24
April 2019
“He’s optimistic about his future and so am I. It’s moments like this that make it all worthwhile.” – Participant shares a week in his life with the Guardian
Think Ahead participant Benji has shared the details of a week in his job, for the Guardian’s “My working week” series.
In the article Benji, who is a qualified social worker currently in his second year on the Think Ahead programme, talks about how he supports adults with mental health problems to work towards recovery. Benji explains: “This is my role as a social worker: through talking therapy, practical support, and by championing someone’s rights, I help people manage the social factors in their life that can help them get better, like relationships, housing and employment.”
Throughout the week’s diary, Benji details meetings he has with five different service users, including Joe, who has been detained under the Mental Health Act. Benji writes about presenting a report at a tribunal, which leads to Joe being discharged from hospital. Following the tribunal, Joe says: “In all the time I’ve been under mental health services, nobody has spoken up for me like this before.”