The chief executive of a housing association involved in two-year-old Awaab Ishak’s death is facing pressure to resign after the toddler was exposed to mould.
Awaab died last April, days after his second birthday, after mould was left untreated in his house for years.
An inquest into the death found Awaab suffered from a cardiac arrest because of his severe respiratory condition – he was pronounced dead shortly after at Royal Oldham Hospital.
Gareth Swarbrick, Chief Executive of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), said: “I am truly devastated about Awaab’s death and the things we got wrong.
“We know that nothing we can say will bring Awaab back or be of any consolation to his family. We have and will continue to learn hard lessons from this.”
Michael Gove said it “beggars belief” Mr Swarbrick is still in his job after the inquest revealed several repairs were not done before the toddler’s death.
The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities told the House of Commons on Wednesday his department will “name and shame” landlords who have been found to have breached consumer standards.
Councillor Daniel Meredith, Rochdale Council’s cabinet member for highways and housing, has called for Mr Swarbrick to resign.
He wrote: “I feel that I am left with little option but to ask you to reflect on your position.
“I say this because I have no confidence that you and your board are equipped to win back the confidence of your tenants, the council, the wider housing sector and the government.”
Coroner Joanne Kearsley found RBH – which owns the estate where Awaab lived – should have carried out repairs when they were told about the mould, Manchester Evening News reported.
Awaab’s father, Faisal Abdullah, was told by RBH to ‘paint over the mould’ when he first complained of the problem in 2017.
Mr Swarbrick continued: “We didn’t recognise the level of risk to a little boy’s health from the mould in the family’s home.
“We allowed a legal disrepair process, widely used in the housing sector, to get in the way of promptly tackling the mould.
“We must make sure this can never happen again. Awaab’s death needs to be a wake-up call for everyone in housing, social care and health.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham responded to the coroner’s verdict, saying: “It is hard to imagine the anguish felt by Awaab’s parents, and we owe it to them to ensure that there is full accountability for the failings, missed opportunities and lack of compassion shown in this case on the part of those responsible.”
He said the region has been calling “for some time” for new powers to improve housing standards.
Polly Neate, Chief Executive of housing charity Shelter, said: “Awaab Ishak’s death is truly heartbreaking.
“Nobody’s home should ever put their life at risk.
“For too long too many social housing tenants have been forced to live in dangerous conditions in homes riddled with mould, with their complaints going unheard and unanswered.”
She said the “long overdue” Social Housing Regulation Bill is a vital opportunity to ensure tenants are listened to and their homes are fit to live in.
Ms Neate added: “As the Bill moves through Parliament it’s crucial that it has the clout to keep people safe in their homes.
“Just as we would expect a teacher to be qualified and for schools to be routinely inspected, we should expect this level of professionalism and care from social landlords too.”
Main image: Royal Oldham Hospital, David Dixon, Geograph
