An invitation topartner with us to strengthen yourmental health services

Aisha, Think Ahead participant.Studied English Literature at QueenMary London. Left HR in the privatesector to “do something meaningful”.

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Contents

Why partner with Think Ahead? 01n Receive talented new staff 02n Retain and upskill your workforce 04n Transform social work’s contribution to your service 06n Save on operational costs 08

How does the programme work? 10What do partners have to provide? 12What support do partners get? 14What is the set-up process for partnerships? 16

Kazim, Think Ahead participant.Studied Psychology at Nottingham andLaw at Birmingham, and previouslyworked in an NHS secure unit.

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Ella Joseph Natalie Acton Professor Dame Carol BlackJoint Chief Executive Joint Chief Executive Chair

Think Ahead is a charity working in partnership with NHSand Local Authority community mental health services toimprove efficiency and outcomes, by strengthening thecontribution of social work.

On behalf of Think Ahead’s trustees:

ervice users’ socialcircumstances can haveprofound effects ontheir mental health, andsocial workers are best-

positioned to enable the lasting changethat can achieve sustainable recoveryand lessen reliance on services.

But social work often does not fulfil itspotential in mental health services,because of challenges like findingtalented new entrants, retaining and

developing staff, configuring services tomake best use of social work, andresource constraints.

We work with NHS and Local Authoritymental health services in England toaddress these challenges. Through ourinnovative graduate programme weprovide you with high-potential recruits,and give them and your existing staffworld-class training and development.The new capabilities and approach theybring contributes to a transformation in

the role social work plays in the service,increasing effectiveness and reducingoperational costs.

We are currently working with 52innovative services across England, andwe want to further expand our networkof partners.

We hope you will consider becomingone of them.

Dr Ruth AllenProfessor David Croisdale-Appleby OBEJames Darley

Professor Sir Julian le GrandRt Hon Norman Lamb MP Donald PeckLord Dennis Stevenson

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The calibre of Think Ahead participants is very good and we’re really excited about next year’s cohort: they’re bringing a combination of academic and life skills to the role.

Simon Owens, Consultant Social Worker leading a Think Ahead training unit in Durham.

Why partner with Think Ahead?

Receive talented new staff

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23 candidates apply foreach place on theprogramme.

Minimum eligibilitycriteria include a 2:1 degree.

Three-stage selection processinvolving social workers andservice users – tests sevenattributes including adaptability,relationship-building, and self-awareness.

Successful candidates undergo asix-week residential course toensure readiness for the practiceenvironment.

Our recruits learn on-the-job with you for a year, doing direct work with service users under thesupervision of an experienced social worker. They then qualify as social workers and fill vacantposts in your service.

Growing up I’d worked as a part-time carer for my disabledcousin and volunteered for a local charity which ran after-schoolclasses for children with learning difficulties. I had thought I might endup following a career in law, but I realised that interacting with peopleand being able to see the tangible difference I was making was thebest thing about volunteering.Jack, Think Ahead participant. Joined Think Ahead after graduating in History from Warwick.

I looked at lots of corporate roles and jobs in finance, but I feltthey didn’t really suit my personality. Someone close to me haddepression and was self-harming, but when she told people about hermental health problems, she wasn’t taken seriously at all. Seeing herbeing treated like that made me want to work in mental health.Aisha, Think Ahead participant. Studied English Literature at Queen Mary London,and worked in HR in the private sector.

Having worked in the NHS part-time from the age of 16, Iwanted to be involved in work that was directly helping people. Theuniquely holistic approach of social work really attracted me.Kazim, Think Ahead participant. Studied Psychology at Nottingham and Law atBirmingham, and worked previously in an NHS secure unit as an assistantpsychologist

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Think Ahead’s training:

n Enables best practice – thecurriculum was designed by ProfessorMartin Webber at the University ofYork, based on the latest internationalevidence of what works in practice toachieve the best outcomes.

n Maximises tools to enablesustainable recovery – focused onsocial interventions working at threelevels: individuals, families andgroups, and communities.

n Improves effectiveness in mentalhealth settings – covering the fullrange of mental health problems andrelated social factors.

n Prepares staff for Approved MentalHealth Professional training – givingthem a full understanding of policyand legislation in theory and practice.

n Develops professional leadershipcapacity – including through aspecially designed leadershipcomponent from charitableleadership institute Roffey Park.

Why partner with Think Ahead?

Retain and upskill your workforce

Individualsn Brief solution-focused therapy.n Motivational interviewing.

Families and groupsn Family group conferencing.

Communitiesn The Connecting People intervention.

You appoint an existing staff member to lead each unit of four Think Ahead participants duringtheir training year as their full-time Consultant Social Worker: a great career developmentopportunity. The participants and the Consultant Social Worker all get our advanced training.

The social interventions we teach include:

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hen I took up therole as a ThinkAhead ConsultantSocial Worker, I hadbeen qualified for

about four years and had just donemy AMHP training. I was working as acare coordinator in a communitymental health team.

The opportunity was perfect for mebecause I wanted to get involved ineducating new social workers, and Ireally wanted to do it within this Trust– I entered the profession here, and Ifeel like this is where I’ve grown upprofessionally. Without Think Ahead,it would have taken me much longerto qualify as a Practice Educator andthere would have been no guaranteethat I’d get my first student quickly.

It’s been a steep learning curve, butit’s a great role. There is a goodbalance of mentoring the participantsand doing direct work with the caseswe share, so I haven’t lost touch withthe frontline – plus I’m still on theAMHP rota.

The training in modern socialinterventions is excellent and hasmade me aware of the latesttechniques. When you’re“firefighting” it can be easy to get into

a state where you’re just monitoringservice users and reacting, but thisrole has reminded me of the value ofplanning and implementingstructured interventions – which canbe more effective and actually savetime overall. That’s an approach I’lldefinitely take with me into futureroles.

As part of the role I’ve got involvedwith discussions about social workacross the Trust, and it’s an excitingtime as Think Ahead is part of a moveto promote social interventions morewidely within the organisation. I wantto continue contributing to that, soI’m keen to do another year as aThink Ahead Consultant SocialWorker and then find another social-work-focused role here.

I would recommend being aConsultant Social Worker to anyone.It’s been a great chance to developmy skills and influence a whole newbunch of social workers who will goon within the Trust and help to takeforward the improvements we’vestarted together.

It’s been agreat chance todevelop my skillsand influence awhole new bunchof social workers.

Kate Wilson, Consultant Social Worker leading a Think Ahead training unit in Hertfordshire.

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Why partner with Think Ahead?

Transform social work’s contribution to your services

Dr Lynn Prendergast, Associate Director for Social Care in a service partnering withThink Ahead in Essex.

Think Ahead has completelyreaffirmed the positive impact social workcan have on the delivery of specialistmental health services. The participantunit has been like a breath of fresh airarriving into a very busy multi-disciplinaryteam. They have been embraced byprofessionals who have commented thatthe enthusiasm and talent of theparticipants has raised the profile of socialwork across the organisation.

Malgosia Eaden, Consultant Social Workerleading a Think Ahead training unit inHackney.

After each training day, ourparticipants will come back with newideas, and share these with other teammembers in forums and clinical casediscussions. They’re bringing a whole newperspective through social interventionssuch as Family Group Conferencing andMotivational Interviewing.

We are currently working with 52 services across England to unlock the potential of social work andrealise the impact that social interventions can have on service user outcomes.

