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  • 23 Nov / 17
    News

    “The participants have been a brilliant addition” – managers share their views on partnering with Think Ahead

    At Think Ahead we are committed to evaluating our impact, to understand both how well we are doing and how we can be even better. We’ve commissioned an independent evaluation of our programme, and we’ve set up internal processes to regularly gather information and opinions from people involved with Think Ahead. We can now share […]

  • 18 Oct / 17
    News

    Impact Review launched: The journey we’ve been on, and our ambitions for the future

    Supporters of Think Ahead gathered on Tuesday night for the launch of our first Impact Review. When we began in 2014, we set out to inspire a movement to advance our vision: to see a society where everyone with mental health problems can flourish. Now, with nearly 200 participants going through the programme, we’ve launched […]

  • 21 Jul / 17
    News

    “You are the people who can inspire change!” – Think Ahead Trustees welcome 2017 participants

    This week marked another milestone for Think Ahead as our second intake of graduates and career changers began their journey into mental health social work. The 98 participants, who studied at over 50 different universities, arrived at our Summer Institute on Sunday for six weeks of intensive learning. We’re working in partnership with the Universities of York and […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • 7 Oct / 16
    In the media

    “Why I’m backing Think Ahead”

    John Short, chief executive of Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, has written about why he jumped at the chance to partner with Think Ahead. Here’s the article in full, which first appeared on Community Care.  When I started my career in 1983, I never expected to take the management route, and certainly never […]

  • 16 Aug / 16
    In 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 […]

  • 19 Jul / 16
    News

    “You’re bringing a great passion into social work” – Chief Social Worker

    Lyn Romeo, Chief Social Worker for Adults, gave her support for Think Ahead at the Opening Ceremony for our Summer Institute last night, telling our participants and supporters: “You’re bringing a great passion into social work.” Don’t underestimate the impact you can have as a mental health social worker. John Short, Chief Executive of Birmingham and Solihull […]

  • 19 May / 16
    In the media

    Chief Social Worker highlights Think Ahead’s impact

    Chief Social Worker for Adults, Lyn Romeo, has written about the important role of social work in mental health services, and how Think Ahead can benefit the profession. Think Ahead generated huge interest and media coverage during its first call for applications, and its promotional film encouraged people to consider careers in mental health social work. Lyn […]

  • 27 Apr / 16
    In the media

    “Think Ahead is an opportunity to influence the future of mental health social work”

    Martin Webber, Professor of Social Work at the University of York and academic lead for the Think Ahead programme, has written a piece for Community Care about why he’s excited to be part of Think Ahead. Here’s the article in full, which first appeared on Community Care.   Last year I led a team from […]