International Women’s Day takes place every year on 8th March. The theme for International Women’s Day 2025 is Accelerate Action. To celebrate, we interviewed Beacon Family Services Founder Charlotte Jenkins. In 2024, just 11% of CEOs and 19.4% of Executive Directors in FTSE100 companies were women. Fortunately, Beacon Family Services bucks that disheartening trend. We are a female-led organisation with leaders who have risen to positions where they can have a substantial positive impact on society whilst parenting. Charlotte advocates for Accelerating Action when it comes to health tech and female social entrepreneurship.
What inspired you to become a leader in health tech?
There are too many children waiting for professional support with their mental health. When I founded Beacon Family Services in 2018 nearly three quarters of children referred to CAMHS in Birmingham weren’t even seen. As a child my parents had time and space to play with me which has supported my good mental health. I wanted to find ways to use health tech to give parents this message and the tools to confidently support their children sooner.
Did you always see yourself in this role, or did your career path evolve?
I trained as a social worker so working to address societal challenges yes absolutely but working in tech probably not. I do think it’s important that a range of experiences contribute to the development of health tech. The public sector really struggles to innovate and the tech sector needs understanding of how to apply its solutions.
Who are the women in your life—personally or professionally—who have shaped your leadership style?
The first female manager I had as a social worker taught me a lot about being brave. She had switched careers to become a social worker and was really good at getting to know us. I had a toddler at the time and my second son was born while I worked for her. She made it easy to keep coming to work and encouraged me to still apply for promotions and get involved in leading projects. I often still think about what advice she would give me today (and sometimes still ask her too).
Growing up, what expectations did your parent and teachers have for you as a woman in the workplace? How do they compare to the expectations you have for your own children?
I grew up in the 80s, in a small town in Wales. My Mum was always clear that she’d had to give up her career as a teacher when she became a Mum and this was a source of regret for her. She did have part time jobs but didn’t get the same sense of fulfilment from them. She supported my Dad in his work a lot as she really cared about that. He was a vicar and pushed hard for the ordination of women. I was very close to them and really appreciate how much they taught me about having a job that you cared about and equality of opportunity for women.
What progress have you seen in gender equality in the public sector, and where do you think change is still needed?
There is more representation of women in leadership and many of these women are driving policy change. I still think women remain underrepresented and there is a gap in our pay progression and pension investment during our careers. I’d like to see more advice and support to women in the workplace around pensions and even more advances in policies to balance work and family life.
Do you think women bring unique perspectives to innovation in mental health and technology?
For anyone worried about their own or a child’s mental health, technology is part of the solution. Searching the internet is likely to be most people’s first step. It’s important that good quality ethically driven advice and solutions are available. Women traditionally hold caring roles and our empathetic lived experience is going to be vital in driving advancements in wellness aps that are representative. Lumin&us® is the first play therapy based app and our work with parents, mainly women, helped us understand why this kind of solution was needed for families. Parents told us they need an app they can access when and wherever they are with their children. Waiting for and then getting to appointments is not always easy.
Health tech is a growing and impactful field—what does it mean to you to be a female leader in this space?
Being a female leader in health tech is both an opportunity and a responsibility. It means paving the way for greater inclusivity in an industry that directly impacts people’s wellbeing. It’s about using innovation to bridge gaps in healthcare access, ensuring solutions are tailored for diverse populations, and advocating for gender equity in both healthcare outcomes and the industry itself.
It also means leading by example—mentoring other women, pushing for policies that support work-life balance, and demonstrating that leadership in health tech should reflect the diverse communities it serves. It’s an exciting and evolving field where female leadership can drive meaningful change.
What changes would you like to see in workplace culture to better support parents and caregivers?
I really like that we have developed a culture of hybrid working since Covid. It supports parents and carers to work. I do worry that our ‘always on’ culture demands a lot from parents and that needs balancing. I’d really like to see employers contributing to the development of really good quality child care for parents. Valuing those who provide childcare is integral to families and the costs of poor mental health in children is something that impacts employers as well as families through missed work days, and parents dropping out of the workforce.
How does your work empower and support female founders, employees, or users?
We are a female led organisation and I am proud of that. When my children were young often I didn’t apply for interesting roles because I couldn’t see how I could fit the hours around my children. I didn’t have family close by to help me and relied on nurseries and after school clubs and arrangements with friends. At Beacon Family Services we work hard to balance our teams commitments to their families with their work and the first thing you would probably notice is the array of working patterns we have. I want everyone who has the skills to contribute to our mission to have the opportunity.
What is one bold action you believe businesses should take to advance gender equality?
Invest in women’s social entrepreneurship. Women receive less than 10% of the investment in the UK, with all female founding teams receiving only about 3% of investment. The mentoring and grant support I have received has allowed me to put ideas into action. Many women with ideas don’t know where to start and more opportunities are needed that close this confidence gap. Women who’ve achieved also need ongoing investment to scale solutions.
Further support for parents
If you or someone you know is struggling with family relationships, Beacon Family Services can help. We provide a range of therapies and resources to support parents, children and families including our Connect For Kids Theraplay® group and parent workshops on a variety of topics, as well as access to peer support groups.
For further support, and to see our latest parent events and services, please visit the Families hub.
You can also explore our resources for instant support, including newsletters, online support groups, and much more. You can also read further insights and tips from qualified therapists and professionals on our blog.
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