News about Think Ahead’s future funding
We’re sad to share news that the Department of Health and Social Care has decided not to continue funding the Think Ahead programme for the 2026 Cohort and beyond. Our 2025 Cohort – due to start this summer – will go ahead as planned. We are extremely disappointed with this decision. The Think Ahead programme […]
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25 Sep / 19News
Think Ahead placed at number 36 in Times Top 100 Graduate Employers list
We are pleased to announce that Think Ahead is featured at number 36 in the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers list. It’s the third year running that our programme is included, and our position has improved by six places from the 2018 list, up from number 42. The list, which was published today, was created […]
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25 Sep / 19News
Applications now open to join the Think Ahead programme in 2020
Update: Applications to join the Think Ahead programme in 2020 are now closed. We are delighted to announce that applications to join Think Ahead in 2020 are now open. Think Ahead is looking for talented graduates and career-changers who are remarkable enough to make a real difference in tackling the UK’s mental health challenge. Our […]
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23 Aug / 19News
“You’re coming to a space where there’s a new sense of optimism” – Summer Institute 2019 comes to an end
Participants in our 2019 Cohort have completed their six-week Summer Institute today, and are ready to embark on the next part of their journeys to become mental health social workers. The six weeks of residential training was delivered in partnership with Middlesex University, who are the academic partner for the Think Ahead programme, and took […]
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19 Jul / 19News
Film: “You are embarking on something immensely valuable” – Rt Hon Sir Norman Lamb MP addresses the new cohort of Think Ahead participants
As the first week of Think Ahead’s 2019 Summer Institute is drawing to a close, the 106 participants in our fourth cohort will have a chance to reflect on the new knowledge and skills they have gained so far, as well as the advice they have been given in sessions with Rt Hon Sir Norman […]
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20 May / 19News
“Social work has the power to transform people’s lives” – Chair of Health Education England welcomes new participants
The chair of Health Education England – the body that coordinates the education and training of England’s health workforce – has welcomed our new intake of participants, who are starting the Think Ahead programme in July. Delivering the keynote speech at this year’s Cohort Launch Event on Saturday, Sir David Behan, who is a former social […]
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30 Apr / 19News
Independent evaluation of the Think Ahead programme draws positive conclusions
Durham University and the University of Bristol have today published their independent evaluation of the Think Ahead programme, containing a raft of positive findings and concluding that the programme is “worthy of continued support and further development”. The evaluation followed the first cohort of Think Ahead participants, who completed our two-year programme in September 2018, […]
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24 Apr / 19In the media
“He’s optimistic about his future and so am I. It’s moments like this that make it all worthwhile.” – Participant shares a week in his life with the Guardian
Think Ahead participant Benji has shared the details of a week in his job, for the Guardian’s “My working week” series. In the article Benji, who is a qualified social worker currently in his second year on the Think Ahead programme, talks about how he supports adults with mental health problems to work towards recovery. […]
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12 Apr / 19In the media
“You learn a lot about yourself and your own strengths” – Think Ahead participant tells Radio Essex about her journey
Think Ahead participant Georgie has spoken about her experience on the programme, and the career options open to mental health social workers, on Radio Essex. In the interview Georgie explained how she initially came to train as a mental health social worker. “I definitely knew that I wanted to work in mental health, but I […]
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11 Apr / 19News
“It has strengthened social work’s role in community mental health team transformation” – Impact Update 2019 published
Our first cohort of participants, who joined Think Ahead in 2016, completed the programme in September 2018. [Partnering with Think Ahead has] made the Board more aware of social work, heightened the profile of social work, and strengthened social work’s role in community mental health team transformation. Service manager from 2018 partner organisation Six months […]
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9 Apr / 19In the media
“It’s very varied, no two days are the same. You’ve got to be prepared for that challenge.” – Think Ahead participant shares her experience with BBC Radio Somerset
Think Ahead participant Anna-Clare (pictured above) has been interviewed by BBC Radio Somerset about what made her choose to work in mental health, and what her role as a mental health social worker is like. Anna-Clare joined the Think Ahead programme in 2017, and is now a newly qualified social worker working in Somerset. Before […]
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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 […]