Applications are open to join the Think Ahead programme in 2021
This page was last updated on 3 March 2021. If you are a talented graduate or career-changer, remarkable enough to make a real difference in tackling the UK’s mental health challenge, the Think Ahead programme could be for you. On our paid, two-year programme, you’ll work to build relationships with adults living with mental health problems, empowering them to lead more […]
- 22 Feb / 21Features
“I saw that there was a demand for me to work in mental health” – Why we need more men in mental health social work
According to recent figures from Health Education England and a previous NHS Benchmarking Network/ADASS study, only 24% of mental health social workers in NHS Mental Health Trusts and 28% of those in Local Authorities are male. Meanwhile, 43% of respondents to the Care Quality Commission’s most recent survey of people using community mental health services […]
- 8 Feb / 21Features
“Actively challenge stigma and empower people” – a personal piece for LGBT+ History Month
Alec started his journey to transition at 18 and, having completed our graduate programme in 2018, now works with young people as a mental health social worker. Here he reflects on the unique perspective his life experiences bring to his work. We’re not often told anything positive about trans people in our day to day […]
- 18 Jan / 21News
How we’re responding to the coronavirus
This web page was last updated on 18 January 2021. We will continue to update the page whenever we have new information. We are monitoring the coronavirus situation, and the third national lockdown, closely, and are ensuring that our policies and plans are in line with the best available evidence and the government’s advice. Our […]
- 11 Jan / 21In the media
Research by Think Ahead social worker finds that inpatients’ religious and cultural needs often go unmet
A member of our first intake, Kuldip Kaur Kang, has written about her research into inpatients’ religious and cultural needs for Community Care, a leading social work website. As part of her master’s degree on the Think Ahead programme, Kuldip explored whether people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds had their religious and […]
- 16 Dec / 20Features
Building an anti-racist Think Ahead – our progress and our future plans
Think Ahead’s CEO, Ella Joseph, provides an update on how we are embedding anti-racism in our work. At Think Ahead, we strive to promote Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) throughout all of our work – because we believe in social justice, and that all lives are equally precious, and we know that diversity of thought […]
- 27 Nov / 20News
Mental health social work is “so much more than the health silo” – Shadow Mental Health Minister meets Think Ahead community
We were delighted to welcome Dr Rosena Allin-Khan MP, Shadow Mental Health Minister, to an online event this week with our current trainees and alumni of the programme. Part of an ongoing series of events with leading figures in mental health and social work, the interactive session tackled a range of issues mental health social […]
- 18 Nov / 20News
The frontline reality of mental health services during Covid – as featured in The Metro
With their support arguably needed now more than ever, mental health social workers are on the frontline in this pandemic. Like all of us, they’re doing what they can to limit face-to-face contact, but that’s not always possible when you’re working with someone who has a severe mental health problem. One of our past participants, Thea Radburn, wrote a piece for The Metro […]
- 11 Nov / 20In the media
“I love seeing people flourish, and wanted a career that would push me to keep challenging myself and learning” – Think Ahead alum tells Professional Social Work magazine
In this thoughtfully written piece, Think Ahead alum Mariah Wilde describes her humbling experience as a mental health social worker and the lessons she has learnt from the people she has worked with. With dignity and respect forming her guiding principles for mental health, Mariah firmly believes that people are experts on their own experience. […]
- 20 Oct / 20News
“This profession is about making a difference and each and every one of you has done that”- Think Ahead’s 2018 Cohort join our alumni network
We were delighted to welcome another cohort of participants into our alumni network at a virtual ceremony on Monday 19 October. After spending the last two years training and working as mental health social workers, participants from our 2018 Cohort looked back on their experiences, as they became members of Think Ahead’s alumni network, joining […]
- 3 Oct / 20In the media
“You are working with some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and with that there is a huge responsibility” – The Times covers Think Ahead’s expansion
Think Ahead’s Chief Executive, Ella Joseph, and alum Levi Chambers-Cook (pictured) have been featured in The Times as part of a news piece about Think Ahead’s expansion. We announced earlier this week that the government has awarded us up to £27m to expand the Think Ahead graduate programme. This funding covers at least the next two cohorts, and allows […]
- 29 Sep / 20In the media
“Improving the nation’s mental health has to be a top political priority” – Think Ahead’s Chief Executive writes for PoliticsHome
Think Ahead’s Chief Executive Ella Joseph has written an opinion piece for PoliticsHome, a leading political news and commentary website. In it she discusses the mental health crisis brought on by Covid-19 and how today’s announcement of £27m of Government investment in the Think Ahead programme will contribute to tackling this crisis. The investment will […]
- 29 Sep / 20News
Government provides up to £27m to expand Think Ahead programme
The Department of Health and Social Care has today announced that it has awarded Think Ahead up to £27m, to fund at least two further cohorts of the Think Ahead graduate programme each providing 160 places per year – a 60% increase in the annual intake. Our programme offers talented graduates and career-changers a paid […]