14/07/2026
By Beam
Almost ten years ago, Beam Co-Founder Alex Stephany met Tony, a man living in a homeless hostel in London. When Alex offered to help him find work, Tony’s response stopped him in his tracks: “I don’t understand. Why would anyone want to help me?”
That conversation became the inspiration for Beam. People like Tony had been overlooked by the technology sector for far too long. So Alex partnered with Seb Barker, pairing his own tech startup background with Seb’s decade of frontline experience across homelessness, employability, addiction and healthcare, to build technology for people facing the toughest barriers to work and housing.
We began by building crowdfunding technology. But unlike most tech companies, we also delivered the services ourselves, supporting Tony and more than 7,000 unhoused people, refugees and prison leavers into stable jobs and homes, and winning employment contracts with local councils.
The Paperwork Problem
As we grew, we discovered a new challenge. Our own frontline workers were spending more time on case notes than supporting people into jobs.
“I love supporting people. But I’m spending half my time on paperwork. This isn’t what I signed up for.”
So we built tools to give them their time back. Our frontline workers built Beam Notes, an AI tool that records appointments and automatically drafts case notes, action plans, and tailored job applications, so advisers can focus fully on the person in front of them.
Within weeks, our caseworkers were supporting more people into work and providing better quality support. Crucially, they were enjoying their jobs more too.
Helping Other Frontline Teams Do the Same
Paperwork isn’t just a Beam problem. It’s holding back frontline teams across the sector. So we made our tools available to everyone. Today, we partner with employability providers including Reed in Partnership, AKG and The Growth Company.
The first thing Employability Advisers notice is how appointments change. With less pressure to take notes, sessions feel more conversational and person-centred. Advisers tell us they can engage better with participants and build real rapport.
Amal’s Story
Amal Audeh, an Employment Adviser at Reed in Partnership, recently sat down with a participant who was navigating a new country, a new language and a mental health crisis. It was the kind of session that demands complete attention.
“My participant had a lot of mental health problems,” Amal recalls. “It was a very complicated appointment.”
With Beam Notes running in the background, Amal was completely present. For 45 minutes, they talked. Not about job applications or CV formats, but about the challenges her participant was facing.
The participant’s path to employment hasn’t been straightforward. But progress is being made, and it began in a room where someone felt heard, not processed.
“My appointments need a lot of attention and a lot of empathy. Beam Notes helps give me that space.”
More Time, Better Outcomes
Being present is only half the story. The hours saved on admin create space for the work that moves people closer to a job, like CV creation, interview preparation and personalised employability support.
It’s making a measurable difference for our partners. The Growth Company’s IPS team used Beam Notes to help people into work 18 days faster, improving employment outcomes by 35%.
Supporting the Full Participant Journey
Alongside Notes, we’ve built two more tools that work together across the full participant journey.
Beam Interpret breaks down language barriers, translating conversations in real time so participants who speak little English can access the same quality of support. Personalised follow-ups and CVs in their own language also keep them engaged in the programme.
Beam Talk extends support beyond the appointment. Talk answers programme enquiries and lets participants practice for interviews in between appointments with tailored feedback. Automated check-in calls flag anyone at risk, so advisers know exactly where to focus their time.
Taking Frontline Technology Global
It’s not just UK teams feeling the pressure. Rising caseloads and growing admin are a reality for frontline employability professionals everywhere, which is why Beam is now expanding internationally, with Australia and the USA among our first new markets. We’re bringing the same frontline technology to providers across Australia’s employment services sector.
It’s also why our partnership with the IEP matters so much to us. Its global community of employability professionals, in the UK, Australia and beyond, understands better than anyone what frontline work takes. Wherever Beam goes next, their voices will shape what we build.
Built By Frontline Workers, for Frontline Workers
Ten years on from that first conversation with Tony, our mission to give everyone access to human-centred welfare services hasn’t changed.
What’s changed is our reach. By building tools for the frontline workers who deliver that support, we’re helping more people access it, when and how they need it.