As you may have seen this week, Emma Hodges was chosen to be our permanent CEO. As ever with the Trust, though, Residents and Tenants were right at the heart of the process. 

Their voices, experiences and questions helped shape the discussion and ensured that the people the charity supports were properly represented.

In the first of two articles with those who were part of the panel, Rosa (in the yellow on the left) shares her thoughts on taking part, why it mattered, and what she hopes the new CEO will bring. Elizabeth will share her reflections next week.

I was proud that the directors asked us to be involved in the interview process for our new permanent CEO. It felt important because the CEO will help make decisions about the future of the Trust, and I wanted to make sure that people we support had a real say.

There were four of us taking part in the interviews. We had prepared our own questions, and each of us asked something different. I asked the candidates what they wanted to do in the Trust, how they would make things more fun, and how they would make things better for people like me. The candidates also had the chance to ask us questions, and I thought they asked good questions. I liked being able to ask my own questions because they were about the things that matter to us.

After we had spoken to the candidates, we had a vote about who we wanted. Alison listened to us at the end, and I felt that my opinion would be heard by the Board. That mattered to me, because having a voice is part of democracy. It showed that the Trust values what we think and wants us to be involved in important decisions.

I do feel that the Trust listens to people, but I also think there are things that could be better. Sometimes I would like more notice before being asked to take part in something important. A week can be enough, but it helps if I have time to think before giving an answer. If I am asked too quickly, I might just say yes without really deciding properly.

When the new CEO starts, I would like them to speak clearly, not too fast, and use words that everyone can understand. I want them to be easy to talk to and to listen properly to people. Being part of the interview process was hard at times, but it was also good. I am pleased I took part.