With Insight Education partnership: changing the narrative 

We are delighted to share that we’ve partnered with pioneering educational charity With Insight Education.

With Insight Education is on a mission to ensure the representation of black heritage students at university and in careers, reflecting the available talent of young people.

For the start of this collaboration members of our alumni community spoke to black secondary school students, to broaden the students’ understanding of the mental health sector and the career options available to them.

 Inspiring the next generation

Cheneeka Murray, Katrice Russell and Deidra Kyei have all completed the Think Ahead programme and are at different stages in their social work and mental health careers.

The three alumni led a panel that discussed the diversity of mental health careers – including frontline work, clinical psychology and research – and encouraged them to build their skills of empathy, active listening and communication early on. Whilst experience can be important, these skills are everyone’s most valuable tools.

Impact of social work

The panelists explored how they all make an impact on people and wider communities through their roles, and their motivations for joining the mental health workforce.

Deidra originally wanted to be a doctor and then pivoted into social work. “My dad got ill and our social worker was amazing. I don’t know how my family would have coped and got through that without her support”.

This personal experience with a social worker prompted her to consider it as a career and she decided to apply to our programme to train as a mental health social worker.

Changing the narrative

I’ve been able to see black social work leaders be their authentic self – whatever that may be. They’ve been able to bring their whole selves to work and still be seen as valuable and insightful.

Katrice

A key theme of the discussion was how important it is to have representation across the mental health sector. The panelists each shared how challenging it can be to not have black representation within a workplace, especially in more senior positions.

Cheeneka has found that “at senior levels it can be quite male dominated as well. You’re dealing with your race; you’re dealing with your gender – there are different layers to overcome. Sometimes that can be challenging. Is it worthwhile? Yes. Is it important? Yes.

“Service users fare better when they see someone that represents them and that’s the same with staff. If you see people that represent you and you know where you can get to in your career, that is better and what we need.”

Katrice shared that throughout her time on our programme “I’ve been able to see black social work leaders be their authentic self – whatever that may be. They’ve been able to bring their whole selves to work and still be seen as valuable and insightful.

We have black social workers on the front line who are changing the narrative day by day, just by showing up and holding space in environments that we haven’t always held space.”

Future of the partnership

Our alumni community, and the rest of Think Ahead, look forward to working alongside With Insight Education in the future, to continue to inspire young black students to consider mental health roles and know there is a place for them in social work.

To find out more about our Alumni Community contact our Alumni Community Manager Amrit.