Rochdale Boroughwide Housing's interim boss has welcomed the latest breakthrough on Awaab's Law - as more than 2,000 of its properties are affected by damp and mould. Plans to change the law in memory of Awaab Ishak were confirmed by the government last week.
Awaab died aged two in December 2020 following prolonged exposure to mould at his family's home on Rochdale's Freehold estate, which is owned and managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH). The housing association knew about the problem for several months before his death, but failed to act.
Yvonne Arrowsmith, interim chief executive at RBH, met with housing secretary Michael Gove as he confirmed the government was amending a Bill currently going through Parliament in line with much of the demands of the Awaab's Law campaign. She said: "I support Awaab's Law and I am pleased that it will soon be on the statute book.
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"I want to again extend our deepest sympathies and apologies to Awaab's family. I was grateful to have had the opportunity to meet with the Secretary of State last week to brief him on our recovery plan and to discuss the actions we are taking to make sure that all RBH homes are safe and comfortable for our tenants."
Ms Arrowsmith was tasked with turning around RBH following the sacking of Gareth Swarbrick in the aftermath of Awaab's inquest last November. RBH board members, who had given Mr Swarbrick their backing before axing the chief in a U-turn days later, also announced they would be standing down in 2023.
Three board members have now stepped down from RBH, with two new non-executive directors having started. RBH is currently recruiting for a new chair of the board, who is expected to be in place by April, while the search for another non-executive director will begin in the next two weeks.
Ms Arrowsmith says the RBH board will be 'fully refreshed' by May this year. Tenant and employee members at RBH also voted in favour of a rule change on Thursday night (February 16), which RBH says will allow it to 'quickly bring short-term expertise into the board at short notice'.
RBH was downgraded by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) last December, having found that the social landlord sat on its hands for too long before failing to act on damp and mould, following Awaab's death. The Manchester Evening News exposed conditions on the Freehold estate in an investigation published last August, with other families suffering with the problem, including some who had children with breathing issues.
Following the investigation, RBH said it would inspect every home on Freehold, leading to the discovery that 80% of properties on the estate were affected by damp and mould. A damp and mould 'taskforce' has since been set up at RBH to investigate reports of damp and mould.
It has now received 2,042 reports of damp and mould, with inspections carried out and work booked in at 1,854 properties. Ms Arrowsmith says a recovery plan has also been agreed at RBH, focusing on the quality of tenants' homes and ensuring RBH is 'a tenant-focused organisation'.
The changes announced by RBH come as legislation looks set to be updated, following the M.E.N.'s campaign for Awaab's Law, alongside the toddler's family and Shelter. Amendments are being put forward to the Social Housing Regulation Bill that will see timeframes set for damp and mould to be inspected and for urgent repairs, while tenants will receive clear information on their rights.
Councils and housing associations will also be given fresh guidance on the health and safety risks of damp and mould, while the RSH will be able to carry out Ofsted-style inspections as part of the Bill. Mr Gove met with Awaab's family and their legal representatives in Rochdale last week to discuss the measures.
Faisal Abdullah, Awaab's father, said: "We would like to express our thanks to Michael Gove and his team for listening to us and doing the right thing. My wife and I still struggle to deal with the loss of our son, but we are finally starting to feel like we are being treated fairly.
"We hope that Awaab's Law will help stop any other family going through the pain we have gone through. We would not wish this pain on anybody."
Mr Gove has also announced £15m to improve social housing in Greater Manchester and stripped RBH of government cash for new homes following Awaab's inquest. He said: "I’m really grateful to Awaab Ishak's family for their campaigning, they've got a great legal team, and of course the Manchester Evening News has been pressing for justice, for Awaab's Law.
"I was able to explain to Awaab's family that we will be changing the law, in line with their wishes. Awaab’s Law will become a reality and people in social housing will be guaranteed to have action if they find that there are threats to their health and the condition of their home is not good enough."
MPs will be able to vote on the latest version of the Social Housing Regulation Bill, including the Awaab's Law amendments, in the coming weeks. A consultation will follow before the timeframes for damp and mould inspections and repairs are set, although Mr Gove said last week he would 'need a lot of persuading' to move away from what was campaigned for.
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