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Boss responsible for mouldy flat where Awaab Ishak, 2, lived before he died said ‘mould was ok’

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A Rochdale landlord who was responsible for the mould infested flat that tragic two-year-old Awaab Ishak lived in prior to his death operated under a system that mould was ‘ok and acceptable’ and that refugees were ‘lucky to have a roof’ over their heads, a damning report revealed today.

The Housing Ombudsman report found the Ishak family were ‘not seen at all’ by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) – and said ‘their entire treatment was based on assumptions as to who they were and how they lived’ including that they engaged in ‘ritual bathing.’

The Ombudsman’s findings come after a special investigation into RBH initiated after the inquest into Awaab’s death in 2020. 

Amongst the report’s findings,  of a ‘disturbing picture of residents being judged entirely by staff members’ held prejudices’ emerged. 

Two-year-old Awaab died from a respiratory condition caused by black mould at his home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in 2020

Conditions inside the flat were appalling with layers of thick mould  carpeting the walls

Conditions inside the flat were appalling with layers of thick mould  carpeting the walls 

New legislation will ensure that social housing bosses have appropriate qualifications, as well as set strict time limits on solving mould and damp (Pictured: black mould in Awaab's family home in Rochdale)

New legislation will ensure that social housing bosses have appropriate qualifications, as well as set strict time limits on solving mould and damp (Pictured: black mould in Awaab’s family home in Rochdale)

The one-bedroom flat he lived in with his parents had damp and mould for years, despite complaints from the family

The one-bedroom flat he lived in with his parents had damp and mould for years, despite complaints from the family 

It also found that many residents were subject to ‘lazy assumptions’ from staff who had ‘an attitude towards asylum seekers and refugees that is wholly unacceptable.’

The report found a tenant’s lifestyle was ‘often used as a reason to dismiss their concerns and apportion blame without any real focus on the limitations residents faced with modern day living’.

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Awaab Ishak died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by mould in the one-bedroom housing association flat where he lived with his parents, Faisal Abdullah and Aisha Amin, in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

In response to his death, ministers have proposed that landlords will have to investigate and fix damp and mould in social housing within strict time limits under what would be known as Awaab’s Law.

Four months after Awaab’s death, the Housing Ombudsman asked RBH a series of questions to gather evidence for a review.

The report shows that when RBH were asked why so many of their flats suffered from damp and mould, they replied: ‘Tenants lifestyle eg not heating the property adequately, insufficient use of ventilation provided, drying clothes and cooking in the home, not venting tumble dryers, ritual bathing.’

‘In the case of Awaab’s family, when the mould issues were reported, the landlord focused entirely on the way his parents were using their home without considering if there was anything about the home that was contributing to the problems,’ said the report.

Staff had ill informed assumptions that the family practiced ritual bathing prior to Awaab's death (pictured)

Staff had ill informed assumptions that the family practiced ritual bathing prior to Awaab’s death (pictured)

Mould in the flat contributed to Awaab developing a continuous cough that meant he couldn't breathe through his nose in the final weeks of his life

Mould in the flat contributed to Awaab developing a continuous cough that meant he couldn’t breathe through his nose in the final weeks of his life

Since his passing, MP's and pressure groups have lobbied for Awaab's Law to be passed in his memory

Since his passing, MP’s and pressure groups have lobbied for Awaab’s Law to be passed in his memory 

Staff had also made ill informed assumptions that the family practiced ritual bathing because they saw a bucket. 

The report said the inquest heard the family had a ‘lifestyle of boiling food in pans on the stove’.

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One member of staff was recorded as saying: ‘When people come to this country and go through the asylum process…everything is done for them in terms of cleaning and so they expect it when they are moving into accommodation and that they can call housing services to come and clean the place for them.’

Another said: ‘The issue appeared to be the style of cooking…and the style of bathing.’

The report, shockingly, said the Ishak family were ‘not seen at all’ by staff working for the landlord, which has 12,521 properties.

It said: ‘Their entire treatment was based on assumptions as to who they were and how they lived. 

‘We also received a report from former staff that ‘residents complained about mold [sic] and living conditions…regularly…raised it with her manager…was told it’s ok and acceptable. Most of residents were refugees and she was told they are lucky they have [a] roof over head.’

The report also found that there was a ‘culture of othering’ tenants which was defined by ‘a pattern of exclusion and marginalisation’. 

The 2021 review also ‘showed a propensity by staff towards making the residents responsible for the situation’, it added.

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And of the Ishak family’s flat, the report said: ‘At the inquest it transpired that the bathroom fan had not been fully functioning for the previous two years and that the family had reported that. 

‘The professional assessment of the property in December 2020 after Awaab died found that the toilet was leaking because of defective plumbing and continuously discharging.

‘There was no ventilation in the kitchen, no extractor fan, there were no secure external drying options for clothing and the report made specific comment that no excess lifestyle was noted.’

