Become a mental health social worker: apply today
Applications for our 2025 entry to our mental health social work programme are now open. Gain a fully-funded postgraduate diploma and master’s degree in social work. Be an advocate for local people in your community with mental health problems. Earn as you learn with dedicated support from experienced social workers and academic tutors. Start a […]
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20 Sep / 16Expert insight
“It can be a tough profession” – a mental health social worker reflects
Peb Johal, a mental health social worker from Coventry, shares her reflections on the rewards and challenges of her job. My passion for working with communities led me to work for a charity for 13 years as an Advice Worker, Manager, and Local Authority Community Economic Regeneration Officer. Unfortunately, I felt I didn’t really have […]
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12 Sep / 16News
Film: Could you be a mental health social worker?
Our new film, released today, invites you to step into the shoes of a mental health social worker and hear three stories – of the challenges you might face, and the impact you could achieve. The stories, which are portrayed by actors, are based on input from people who use mental health services and from […]
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5 Sep / 16News
Applications open to join Think Ahead in 2017
Applications are now open to join the Think Ahead programme in July 2017! If you want a graduate job that’s both rewarding and demanding, and you’re motivated to do something about the mental health challenge, from today you can apply to start your leadership career with Think Ahead. On our two-year programme you’ll be paid to work […]
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2 Sep / 16In the media
Think Ahead featured on BBC Radio 4
Think Ahead has been featured on BBC Radio 4’s PM programme. Reporter Andrew Bomford visited our Summer Institute, to interview some of our participants and record them practising their skills as they prepare to begin their on-the-job training next week. Participant Ben Roderick told the BBC: “I was looking at what people might see as more conventional career paths […]
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1 Sep / 16Expert insight
“It’s really given me confidence”: A participant’s reflections on the Summer Institute
This Monday Think Ahead participants will join community mental health teams across the country to begin their on-the-job training as social workers. Here, Jenni Wingrove, a participant who will start training in Luton, shares her reflections on how she’s feeling ahead of starting the role, and the best bits of the six-week Summer Institute. Why […]
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30 Aug / 16Expert insight
“Sharing our experiences in order to do something positive” – Summer Institute 2016 comes to an end
Today Think Ahead’s inaugural Summer Institute ends. Our first cohort of participants are readying themselves to move into community mental health teams for 12 months of on-the-job learning starting in September, and this week’s teaching has included a focus on preparing for entering the workplace. My favourite thing about the Summer Institute has been bringing […]
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19 Aug / 16Expert insight
Ensuring social work perspectives are valued: week five at the Summer Institute
It’s the penultimate week at the Summer Institute, and communication has played a big part in this week’s learning. Communication skills are hugely important for social workers in many elements of their job. Of course, being able to build relationships with service users is crucial – as Frances Turner, an experienced mental health social worker […]
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17 Aug / 16In the media
“When I shadowed social workers, I saw how they fight for people”
A Think Ahead participant has shared their reflections on a day they spent shadowing a mental health social worker before they joined the programme. In an anonymous piece published on Guardian Social Care, the participant follows a social worker on visits to two service users. Although some of the interactions witnessed were challenging, the participant reflects: “Often […]
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16 Aug / 16In the media
“There’s a real opportunity for change here” – Community Care visits the Summer Institute
Community Care’s Rachel Carter spent 48 hours at Devonshire Hall in Leeds at the start of our Summer Institute. During her time she heard speeches from key figures in social work including Lyn Romeo, Chief Social Worker for Adults, and Ruth Allen, Chief Executive of British Association of Social Workers. Martin Webber, Think Ahead’s Academic […]
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12 Aug / 16Expert insight
Eco-maps and safety assessments: inside week four at Think Ahead’s Summer Institute
This week at the Summer Institute risk assessments – or rather ‘safety assessments’ – took centre stage. Participants spent a day exploring how to assess the level of protection from harm that a person with mental health problems might require, through a mixture of teaching sessions and group work. These sessions included looking at some […]
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5 Aug / 16Expert insight
Developing leadership skills at the Summer Institute
We’re half way through our 2016 Summer Institute, and this week our participants have been learning about leadership. Leadership is an important part of the Think Ahead curriculum, because mental health social workers need the ability to make difficult judgement calls and influence others. During this week’s teaching, participants took the Myers Briggs Personality Indicator […]
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29 Jul / 16Expert insight
“Human rights are often deep at the heart of important social work decisions”
Our 96 participants have now completed the second week of their Summer Institute. This week they learnt about some of the legal and ethical aspects of social work, including a strong focus on human rights and liberty. These issues have a real impact on social work practice day-to-day, because social workers have to make tough […]