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  • 14 Jun / 17
    In the media

    Radio 4’s All in the Mind follows participant Al on the job

    BBC Radio 4 programme All in the Mind has spent a day following Think Ahead participant Al Tooms – giving a rare insight into the complex role of a mental health social worker. To hear the full programme you can visit the the BBC website. Or you can listen to Al’s segment here: During the piece, Al […]

  • 24 May / 17
    In the media

    Radio 4’s All in the Mind follows participant Charlotte on the job

    Radio 4 programme All in the Mind has spent a day following Think Ahead participant Charlotte Seymour in her role training to be a mental health social worker – getting a unique insight into the kind of work she does supporting people with mental health problems. To hear the full programme you can visit the […]

  • 27 Mar / 17
    News

    “There’s so much support” – Think Ahead participants meet our new recruits

    That was the message from Thea Radburn, a current participant on the Think Ahead programme, to our new intake of trainee social workers at our 2017 Cohort Launch Event on Saturday. The event allowed the 2017 participants to meet each other for the first time, and to learn from participants already going through the Think […]

  • 21 Mar / 17
    In the media

    Think Ahead research finds vital role of mental health social workers is misunderstood

    At Think Ahead we recognise that mental health social workers play a crucial role in society, providing a lifeline for some of the most vulnerable people in the country. They’re the professionals who are able to work holistically with people with mental health problems, providing support with life issues like relationships, finances, living arrangements and […]

  • 27 Jan / 17
    News

    Opportunities with Think Ahead in 2017 – application dates announced

    We can today announce the opening date for applications to join the Think Ahead graduate programme in 2018, and for two additional opportunities for students and graduates to work with us this year. Apply this year to join the Think Ahead programme in 2018 Applications to join our third intake, beginning the programme in July […]

  • 9 Jan / 17
    News

    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 […]

  • 9 Jan / 17
    News

    Breaking new ground in 2017

    Chief Executive Ella Joseph is looking forward to seeing the first qualified social workers trained by Think Ahead enter the mental health workforce. 2016 was a big year for our charity. When Natalie Acton and I founded Think Ahead in 2014 we were driven by our certainty that people’s social circumstances – their relationships, support […]

  • 7 Dec / 16
    In the media

    2016 participants speak to Radio 4’s All in the Mind

    Two of our 2016 participants have spoken to BBC Radio 4’s All in the Mind about their motivations for joining the Think Ahead programme and the work they have been doing in their community mental health teams since September. I feel incredibly challenged, I feel inspired, I feel that this is the right place for […]

  • 11 Nov / 16
    Features

    Film: “I really enjoy learning about people’s stories”

    Deborah Waller was working in science communication when she heard about the Think Ahead programme. She graduated from UCL in 2011 with a degree in Human Science, but last year decided to look into changing career. Deborah said: “My focus was brought to mental health whenever it came up so I thought, this is something […]

  • 9 Nov / 16
    News

    Independent evaluation of Think Ahead begins

    As part of our aim to build evaluation into how the Think Ahead programme works, earlier this year we invited proposals from external partners to carry out an independent assessment of our impact. We received lots of exciting offers, and we’re delighted to now be working with a team from the Universities of Durham and […]

  • 1 Nov / 16
    Features

    Film: “I wanted to do something that helped others”

    Al Tooms was studying English Literature at the University of Lancaster when he came across Think Ahead. Al was looking for a graduate programme that would lead him into a rewarding career, having previously done some volunteering with young people with mental health problems. After finding out more about what mental health social workers do, […]

  • 25 Oct / 16
    Features

    “This is the place to come if you want to change the world”

    We spoke to Paul Farmer, CEO of Mind, about the challenges in mental health and the value of social workers. What made you want to work in mental health? I started to see the importance of mental health at a personal level when I was young – a member of my family had mental health […]