Evaluating a mental health social work scheme
We provided a robust independent evaluation of Think Ahead’s fast-track mental health social work training programme.
The challenge
Think Ahead’s two-year programme is the only social work training programme that specialises in mental health and it produces more than 100 qualified mental health social workers each year.
With rising numbers of people on mental health waiting lists across the UK and record-high vacancy rates for NHS mental health staff, there was an urgent need to measure the programme’s impact, both on service user outcomes and the mental health workforce.
Think Ahead wanted to measure key impacts of their programme graduates on service users, team dynamics, leadership development, workforce retention, and overall return on investment. But they also wanted to highlight the often overlooked role of social workers in mental health provision.
Previous evaluations had focused on participant satisfaction and programme delivery, leaving gaps in understanding the broader impact of Think Ahead’s work in addressing the UK’s mental health crisis.
Our approach
We worked with Think Ahead to update their existing theory of change, identifying the impact they expected to have and how. We then co-developed a research framework, setting out our key research questions and metrics, that aligned with Think Ahead’s intended impact.
An advisory group of workforce partners from the NHS and local authorities, and people with lived experience of mental health services, supported us in designing the research framework and survey instruments. They later helped test and validate the findings.
Our data collection for this evaluation consisted of surveys and focus groups with three key populations: service users, programme alumni and workforce partners.
We synthesised and analysed the findings from the surveys and focus groups, summarising the findings in a final report. Kaleidoscope also teamed up with health economists Nick Swart and Kate Cheema to conduct an analysis of the financial impacts of the Think Ahead programme for both NHS and local authority workforces, focusing on turnover and attrition.
Our impact
Our evaluation demonstrated that Think Ahead has successfully developed highly valued mental health social workers who make meaningful contributions from their first year, excelling in service user advocacy and person-centred care.
The programme has demonstrated remarkable workforce impact: 40% of graduates progress to senior leadership roles within just two to three years of qualifying as social workers, and 70% stay in the field, continuing to practise as mental health social workers.
Think Ahead graduates have lower rates of organisational turnover (leaving their positions) and professional attrition (leaving the field of mental health social work) than the national average, creating financial savings both for NHS and local authority employers as well as at the national level.
Our evidence strongly indicates that Think Ahead has made significant contributions to addressing mental health workforce shortages while also highlighting the crucial role of social workers in mental health provision.
