The Belonging, Mattering, Liminality (BML) Framework
Bring your team(s) together for a full‑day learning space that is deigned to equip all attendees with a practical, human‑centred lens for the children, young people and adults who will benefit the most; it’s grounded, applicable and ready to use!
Belonging, Mattering and Liminality, delivered by Dr Lisa Cherry.
Email lisa@lisacherry.co.uk to discuss bringing this training to your organisation.
“In a society so focused on division, tending to belonging and mattering is an act of resistance”
Dr Lisa Cherry
Tell me more…
What Does The BML Framework do?
This is more than just a framework. It fundamentally alters the lens you use. Most frameworks tell people what to do. This one changes what you see. And once you can see why someone feels invisible or is held by no-one or is stuck in an inbetween space with no idea of who they are to become, the intervention that can make the most difference follows.
" Lisa Cherry delivered both a keynote presentation and a workshop on her new BML framework. Lisa is an exceptional speaker who immediately engages her audience, holding attention throughout with her passion, expertise and authenticity. Her delivery was thought-provoking, inspiring and left a lasting impression.
The BML framework particularly resonated with me and was one of the standout aspects of the conference. Its strength lies in its simplicity; it is accessible, practical and easy to apply, whilst having the potential to make a significant impact on practice. I could immediately see how it could enhance and support my day-to-day work within the Virtual School.
Essex Virtual School have already signed up to receive a copy of Lisa’s new book when it is released. I am genuinely excited to explore the BML framework further and am confident that it is something that would benefit all the agencies working with our young people.”
Jane Mills
Education Adviser for Essex Virtual School
July 2026
The Day
Belonging, Mattering and Liminality is Dr Lisa Cherry's original framework, developed through her own doctoral research, lived experience and years of practice across education, children's social care and criminal justice. It rests on three questions that sound simple and turn out to hold most of what matters in the work.
“So much to reflect on, incredible morning which has hit me personally and professionally.” Social Worker, Children’s Services.
How does this person/team/organisation experience a sense of belonging?
In what ways does this person/team/organisation experience mattering?
And is this person/team/organisation in a liminal space and is it destructive or transformative?
Tailored to your specific setting and exploration, with each person having their own workbook to take away with them, we will move between theory and practice using real-world case studies, research and explorations of our own positionality, developing ways to pick the framework up and put it to work immediately.
“I love the idea of trying to take the idea of belonging and mattering into the life story books I make and how we can make this felt with all relationships - birth family, foster carers and adopters.” Social Worker, Children’s Services
What Attendees Leave With in Their Hands and Hearts
Attendees will leave with a shared language for the children and adults who are easy to miss, a way of reading a situation that makes it legible rather than baffling and a set of protective, practical moves that hold up on a Monday morning, not just in a training room. The framework in informed by and sits firmly underneath, the umbrella of trauma-informed practice.
“I really enjoyed the session delivered by Lisa on belonging, mattering and liminality. Lisa has a real presence and immediately created a space where everyone felt comfortable contributing. She held the room brilliantly, balancing thought-provoking discussion with practical activities that kept everyone engaged throughout.
The session was both insightful and highly relevant to working with young people. It challenged me to think differently about the experiences young people have as they navigate change, transition and the ‘unknown’, while also giving me practical tools to support them and the team more effectively.
The reflective and interactive exercises were particularly valuable, helping us translate the concepts into our own practice rather than just talking about them in theory. The session felt genuinely inclusive, with everyone encouraged to share perspectives and learn from one another.
I came away with a deeper understanding of the importance of creating environments where young people feel they belong and know they matter, along with ideas I can confidently apply in my work. I would highly recommend this training to anyone working with young people.”
Sarah Ryan
Probation Young Adult Hub
West Yorkshire
Who Is This Day For?
Schools and education settings
Virtual School conferences/training events
Whole school conferences/training events
Children's social care teams
Probation and criminal justice services
Anyone working with people in transition, in disruption or on the margins of belonging
The day is shaped to your context and your workforce, which will be tailored specifically to the sector you work in.
“Belonging when in liminal spaces has been a real eye opener. The entire morning has been amazing! Dr Cherry is incredibly inspirational.” Social Worker, Children’s Services
About Lisa
Dr Lisa Cherry is an author, trainer and keynote speaker with nearly four decades of experience working in education and children’s services and in the last 10 years, with criminial justice and probation too. Lisa brings a perspective that bridges research, policy and the reality of frontline practice. She is the author of several books including Conversations that Make a Difference for Children and Young People and Weaving a Web of Belonging and hosts the Trauma Resonance Resilience Podcast. She works with organisations across the UK and internationally.
“The activities …I will be embedding into my practice.” Social Worker, Children’s Services
Step Into This Work
Bring your team into a framework that will change how they see the people they serve, shaped around your people and your context.
Email Lisa on lisa@lisacherry.co.uk to explore further OR for an immersive one-day online training event, you can BOOK HERE.
“I found Dr Lisa Cherry's training to be extremely profound and thought-provoking. In particular, the concepts of belonging, mattering and liminality resonated strongly with me and have genuinely shifted my perspective on how young people navigate their lives and experiences.
The training helped me to better understand how a lack of belonging and opportunities to feel valued can influence a young person's identity, decision-making and engagement with services. The discussion around liminality was particularly impactful, highlighting how many young people can become trapped between different stages of their lives without a clear sense of direction or support.
This has enhanced my understanding of how young people may enter the criminal justice system and importantly, why many remain within it for extended periods. The training challenged me to think beyond offending behaviour and consider the wider social, relational and developmental factors that shape outcomes. I will take these insights forward in my practice to better support individuals and promote more meaningful engagement and desistance.”
William Hunter
Leeds Young Adult Team