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Large council sets up damp and mould taskforce following Awaab Ishak’s death
Sheffield City Council has set up a damp and mould task group as a result of the circumstances around Awaab Ishak’s death.
In a report that went before its housing policy committee on 15 December, the council said that following the publicity around the two-year-old’s death, it set up the group to undertake a full review of how it deals with damp and mould cases and to oversee any changes to working practices.
Awaab died as a result of prolonged exposure to mould in a Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) flat. His family had repeatedly complained about the state of their home.
According to the report, Sheffield City Council currently has 286 outstanding damp and mould cases, while 1,112 mould cases need treatment.
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The report follows a request from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) in November for councils and housing associations to provide assurance that they have a “clear understanding and strong grip on damp and mould issues in their homes” and are addressing risks to tenants’ and residents’ health.
All social landlords with 1,000 homes or more were asked to submit several pieces of evidence to provide that assurance by 19 December.
Sheffield City Council owns and manages more than 39,000 homes.
The new group, to be chaired by the director of housing and neighbourhoods, will look at private rented homes and council housing.
It will oversee a series of measures being taken by the council, including a full review of the lessons learned from Awaab’s case at RBH.
Other actions include contacting all residents linked to damp and mould cases to provide support and reassurance, while training and guidance for all staff will be reviewed.
The council will self-assess against the 26 recommendations from the Housing Ombudsman’s Spotlight report on damp and mould and develop an action plan for any areas for improvement.
A damp and mould policy will be developed in consultation with tenants and residents, which will emphasise the importance of dealing with the causes of damp and mould quickly and effectively.
The council will review all stock condition data to identify property types where damp and mould is most prevalent and develop an asset strategy to direct investment as appropriate.
Where damp and mould is subject to a disrepair claim, a process that allows access to homes to carry out work irrespective of the status of any claim will be developed.
A full equalities impact assessment of how Sheffield City Council deals with damp and mould cases will be reviewed following the allegation that racism was a contributory factor in Awaab’s case.
The council did not comment, but pointed Inside Housing to the measures outlined in the report.
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