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Think Ahead participants are currently training and working in services provided by:

n Barnet, Enfield & HaringeyMental Health Trust

n Birmingham & SolihullMental Health NHSFoundation Trust

n Birmingham City Council

n Black Country PartnershipNHS Foundation Trust

n Bradford District Care Trust

n Bradford MetropolitanDistrict Council

n Brighton & Hove CityCouncil

n Cambridgeshire andPeterborough NHSFoundation Trust

n Cambridgeshire CountyCouncil

n Camden & Islington NHSFoundation Trust

n Central & North WestLondon NHS FoundationTrust

n Coventry & WarwickshirePartnership NHS Trust

n East London NHS Foundation Trust

n Enfield Council

n Essex Partnership UniversityNHS Foundation Trust

n Gateshead Council

n Hartlepool Borough Council

n Hertfordshire CountyCouncil

n Hertfordshire PartnershipUniversity NHS FoundationTrust

n London Borough Hackney

n London Borough of Barnet

n London Borough of Bexley

n London Borough of Brent

n London Borough of Camden

n London Borough of Croydon

n London Borough of Hackney

n London Borough of Harrow

n London Borough ofHillingdon

n London Borough of Merton

n London Borough of Newham

n London Borough ofSouthwark

n London Borough of WalthamForest

n Luton Borough Council

n North East London NHSFoundation Trust

n North Somerset Council

n North Tyneside Council

n North Yorkshire CountyCouncil

n Northamptonshire CountyCouncil

n Royal Borough of Kensington& Chelsea

n Solihull City Council

n South London & MaudsleyNHS Foundation Trust

n South West London & StGeorge's Mental Health NHSTrust

n St Andrew's Healthcare

n Stockton on Tees BoroughCouncil

n Surrey & Borders PartnershipNHS Foundation Trust

n Surrey County Council

n Sussex Partnership NHSFoundation Trust

n Tees, Esk & Wear ValleysNHS Foundation Trust

n The Council of the County of Durham

n Warwickshire CountyCouncil

n Westminster City Council

n Wolverhampton CityCouncil

Why partner with Think Ahead?

Save on operational costsFor each unit of four participants:

We handle all costs relating to the attraction andselection of participants, plus reference, health, andDBS checks. In their second year with you,participants are qualified social workers and can bedeployed into any of your mental health teams.

This includes releasing a staff member to be thefull-time Consultant Social Worker for the unitthroughout the first year of the programme. Duringthis unqualified training year, the participants workon a limited caseload overseen by their ConsultantSocial Worker.

We give Consultant Social Workers 12 days oftraining, conferring a Postgraduate Certificate inAdvanced Social Work Practice. This covers thesocial interventions in the Think Ahead curriculum,and also includes Practice Educator ProfessionalStandards stages 1 and 2.

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+

+

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New social workersWith no agency orrecruitment costs

Unrestricted paymentTowards practical costs of thepartnership

CPD for existing staff

Or +£36k for partners in London

£32k

Free training

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Sonya, Think Ahead participant.Studied Psychology and Neuroscienceat Manchester. Previously worked at theRoyal College of Psychiatry, andvolunteered at a healthcare clinic.

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How does the programme work?

Summer InstituteThis is a six-week residential experience,during which the participants are taughtby expert academics, service users andprofessionals from a range of disciplinesabout the legal and policy frameworks,the range of mental health problems andsocial determinants, and howmultidisciplinary services operate.

They practise core skills such ascommunication, problem solving andself-refection, as well as beginning tolearn about social interventions.Participants are assessed regularly, andmust pass a readiness-for-practiceassessment to progress to Year One.

Year OneDuring this year of practice-basedlearning, participants spend 200 days onthe job, away from the workplace foronly 25 teaching days, in addition toweekends and a 25-day leave allowance.They are paid a training bursary by ThinkAhead.

The participants work together in unitsof four, led by a Consultant SocialWorker, on cases in an adult community

mental health setting. Initially theircaseload is smaller than what aConsultant Social Worker would handlealone, and consists of less complex cases.As the participants learn, their caseloadgrows and can include the full range ofcases. The Consultant Social Worker isaccountable for the unit’s caseloadthroughout the year.

