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Housing association boss will not resign over toddler’s death
The chief executive of the housing association responsible for the mould-ridden home that led to the death of a toddler will not resign.
In a statement on Thursday, Gareth Swarbrick, chief executive of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), said the “conversation around my position has begun to overshadow the most important part of all of this, which is that a family has lost their child”.
He confirmed that he will not be resigning and that the RBH board has given him “their full backing and trust to continue to oversee the improvements and changes needed” at the social landlord.
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It follows the conclusion of the inquest into two-year-old Awaab Ishak’s death.
The coroner ruled he died from prolonged exposure to mould after repeated complaints from his family to RBH.
This week, Michael Gove, the housing secretary, summoned Mr Swarbrick to “demand answers” for the “unacceptable” death.
The two spoke over the phone on Wednesday.
In the statement on Thursday, Mr Swarbrick said “no apology will ever be enough”.
“I have spoken to the secretary of state for levelling up and housing, Michael Gove, to discuss Awaab and the issues we face in social housing.
“We back the government’s commitment to strengthen the Decent Homes Standard and the importance of the tenant’s voice, which will be reinforced by the Social Housing Regulation Bill,” he said.
He said RBH has made a “raft of changes” following Awaab’s death, one of which means that the landlord will work on disrepair issues even if there is an ongoing legal claim.
The landlord failed to do any work on the property from June 2020 because Awaab’s family launched legal action.
However, they had been complaining about the mould for years before that.
The landlord has also made improvements to its IT systems and introduced mandatory training on damp and mould for staff.
It is rolling out real-time video interpreting technology for employees.
Mr Swarbrick said: “We all have a duty to call out prejudice, wherever we see it. Equity is at the heart of what we do as a mutual housing society and we will continue to strive for greater inclusion and equality.
“We agree with the coroner that the tragic death of Awaab will be, and should be, a defining moment for the whole housing sector.”
Alison Tumilty, chair of the RBH board, said: “This is a tragedy of the highest order, and we are devastated that it happened in one of our homes. We have made mistakes and we are endeavouring to correct them.
“Having spoken to the board, I can confirm that we have full confidence in Gareth’s leadership.
“He has the trust of the board. He has extensive knowledge of the sector and the communities of Rochdale.
“Together, we will work to restore the trust of the people of Rochdale and demonstrate that we are a mutual landlord that cares, and cares deeply, about our tenants.”
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