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Council creates IT system solely dedicated to damp and mould
A council in the North of England has put an IT system in place solely dedicated to damp, mould and condensation as part of an action plan to tackle the issues.
According to a Kirklees Council report, the system, which is part of a wider improvement plan, includes data on contacts with residents needing work carried out, as well as information on any vulnerabilities a tenant may have.
The council, which owns and manages more than 21,000 homes, undertook a rapid review of its approach to damp, mould and condensation in November and December 2022.
Like other councils following the coroner’s ruling on Awaab Ishak’s death, which was caused by prolonged exposure to mould in a housing association flat, Kirklees created an action plan to address damp and mould issues.
Inside Housing research in May revealed that more than half of English councils had set up damp and mould teams.
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“The rapid review and action plan identified three main areas for improvement: communication, data and intelligence and process,” the report said.
The council created a task and finish group in January 2023, which has been meeting weekly since.
The report, which went before cabinet on Tuesday, provides an update on the delivery of the action plan and sets out the current situation in relation to damp, mould and condensation.
According to the report, job volumes for damp, mould and condensation have increased “considerably” since December.
“The total number of jobs at that time [March] was equivalent to the average annual total for the preceding three years.
“Case numbers continued to increase through April and reached a peak in May [of 1,892],” the report states.
As of 2 August, there were 1,717 jobs awaiting resolution, while the council is currently facing 472 disrepair claims. The majority of the latter are “related to damp from leaks and other sources”.
There is now a dedicated IT system, where all relevant information about damp, mould and condensation is brought together in one place.
All relevant officers have access to this system and have received guidance on how to use it.
Details of all contacts with residents relating to damp, mould and condensation are recorded in the system along with other data to help improve the council’s response, such as vulnerabilities and whether there is mechanical ventilation in the home.
The report said: “The intention was to further extend the dedicated system to include information from the mould treatment contractor’s system and on complaints.
“It has not been possible to pull in data from the contractor’s system and to mitigate for this, a number of officers have been given access through a portal to enable oversight and management of cases and to support communication with residents.”
The council has also introduced a dedicated ‘single point of contact’ made up of officers from housing management and assets, who deal with all incoming calls about damp, mould and condensation.
Outbound calls are being made to residents with open cases to understand the current situation with their home and to pursue access where it has not been gained for works.
Out-of-hours calls have improved the success rate of contacts made.
Surveyors for the council have started using video calls to look at the home and decide whether they need to visit or whether other courses of action are required.
A team of temporary decorators is in place and delivering mould treatments.
The team has a no-access process for mould treatment cases; when there have been three unsuccessful attempts to access the home, a letter is sent to the resident asking them to contact the single point of contact.
The council is also training officers on damp, mould and condensation.
“The e-learning training will be mandatory for all officers in homes and neighbourhoods and it is proposed that it be made available across the council and be mandatory for all staff who have contact with residents,” the report said.
Paul Davies, cabinet member for corporate services at Kirklees Council, told Inside Housing: “We are committed to providing safe housing for all our tenants.
“Like many authorities, we are keen to improve how we deal with damp, mould and condensation for the council’s tenants.
“Currently, we are 50% through implementing our improvement strategy and action plan. The plan aims to ensure any tenant who reports an issue receives appropriate action to resolve it and is given support during the process.
“We have improved our processes through IT systems, a single point of access for all reports, and technology such as video calls to identify priorities in line with specific criteria, including the vulnerabilities of the tenants.
“This has been accompanied by increased surveyor visits and improved communications with tenants to ensure we can access properties to carry out work as required.
“However, we know that there is more to do, and we will continue to take action to improve our speed and efficiency when responding to reports.”
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