In a world where navigating care for loved ones can feel overwhelming, inCharge simplifies support for families and individuals alike. Founded by Karen McCormick a dedicated mother with a diverse background in community engagement, economic development, and co-production. inCharge is more than just an app; it’s a mission to put individuals with disabilities and complex needs at the center of their own care, empowering them to live fuller, more self-directed lives. This interview delves into the story behind inCharge, its innovative technology, and its commitment to fostering inclusivity and person-centered care.

1. What was your background before you began to develop inCharge?

I am a mum of 4 kids, ranging in ages 14 to 23.  My career before inCharge was not in the social care sector. I volunteered a lot over the years for the community and voluntary sector, especially around disability and inclusion, but I didn’t ever see myself working in this sector. I have an eclectic background in terms of skills and experience across many sectors—private sector, economic and local development, politics, project management and a leadership role in co-production in the UK which I did part-time while I was working on inCharge. I’m probably called a generalist in terms of skills but all my previous jobs relied on strong stakeholder engagement and relationship building.  Recent work on the Tech for Better Care programme with the Care City and In Control Partnerships team in the UK helped hone some of my skills and knowledge.  I love collaborating.  Being a solo tech founder without a technology background has tested my skills (and my resilience if I’m honest), but having a broad range of skills has been useful as a founder.

2. What was the spark that gave you the idea for the app?

The idea for inCharge came from my lived experience of researching a personal budget for my eldest daughter as she transitioned from ‘special’ education to adult social care. I spotted a gap in the market for family-focused, person-centred technology. The tools I found were either disconnected, overly complex, or designed around systems rather than people. I joined a pre-accelerator which helped me research the market and validate that there was a problem worth solving. Ongoing conversations with other families, personal assistants, and others working in the social care sector confirmed the need for better tools to manage small care teams and for people to self-direct their own care.

3. What is the main purpose of inCharge’s technology?

inCharge is designed to put individuals with disability, complex needs, or underlying conditions at the centre of their own care and support choices. It enables them to document their needs and preferences in a way that reflects who they are, ensuring their voice is heard. The app serves as a multi-user platform, supporting individuals who are self-directing their own lives, whether independently or supported by family members and who have personal assistants or support staff. By keeping everything in one place—important personal details, routines, and care related information—inCharge ensures that everyone involved is on the same page in real time. The goal is not just to reduce the admin burden around organising care and support which can be overwhelming, it’s about capturing important life moments and living a good life.

4. How does inCharge aim to empower people and their families?

inCharge shifts the focus from simply managing care to supporting individuals to live their lives with greater ease and confidence wherever they live. It provides a structured and flexible way to coordinate support from the palm of your hand, reducing stress for the individual as well as those around them, often family members who are organising care and support on their behalf. By making personal budgets and direct payments easier to manage, it helps the person at the centre maintain greater choice and control over their lives. Many people and families avoid self-directed options because it’s seen as too difficult and yet many families find themselves organising care and support at home for a loved one.  Support staff and personal assistants want a way to provide great support with continuity of care. Ultimately, inCharge is about making it easier for people to get on with living a good life.

5. What are the key features of inCharge’s mobile app for family care teams?

User experience and design has been (and always will be) a core element of our development, ensuring it’s intentionally simple and easy to use. Core functionality of the App revolves around nurturing strong relationships and supporting continuity of care across small care teams, often family-led.

The first phase of the inCharge App is now ready for release, and we are about to start testing with a number of families in order to gain real-life feedback, which will help us enhance the app even further for our second release (planned for summer 2025).

The first phase release of the App includes personalised care preferences, team communication, and information sharing. Which helps streamline the administrative aspects of care, such as schedules and handovers, reducing the burden on families.  It has been designed in such a way that it meets the needs of multiple users at the same time, keeping everyone in the loop and helping them stay on top of things. 

6. What type of services does inCharge offer besides its mobile app?

Alongside and complementary to the inCharge App, we also provide the following services;

• Thought Leadership – Contributing to policy discussions and thought leadership through speaking engagements in the social care sector.
• Consultancy – Facilitating co-production workshops and supporting families on how to navigate self-directed supports.

As the App grows, we will connect to other resources and support services that help families connect and navigate the self-directed supports eco-system more effectively.

7. How are you planning to develop and market the product to the target market?

We take a co-production approach.  Building strong relationships with people with lived experience of self-direction, influencers, authorities with social care responsibility, advocacy groups, and key stakeholders in the sector is crucial. 

We also leverage partnerships with organisations that share our vision for inclusive, person-centred care. We want the App to be available to those who need it when they need it so it will be available on the App stores.

8. What testing or pilot programme have you done to research the target market?

We have already completed a successful feasibility study in 2021 which confirms the technical and commercial feasibility of the App. Since then, we have been working closely with families, personal assistants, and other stakeholders in the social care sector to co-produce the app from the ground up. This includes;

• From 2021 to 2024, we carried out a number of direct interviews, workshops, public events and iterative design processes through various prototypes to ensure that inCharge addresses real-world needs. Such activities included;

• In September 2024, we did a live launch of the App for the Social Care Institute of Excellence along with further testing at Social Care Future People Power in in the UK.
  • We presented at Sheffield City Council PA Workforce Summit in November 2023 & 2024.

As previously mentioned, we are shortly commencing a closed pilot with families to refine the app based on real-life feedback. From there we will pilot with people with self-directed care packages from the Sheffield City Council catchment.  This will help gather further insights before expanding to a broader audience, ideally through relationships we have built across networks in Ireland and the UK over the past number of years.

9. How can interested parties stay updated on inCharge’s latest news and developments?

You can contact us through our website and we engage with the community via social media channels. We also take part in sector events and collaborate with organisations advocating for self-directed supports. Our first newsletter will be released soon or you can simply reach out by email to hello@inchargehq.com

10. Are there any other people companies or programmes that you are big fans of in the area of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Ireland or abroad?

I admire authentic leaders who are unafraid to challenge the status quo and push for real, meaningful change in diversity, equity & inclusion. Many draw on their own lived experience to inspire others. Dr. Clenton Farquharson CBE, Meredith Coote, Tricia Nicoll, and Mary Gardner are all driving change in bold ways—whether through co-production, personalisation, or reframing language and perceptions.

The Social Care Future vision continues to inspire me as it’s a community approach, and I respect Colin Farrell’s foundation for its global impact.

Self-directed supports are still new in Ireland but I’ve seen firsthand how my daughter’s Personalised Budget is already transforming her life. More than that, it changes peoples’ perceptions of her and how they interact with her. It’s promoting more inclusive communities at local level