Skip to content
  • 22 Aug / 23
    In the media

    Think Ahead community nominated for Social Work Awards 2023

    We are delighted that three current and former Think Ahead trainees and one of the programme’s academic tutors are finalists in the Social Work Awards 2023. Karla Coppendale (2022 cohort), James Hussain (2021 cohort), Eleanor Hinchcliffe (2017 cohort) and David Bulmer (Senior Lecturer in Social Work for Middlesex University) have each been nominated and announced […]

  • 16 Jun / 23
    In the media

    Think Ahead Alum Nikki nominated as finalist for BBC Radio 4 All in The Mind Awards

    We are delighted that Think Ahead alum Nikki Lonsdale is one of nine BBC Radio 4 All in The Mind Awards finalists, after being nominated by Vicki who she supported in her role as Care Coordinator. Shortlisted from almost 1,000 nominations, Nikki is a finalist for the Professional Award which celebrates mental health professionals whose […]

  • 15 Mar / 21
    In the media

    “The pandemic has shone a light on the importance of mental health” – Think Ahead featured in the Financial Times

    Think Ahead participant Iqra and our Strategy Director Matthew Brown have been featured in a Financial Times article exploring how the coronavirus pandemic has caused rising interest in public sector careers around the world. The article looks at mental health social work as an example of a public sector career which attracts many young people […]

  • 9 Mar / 21
    In the media

    Our voices should be key to developing and delivering services that support us

    Caroline Butterwick, one of our lived experience partners, discusses how she uses her lived experience to make a difference in a piece for PosAbility Magazine. She explains: “For me, one of the unexpected benefits of service user involvement is the chance to take ownership of my narrative. “I get to tell my story in my […]

  • 11 Jan / 21
    In 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 […]

  • 11 Nov / 20
    In 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.  […]

  • 3 Oct / 20
    In 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 / 20
    In 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 […]

  • 23 Jul / 20
    In the media

    “It allows us to be really ambitious” – Think Ahead’s Co-Chief Executives speak to The Guardian about joint leadership

    Think Ahead’s Co-Chief Executives Ella Joseph and Natalie Acton have been interviewed for an article on joint leadership in The Guardian. The article examines the challenges and opportunities of job sharing, especially in leadership roles, and asks whether the pandemic might provide an opportunity for organisations to re-examine their ways of working. Speaking to Graham […]

  • 16 Jul / 20
    In the media

    “The mental health workforce is going to be more important than ever” – Think Ahead’s Chief Executive writes for the Independent

    Our Chief Executive Ella Joseph has written an opinion piece about how the coronavirus pandemic has been “devastating for many people’s mental health” and what needs to happen in order to expand the mental health workforce to help it respond effectively. Writing for the Independent, Ella explained the key role that social factors play in […]

  • 15 Jul / 20
    In the media

    “I think the biggest satisfaction you get working in mental health is the bond you develop with people.” – Think Ahead participant interviewed by The Guardian

    Think Ahead participant Paddy Hartigan has spoken to The Guardian about his experience working as a mental health social worker, and how his job has changed throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The article looked into the challenges that the mental health workforce is facing because of the coronavirus. Paddy, who is a qualified mental health social worker and […]

  • 15 Jul / 20
    In the media

    Report: Public knowledge and perceptions of careers in mental health

    We have today released new research showing that, while many people might be interested in working in mental health, there are widespread misunderstandings about careers in the field. All employers in the mental health workforce need to work together to bust some of these myths and raise awareness of how accessible and rewarding careers in mental health can be. Ella Joseph, Chief Executive […]