of interest of I Matter in application (eg age of child, specific needs)

You cannot:

• Modify the core I Matter® framework
• Deliver training outside your licensed audience
• Delegate or sublicense training authority

Authority: Full training rights within licensed scope only

Important principle

The I Matter® Practitioner Pathway distinguishes between:

• Learning the framework
• Applying the framework in practice
• Supporting others through the framework
• Delivering formal training

Not all roles include all functions. Training authority is only granted through specific licensing.