The walls of the family home were caked in layers of black mould

The walls of the family home were caked in layers of black mould 

The toilet was leaking because of defective plumbing and continuously discharging

The toilet was leaking because of defective plumbing and continuously discharging

80 per cent of homes on the Freehold Estate (pictured) suffered with damp and mould

80 per cent of homes on the Freehold Estate (pictured) suffered with damp and mould

Michael Gove (right) meets Awaab Ishak's father Faisal Abdullah (left) in Rochdale, Greater Manchester in February this year to discuss Awaab's Law

Michael Gove (right) meets Awaab Ishak’s father Faisal Abdullah (left) in Rochdale, Greater Manchester in February this year to discuss Awaab’s Law

The 2021 review ‘failed to find the damp and mould that a subsequent survey in late 2022 found throughout the estate that Awaab lived on’, added the report, which said 80 per cent of homes on the Freehold Estate suffered with damp and mould – and 12 of the 380 properties surveyed were branded as category one hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.’

The review of tenants, however, was carried out by telephone – no actual visits to properties took place. 

The report found the interviewer often asked leading questions and comments were passed on about families, including ‘it is likely they feel the cold of an English winter’.

‘Ensuring the issues found in the Freehold Estate are addressed is imperative – the landlord committed in its recovery plan to have all Freehold Estate properties assessed and it completed those in March 2023 – but there are other estates and other families that need and deserve additional support,’ the report said.

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In the months after the inquest, complaints came in about the landlord, most notably from addresses in neighbouring Middleton, the report revealed.

One resident reported ‘concern’ after her young son developed chest problems she believed was because of severe damp and mould. No action had been taken when she contacted the Ombudsman.

Another complaint referenced concerns by a resident about ‘the impact of the extensive mould on the entire family and the respiratory problems they are experiencing’. 

The report said: ‘Photographs sent to us show the extensive damp in the living room, kitchen and bedrooms, with a surveyor informing the resident that this is because of the leak through the chimney caused by a tree growing out of the mortar.’

Shocking images of the damp and mould taken days after the tragedy were released during an inquest into Awaab's death

Shocking images of the damp and mould taken days after the tragedy were released during an inquest into Awaab’s death

Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said in his conclusion the root cause of failure within Rochdale Boroughwide Housing ‘was a propensity to dismiss residents and their concerns out of hand, with staff believing that they knew better and that the expectations of their residents were unreasonable’.

He said: ‘People’s lives and welfare depend on the landlord knowing who they are, what home they live in, and what has been done previously – this information must be reviewed regularly and updated through a tenancy audit or similar method.’

Mr Blakeway said in a statement later: ‘Our investigation has highlighted that culture change will be central to the landlord’s recovery. The weakness in policies, repeated failures and failure to learn from complaints has led us to conclude there was wider service failure by the landlord in areas other than its response to damp and mould, including record keeping and communication.

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‘Our investigation found reoccurring instances of residents being treated in dismissive, inappropriate or unsympathetic ways. In some instances, the language used was derogatory.

‘It is highly unlikely that this endemic behaviour of ‘othering’ is isolated to a single landlord and the social housing sector should consider whether they also need to turn over the stone and do a deep dive into their culture and whether they are living their social purpose. It is encouraging to see that the new leadership at the landlord is determined to lead from the front with the development of their recovery plan.’

Last year Housing Secretary Michael Gove stripped new funding from the RBH. 

As a result, it was not given its expected £1 million funding from the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) or receive any new AHP contracts for new homes, until the Regulator of Social Housing has finished its investigation and RBH can prove it is a responsible landlord. 

The landlord is a not-for-profit mutual housing society and registered provider of social housing, which took ownership of homes previously owned by Rochdale Council. 

As of March 2022, it owned 12,521 homes.

In a statement, RBH said: ‘We would like to thank the Ombudsman service for its very thorough and balanced report. The findings in the report are sobering but not unexpected. There has been significant learning from the tragic death of Awaab Ishak, which highlighted key areas of concern within RBH.

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‘We have recognised that too often damp and mould was not seen as a serious issue and was attributed to a resident’s lifestyle.

‘At RBH we have taken significant steps since December 2022 to tackle this across our homes. But it is fair to say that this work should have started much sooner and that the scale of the issue in our homes means it will take us time to complete.

‘The report also highlights concerns with the way in which residents were treated. Our residents have the right to be treated with respect and listened to and too often this wasn’t happening. We will put this right and have begun a culture shift programme across the organisation.

‘There are wider lessons that we need to act upon, around the investment in our existing homes, and how this is balanced against the desperate need for more homes. Issues of overcrowding in homes have a detrimental effect in a lot of areas and is a significant issue within Rochdale but also across the country, with insufficient family homes to move people into. However, this should not excuse us from trying to find solutions, investigating the root cause of the damp and mould and taking action to treat it.’

Source: Daily Mail

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