Q&A with Sarah Thompson - Rising Stars 2015

Lead officer for housing at Selby District Council - this potential Rising Star for 2015 talks about her favourite building and wish to cure dementia

Describe yourself in three words

Positive, friendly, imaginative

Who in the housing world really inspires you and why?

Octavia Hill. Octavia had a great philosophy which still resonates today.  Providing housing wasn’t enough for her - she wanted to make people’s lives healthier and happier.

What is your favourite building and why?

The Flatiron building on 5^th Avenue in New York.  The Flatiron isn’t the most famous building in the city, but its unique shape and the fact that it makes an excellent use of the land space makes it really quite special.

How did you get into housing?

When I left school I wanted to be a lawyer, an actress or a hotel manager.  I fell into housing by accident and have been lucky to have experiences working in a variety of areas, starting with a role in rent collection through to my current position where I have responsibility for housing management, our homelessness service, housing support and private sector housing. 

What I didn’t realise when I left school was that a career in housing can be so varied and absorbing that, in actual fact, it has allowed me to be the lawyer, actress and hotel (hostel) manager I originally wanted to be!

Which five people would you invite to your dinner party and why?

• Amy Poehler.  Only if she came in character as Leslie Knope from the television programme Parks and Recreation.  Lesley is a classic fictional local government worker striving against the odds to make a difference.
• Caitlin Moran.  Because if anyone can revamp socialism, Caitlin Moran can.
• Giles Coren.  A controversial food critic at the table feels like an entertaining idea.
• Jamie Oliver.  I think Jamie is a modern day philanthropist in many ways, and he could offer the table more than tips on how to prepare a meal.
• I would finally invite Peter Rachman but, unfortunately, Peter wouldn’t be able to attend as he passed away some time ago. We would instead discuss Peter Rachman and his notorious ‘Lord of the slums’ legacy.

Apart from being a Rising Star finalist, what has been the highlight of your career to date?

I think this is probably my work in developing our team of community officers following the council’s reorganisation back in 2011.  The community officers were an innovative concept created to deliver essential front line services and support to our customers in the community.  I was involved in the development of the team from the start, and within two years had moved from a community officer to the supervisor, and then to the team manager.  I am most proud of my part in managing the change and helping to create the customer focused team we have today.   

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Always start the day with an egg.

If you had three wishes, how would you use them?

I would wish for:

• a cure for Dementia
• a solution to the housing shortage that suits everyone

and finally…

• World Peace!

What’s the best thing about your current job?

My job is a new job in the organisation bringing together different elements of housing and it is also a new job to me as I only started six weeks ago!  I really like the variety of the role and the opportunity I will have to influence its direction and make a difference.

If you are our Rising Star for 2015, how might your life have changed in 12 months’ time?

I’m hoping that Rising Stars will introduce me to new, interesting people; I expect to learn an awful lot and hope that I have raised the profile of housing in my organisation.  In 12 months’ time I will have a wider perspective and more knowledge and that will benefit me, my organisation and my customers.

Rising Stars Q&As

Find out more about the other Rising Stars hopefuls: