“Mental health is at the crux of people’s quality of life and how happy they can be” – Think Ahead participant speaks to The Guardian

Think Ahead participant Alex has spoken to The Guardian newspaper about how he came to train as a social worker with Think Ahead and how he’s finding the role.

Originally Alex thought that after his degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) from the University of Oxford he would end up working in policy. “I had some lofty idea that the way to have an impact was to take on systematic issues of policy,” he says.

But then he decided he wanted to work directly with people, even though he was apprehensive of the responsibility that comes with that. After spending nine months on Year Here, a postgraduate course in social innovation, Alex joined the Think Ahead programme in 2016.

Read the full article on The Guardian’s website.

He now works as a newly qualified social worker in a mental health team for older adults, where he supports people with dementia and mental health problems like depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Even though his role is challenging, Alex enjoys helping people to live independently: “I find that really fulfilling.”

“I decided to go into mental health social work because social work is such an important role and I think mental health is at the crux of people’s quality of life and how happy they can be.”