Who gets a seat at the table counts

Trust is built through action

Trust cannot simply be assumed. It is built through people’s experiences: whether they feel heard, whether concerns can be raised safely and whether different views are taken seriously.

For leaders working with diverse customers, service users and workforces, this means thinking carefully about the impact of decisions on different groups of people. It also means looking honestly at what happens inside an organisation and in the services it delivers, and asking whether people have a fair and equitable experience.

That means asking:

• Who was involved in making the decision?
• Who had the opportunity to raise a different perspective?
• Did people feel able to speak?
• Were they listened to?

These questions are particularly important in health and social care, where decisions made by organisations and professionals affect people’s lives, experiences and confidence in the services around them.

Making space for different perspectives

Joining the Professional Standards Authority as an Associate Board Member has made me reflect on the value of perspective.

No one person can represent every experience. But when different perspectives are part of the discussion, organisations are better able to ask the right questions, test assumptions and see issues from another angle.

That is the value of diversity of thought: stronger challenge, broader insight and more rounded decisions.

But inclusion is about more than representation. It is also about creating the conditions for people to contribute meaningfully once they are in the room. Early in my appointment, a Board member told me this only works if we can show up authentically, confident that each of us has something valuable to bring.

My route into Board experience

I joined the PSA four months ago as its latest Associate Board Member. The role creates a route into Board-level experience for someone who may not otherwise have had that opportunity. It also brings a different perspective into the Board environment and offers space to learn about governance, decision-making and leadership.

Over my first few months, I have been introduced to the PSA’s structure, statutory powers, policy positions and its 2026-2029 Strategic Plan. I have attended committees, learned more about governance processes and benefited from mentoring.

What has stood out most is the importance of Board dynamics. The mix of people around the table shapes how an organisation is run. Teamwork, clear communication, collaboration and shared values all help create the conditions for effective decision-making.

It has also made me think differently about where leadership experience comes from. The things we learn through work, volunteering, community involvement and everyday interactions can be just as relevant in a Board environment as formal training or a particular job title. Leadership is also about listening, asking questions, understanding people and approaching problems thoughtfully.

I have drawn on previous experience managing aspects of enterprise portfolio implementation for a regional authority, which gave me insight into enterprise-level decision-making. Leading work to introduce inclusive commissioning practices across a departmental portfolio also showed me how organisations can embed inclusion across systems and processes, rather than treating it as something separate.

Creating pathways into leadership

If we want more diverse leadership, we need to think carefully about how people get their first opportunity.

Board experience can become a barrier when previous Board experience is treated as a requirement for gaining it. Structured pathways can help break that cycle. The Associate Board Member role does not remove the need for expertise or experience. It creates a supported environment in which someone can develop both.

The principle is simple: if we want different people in leadership, we need to think about how they get their first seat at the table. Sometimes inclusion means removing a barrier. Sometimes it means offering support. And sometimes it means giving someone an opportunity before they have every conventional experience on their CV.

Navigating change together

The second part of this year’s theme is just as important: Navigate Change.

Organisations change. Communities change. Expectations change. The challenges facing health and social care change too. As they do, the range of perspectives around the table may need to change with them. Different voices can help us understand change from more than one angle. They can build trust in moments of uncertainty and help us spot what we might otherwise miss.

For me, this is where the two parts of this year’s theme come together.

We build trust when people can see that their voices matter. We navigate change better when we are willing to hear the voices that help us see it differently.

Making room for others

Four months in, I have a clearer sense of what it means to have a seat at the table. It is an opportunity, but also a responsibility: to stay curious, listen carefully, ask questions and contribute without assuming I always have the answer.

It also makes me think about the people who are not yet there. If we are serious about inclusion, we need to keep creating routes into leadership for people with different experiences, perspectives and career paths. We cannot assume future leaders will simply find their way through existing systems, or gain the right experience somewhere else.

Inclusion does not end when someone gets through the door. It is also about what happens next: whether they are listened to, supported and able to contribute. I want to approach my time at the PSA with a curious, human and values-led mindset, while thinking about how we can continue to make space for  for others.

Because ultimately, who gets a seat at the table counts.