Mum-of-two Natalie Otton was supported back into work by Successful Mums many years ago. Now, the HR Manager is helping other mums back into the workplace by implementing flexible working at Ethos with our GLA Parenting Project.

“Back in 2014, I experienced a significant event in my life that left me at a career crossroads. I knew I needed a change; either to find a new role or to develop a children’s product that I’d dreamt of when my youngest daughter was a baby.

That’s when I came across Successful Mums on social media. I saw the name and it really resonated with me. I wanted my chance to be a successful mum too but I didn’t know where to start.

I completed a Successful Mums course and it gave me the boost to grab the bull by the horns and find a job in HR at Ethos. The company specialises in implementing business resilience solutions across the four key areas of documents, digitisation, technology and supplies, that commit to being sustainable and positively impacting the environment.

Under our group umbrella sits the following brands: Ethos Communications, Ethos Integration, Walters and Pinnacle; together employing over 140 staff – many of which are women.

As the world opened up, so did our opportunity to recruit, rebuild and embrace flexibility and diversity thanks to Successful Mums. Founder, Jane, reached out to me to tell me about the GLA Parenting Project and how it could support Ethos with its inclusivity agenda and become an employer of choice for mums looking to get back into the workplace.

Long gone are the days when employers just offer annual leave and other standard benefits. Well-being is an evolving area and it has become even more important since the pandemic. People need more and should have more – not just for the employee, but for the benefit of their whole family.

The GLA Parenting Project has really opened our eyes at Ethos; there are so many things we were doing well but we realise there’s so much more we could be doing and offering. We now offer employees a Childcare Deposit Loan Scheme. With the cost of living rising rapidly, it’s imperative that we are supporting working parents who are having to pay for costly childcare. Through the project, we’ve also been able to access family-friendly policies, including a menopause policy, which we have merged into our current policies at Ethos.

I completed the mandatory learning modules, which cover topics such as flexible working and women’s health, and I found them useful. As a result, we’ve learnt as a company how to address mental health and support our staff even more. The supporting materials and links to the Mayor’s Good Work Standard have also been really useful; I like to refer back to them and have even reached out to Successful Mums with further questions. They’re always responsive and more than happy to help.

We like to advertise our roles in a number of places but I hadn’t yet come across a jobs board aimed specifically for mums. The Successful Mums jobs board is an amazing perk to the GLA Parenting Project and is a fantastic free space for Ethos to post London-based flexible roles that could be of interest to mums looking to get back into work or for their next opportunity. It has really helped to broaden our recruitment.

An inclusivity agenda is constantly evolving and the next step for Ethos is to push out the Successful Mums free accredited training to our employees. Mums have transferable skills and so much potential; sometimes they just need a little help to realise it. I want to help mums know their strength, their power and their worth.

The more you offer, the happier your employees will be and the better you become. I think as an employer, Ethos offers great benefits, flexibility and support thanks to the GLA Parenting Project.

I would wholeheartedly recommend for other employers to reach out to Successful Mums if they are looking for help with their inclusivity agenda. All you have to do is dedicate a bit of time to the training modules, but you’ll reap the benefits. It’s a win, win situation.”

How do I sign up?

If you are interested in implementing flexible working practices in your workplace and would like to know more about our FREE GLA Parenting Project, please contact Lisa Green, Employer and Recruitment Co-ordinator at or on 020 3633 967.