I had considered other frontline roles in mental health but I wanted to be able to support people more holistically.
Valeria 2018 participant
I had seen how important social factors are to people’s mental health.
Tom 2018 participant
I was attracted to social work because it’s a profession where you get to spend a lot of time with a person, building up a relationship.
Hannah 2019 participant
I worked in the city as a head hunter for banks but I didn’t find this fulfilling.
Jan 2017 participant
I really enjoy mental health social work because it requires heart as well as brains.
Rebecca 2017 participant
I chose Think Ahead as it gave me the chance to have the maximum positive impact, by working in the community from the start.
Mo 2019 participant
Apply your mind to mental health
The Think Ahead programme is an innovative route into social work, for graduates and career-changers remarkable enough to make a real difference to people with mental health problems.
Latest news
“You have the opportunity to truly change lives and have a real impact” – welcoming our 2022 Cohort to the programme
Members of our 2022 Cohort have kicked off their journey to become mental health social workers through the Think Ahead programme. New participants attended an online launch event on 11 June, and heard from current and former participants, members of our Service User and Carer Reference Group, members of our head office team, and staff […]
“As a social worker I can help amplify the voices of the marginalised.”
Irteza Masood joined the Think Ahead programme in 2021. For Pride Month, he discusses his intersectional identity as a queer south Asian man, taking back his voice, and how training as a social worker has helped him empower others to find theirs. Talking about sexuality within the south Asian community is a taboo, and being […]