During the year, each participant spends170 days working in the unit, and 30 dayson a Contrasting Learning Experience in achildren and families service. Toconsolidate their learning with practice,an Academic Tutor meets the unit everytwo weeks.

By the end of Year One, participants gaina Postgraduate Diploma in Social Workfrom the University of York, making themeligible to apply to the HCPC forregistration as qualified social workers.

Year TwoIn Year Two, you employ the participantson a minimum 12-month contract. Theyno longer work in a unit and do notrequire a Consultant Social Worker. Youcan place them individually into

vacancies in any team where they willwork with adults with mental healthproblems.

This year forms their Assessed andSupported Year in Employment (asrecommended for all newly qualifiedsocial workers) which is managed by yourservice.

The participants work full-time, with theexception of eight teaching days andfortnightly meetings with their AcademicTutor. They also study independentlythroughout the year to gain a master’sdegree in social work from the Universityof York.

After the programmeYour participants will complete theprogramme experienced, qualified, andfeeling at home in your organisation.We hope that you will choose to offerthem further employment, but you areunder no obligation to do so.The participants will be well-placed to goon to train as AMHPs and Best InterestAssessors, and in time, some mayprogress to management roles.

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Summer Institute

The whole intake togetherundergoes an intensiveresidential learning experiencefor six weeks in July andAugust 2018.

Year Two

From September 2019, youemploy your now qualifiedparticipants on minimum 12 -month contracts, and can placethem individually into any ofyour mental health teams.During this year, they complete amaster’s degree in social workalongside their Assessed andSupported Year in Employment.

Year One

In September 2018, yourparticipants join yourcommunity mental healthservice, where they learn on thejob in units of four participantseach led by a Consultant SocialWorker.

At the end of the year they gaina postgraduate diploma in socialwork, making them eligible toapply for HCPC registration asqualified social workers

You offer further employmentYour participants will complete the programmeexperienced, qualified, and feeling at home in

your organisation.

You choose to part waysYou are under no obligation to employ any

participant after Year Two ends.

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What do partners have to provide?

n Commit to the full duration of thetwo-year programme. For the 2018cohort, that’s from September 2018 toSeptember 2020, with preparation inadvance.

n Provide participants with the rightlearning environment in Year One.Each unit needs to sit within acommunity mental health service,located together and provided withnormal working facilities. TheConsultant Social Worker must beable to determine the cases given tothe unit to ensure the right mix tocover the curriculum effectively. Youwill also be asked to arrange the 30-day Contrasting Learning Experiencefor each participant. This mustinvolve direct work with children andfamilies, in a children and familyservice, a Child and AdolescentMental Health Service, or a third-sector provider.

n Recruit and release a staff member tofill each Consultant Social Workerrole in Year One. Each unit must be ledby a highly experienced mental healthsocial worker. This Consultant SocialWorker role is full-time throughoutYear One, and is usually filled by

seconding one of your existing socialworkers into the position on a fixed-term basis (usually with a salaryenhancement in line with the standardPractice Educator honorarium). You willbe asked to take responsibility forrecruiting your Consultant SocialWorker(s), with direct support from ourteam. They will need to be releasedfrom their current role for six days oftraining in Spring 2018 before theymove full-time to the new role inSeptember. If they need to spend sometime on AMHP or Best InterestsAssessor duty to retain their status, wewill work with you to enable this anduse it as a learning opportunity for theirparticipants.

n Designate a senior Operational Leadto oversee delivery. They will beresponsible for ensuring that theConsultant Social Worker(s) andparticipants have the support theyneed from the organisation to enablea first-rate learning experience.

n Work with partners who share ourpassion. We will ask you to ensurethat your local partners do what isnecessary to make the programmework in your area. For example, NHS

Trusts and Local Authorities will needto work together on providing theright multi-disciplinary learningenvironment. We will also want to getto know your partners to make surethat they, like you, are committed torealising the impact of socialapproaches in mental health.

n Employ participants in appropriatesettings in Year Two. You can placeYear-Two participants where yourneed is greatest, but their role mustallow them to work with adults withmental health problems. Theircontract with you should be full-timefor at least 12 months, with the usualsalary for a newly-qualified socialworker. You will be asked to managetheir Assessed and Supported Year inEmployment, including ensuring anappropriate caseload.

n Support participants to studyalongside their work. They need toattend 24 teaching days away fromyour service in Year One, and eight inYear Two. They will also havefortnightly short meetings with theirAcademic Tutor.

