Prime Minister backs Think Ahead in major speech

The Prime Minister Theresa May has highlighted the importance of Think Ahead, in a major speech today in which she set out her plans to “transform the way we deal with mental health problems, right across society and at every stage of life”.

As part of her approach, the Prime Minister said that she wants to “ensure more people get the support they need when they need it, in their communities,” and highlighted the government’s £10m funding for Think Ahead to recruit at least 300 highly talented individuals to train as mental health social workers.

96 participants joined Think Ahead’s first cohort last year, who are currently training on-the-job in community mental health teams across England, and the second intake of 80-100 recruits will join the programme in July.

Applications to join Think Ahead’s third cohort will open in September, giving brilliant graduates and career-changers the opportunity to take an intensive route into a profession that’s rewarding, challenging, and makes a real difference to people with mental health problems.

You can find out more about the programme, and how mental health social workers make an impact, in our About the programme section.