Housing Ombudsman to investigate social landlord that owned property where two-year-old boy died following mould exposure

The Housing Ombudsman is using a power in the Housing Ombudsman Scheme for the first time as part of an investigation into a social landlord that admitted it should have fixed a mould problem, which later led to the death of a two-year-old boy.

The Ombudsman, Richard Blakeway, will also be reviewing open cases relating to the landlord, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), which styles itself as the "UK's first tenant and employee co-owned mutual housing society" and owns almost 13,000 homes in the Rochdale region.

At an inquest which concluded this week, RBH accepted it should have undertaken remedial works over the mould in Awaab Ishak's home.

The coroner found that Awaab had passed away as a result of 'acute airway Oedema with severe granulomatous tracheobronchitis' and 'Environmental Mould Exposure'.

Commenting on the outcome of the inquest, the firm's Chief Executive, Gareth Swarbrick, admitted that RBH had "allowed a legal disrepair process to get in the way of promptly tackling the mould".

In a letter to Swarbrick today, the Ombudsman informed him that the watchdog is launching a review of open cases relating to the landlord, in particular damp and mould.

Blakeway said he had already been alerted to three complaints, which have been assessed as high or medium risk. "Under the circumstances, I have instructed my team to expedite these investigations", he wrote.

He continued: "Given my specific concerns about the circumstances of these complaints, I have also instructed my team to use paragraph 12 of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme to enable us to effectively gather any information required.

"This may entail interviews with staff of the landlord, the landlord providing information from third parties or former members of staff, and attending meetings with the Ombudsman as requested."

It is the first time the Ombudsman has used this power in the Scheme.

In relation to one of the three complaints Blakeway mentioned, he said the watchdog would be exercising its powers under paragraph 49 of its Scheme to conduct a further investigation to establish if the complaint was indicative of wider failure within the landlord.

Paragraph 49 reads: "The Ombudsman may conduct further investigation beyond the initial complaint or member to establish whether any presenting evidence is indicative of a systemic failing. Where this is the case, it will be referred to the appropriate regulatory body."

Adam Carey