To partner with us, we will ask you to:

Amy, Think Ahead participant.Joined Think Ahead aftergraduating in Human Sciences fromOxford.

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What support do partners get?

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n Recruiting the Consultant SocialWorker(s). The Practice Specialist willprovide standardised job descriptionsand adverts, and can lead internalworkshops to explain and promotethe role. They also plan and take partin the assessment process, includingarranging for an actor to run a role-play task that assesses candidates’practice skills.

n Preparing to receive the participants.Before your participants arrive thePractice Specialist will meet with yourlead staff member(s) and yourConsultant Social Worker(s) regularlyto run through the necessarypreparation, following a standardisedchecklist based on experience. Thisincludes helping to plan theparticipants’ immediate inductionwhen they arrive.

n Managing the unit during Year One. The Practice Specialistdirectly supports your ConsultantSocial Worker(s) to run their unit(s)effectively. They are trained coaches,and offer regular coaching sessions toyour Consultant Social Worker(s).They also attend the unit’s CaseConsultation Meetings, where theunit members present cases and seekinput from each other.

n Planning the transition to Year Two. As the end of Year Oneapproaches, the Practice Specialistwill again meet with your OperationalLead and Consultant Social Worker(s),to help plan what qualified roles theparticipants will take up in Year Twoand ensure a smooth transition.

n Becoming part of the Think Aheadnetwork. We convene twice-yearlynetwork meetings for staff in partnerorganisations to meet and exchangenews and best practice. Your PracticeSpecialist will also be able to makeinformal connections, putting you intouch with others in our network whohave similar objectives or have facedsimilar challenges. Many of ourcurrent Operational Leads have usedtheir partnership with us to repositionsocial work within their services.

n Anything else. From the moment youbecome a partner, your PracticeSpecialist will be available to answerquestions or provide advice on an ad-hoc basis.

In addition to the direct payment and the free training for Consultant Social Workers, weassign one of our Practice Specialists to work with you throughout the partnership. This highlyexperienced social worker will support you with:

Jacqui Bell, Think Ahead PracticeSpecialist. Jacqui qualified as a socialworker in 1993, and before joiningThink Ahead she managed a multi-disciplinary community mentalhealth team in Westminster for 15years.

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What is the set-up process for partnerships?

NowGet in touch to let us know you’reinterested.

Email partners@thinkahead.org

Nov 2017You confirm that you wish to partnerwith us.

Jan 2018We sign a partnershipagreement with you.We work together to recruit yourConsultant SocialWorker(s).

mailto:partners@thinkahead.org

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Apr 2018Your ConsultantSocial Worker(s) are appointed. We tell you aboutthe individualparticipants who will be joining you.

Jun 2018Your ConsultantSocial Worker(s) dotheir pre-programmetraining.

Sep 2018Your participantsarrive to start theiron-the-job trainingwith you.

@ThinkAheadMH/thinkaheadorgcompany/think-ahead-orgin

The Think Ahead Organisation is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. Charity number: 1166577. Company number: 10015893.

We’re proud partners of Think Ahead.All my years of NHS experience haveunderlined the importance of social workersto mental health; you cannot get by withoutthem. This scheme can make a lastingdifference to creating strength and pride inthis great profession.

Claire Murdoch, NHS England National Mental Health Directorand Chief Executive of Central and North West London NHSFoundation Trust.

thinkahead.org

www.thinkahead.org

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