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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13 Feb / 19In the media
“There’s nothing like seeing the participants change lives under your guidance”
One of our consultant social workers has shared a week’s diary with Community Care, the leading social care news website. The consultant social worker – who chose to remain anonymous in order to protect the identity of service users – describes her working week supervising four first-year Think Ahead trainees while they are learning on […]
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7 Feb / 19In the media
Sometimes you have to do a bit of paperwork to give someone freedom
One of our trainees has written a piece for Community Care, the leading social care news website, explaining why his attitude to paperwork changed drastically after seeing the difference it can make to a person’s life. The trainee – who chose not to be identified – is in his first year of our programme and […]
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12 Dec / 18News
FILM: “It’s everything I want to do in my future career” – Participants share their learnings from the Think Ahead Summer Institute
Each year our new intake of around 100 aspiring mental health social workers start their journey at a six-week residential – the Think Ahead Summer Institute. It’s a great opportunity for them to get to know each other and learn the basics of mental health social work in an exciting and supportive environment, before taking […]
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5 Dec / 18News
New Lived Experience Partnership Chair appointed
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Oliver Wood as the new independent chair of our Lived Experience Partnership. Established in 2014, the Lived Experience Partnership ensures the needs of service users and carers are represented in everything we do. The group has been involved in shaping many aspects of our flagship training programme […]
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26 Nov / 18News
Minister meets Think Ahead participants
The Minister of State for Care, Caroline Dinenage MP, today visited Think Ahead participants working as mental health social workers. The Minister was able to hear first-hand about the impact of social work in mental health services, and the difference our participants are making in their work with people with severe and enduring mental health […]
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9 Oct / 18In the media
“I wanted to change career to a role working with vulnerable people” – Think Ahead featured in the Evening Standard
Think Ahead participant Levi (pictured above) has been interviewed in the Evening Standard newspaper about why she chose to train to be a mental health social worker. 24-year-old Levi joined the Think Ahead programme in 2016, and is now one of our alumni. Before joining the programme she worked in recruitment for a pharmaceutical company. […]
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3 Oct / 18In the media
“I’m not sure if I would have ended up doing social work if it wasn’t for Think Ahead” – participants speak to Community Care
Think Ahead participants Sonya and Alex, and our Co-Chief Executive Natalie, have spoken to Community Care, a leading social work news website, about the Think Ahead programme. Community Care carried out the interviews to mark our first cohort completing the two-year programme. Sonya Chee (pictured above), who works in an Early Intervention in Psychosis team […]
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28 Sep / 18In the media
“It’s a real privilege to be allowed into people’s lives […] It lets us work in a holistic way and actually make a difference.” – participants interviewed in the Guardian
Think Ahead participants Maisie, Levi and Alec have spoken to the Guardian about their experiences working as mental health social workers. All three were members of our first cohort – who completed the two-year Think Ahead programme at the end of September. Maisie Satchwell-Hirst (pictured above) is a 23-year-old Cambridge graduate, who works with service […]
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25 Sep / 18News
Applications to join the Think Ahead programme in 2019 now open
Update: Applications to join the Think Ahead programme in 2019 are now closed. Applications to join Think Ahead in 2020 will open in autumn 2019. We are delighted to announce that applications to join Think Ahead in 2019 are now open. We’re looking for talented graduates and career-changers who would like to enter a profession […]
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19 Sep / 18News
Think Ahead climbs 20 places in Times Top 100 Graduate Employers list
We are pleased to announce that Think Ahead has been placed at number 42 in this year’s Times Top 100 Graduate Employers list, up from number 62 in 2017. We are also the only dedicated mental health employer among the top 100 for the second year running. The list is based on interviews with over […]
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13 Sep / 18News
“It’s one of the most important and rewarding professions you can do” – Chair of Social Work England congratulates Think Ahead’s first cohort on their achievements
Think Ahead officially launched its alumni network at an event on Monday night, ahead of the first cohort of participants completing the programme at the end of the month. After two years of rigorous academic training and on-the-job learning, Think Ahead’s first cohort had the opportunity to celebrate their achievements so far and look to […]
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4 Sep / 18In the media
“Social work is the missing piece of the mental health puzzle” – Co-Chief Executive interviewed by Professional Social Work magazine
Think Ahead’s Co-Chief Executive Natalie Acton has been interviewed by Professional Social Work, a magazine published by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). Natalie highlighted the importance of achieving greater recognition of the value social work can bring to mental health. She said that while attempts to tackle the UK’s mental health challenge have primarily […]