Rethink Formulation is Coming to Plymouth
The way we all support children and families is going through a whole system change as part of the government’s Families First Partnership (FFP) reforms. The reforms bring the opportunity to strengthen earlier support and improved protection for those children, young people, and families in need and at highest risk. You can find out more about the reforms in the FFP Programme Guide.
In support of the FFP reforms Plymouth Safeguarding Children Partnership agreed to adopt the Rethink Formulation Practice Model in September 2025. Rethink is a multi agency model and approach that creates a shared way to make sense of and evaluate children’s needs from early help through to child protection. The model can be applied from the moment we identify a need in a child through to how we then frame conversations with families and with each other as professionals. For example Rethink can be used to help guide a conversation when discussing concerns for a child with the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub as well as within Strategy Meetings and Initial Child Protection Conferences.
Work is ongoing to prepare for the full implementation of the model which will include a full training and support offer to help use the model which will be free for all to attend. We will share when this is ready on this page/our website and through our other ways of communicating e.g. email, sector newsletters. Prior to this we wanted to start creating awareness of Rethink and so we held some introductory briefing webinars at the beginning of October 2025. A recording of one of these can be found below along with the presentation slides used and two supporting documents which are A Brief Practice Guide to Rethink Formulation and A Brief Practice Guide to The Plymouth Practice Framework.
We hope you’ll find these resources helpful and, as explored in the webinar, there’s nothing stopping you from starting to use Rethink, particularly the 6 Ps, if after watching the webinar you feel confident to do this ahead of the full implemtation and training offer.
Rethink Formulation Recorded Webinar: Introductory Briefing
Delivered by Dave Neal, Service Manager, Children’s Services Learning Academy, Plymouth City Council. The webinar lasts for 1Hour 18minutes.
