RBH boss reveals damp and mould taskforce work under way as staff get extra training

Ms Arrowsmith said that the survey was planned, but that RBH has increased its scope from 40 per cent of its homes to all of its homes, “to provide assurance”.

Last month it emerged that 80 per cent of the homes on the Freehold Estate, where Awaab died, had damp and mould issues, based on a survey conducted last summer. 

Ms Arrowsmith said: “Damp and mould is our number-one priority. I have made it clear that ensuring our homes are safe, secure and comfortable is our overriding aim.”

RBH is also improving how it communicates and discusses damp and mould with its tenants, she added. 

The landlord has held two sessions open to all tenants to review how it communicates with them about damp and mould, and it is revising its materials in response to this feedback, she said.

Ms Arrowsmith said that RBH expects to increase spending in areas relating to damp and mould mitigation and energy efficiency and will update its business plan once this work has been completed.

The housing association has already committed to funding several improvements, including the £1.2m replacement of ventilation systems on the Freehold Estate, Ms Arrowsmith added.

Ms Arrowsmith added: “We are taking a proactive approach to understand and address any issues of damp and mould in our homes. We have an improvement plan in place, and we are delivering on it as quickly as possible.

“All our team are committed to rebuilding RBH as an effective, responsive and tenant-focused organisation.”

RBH has also issued an update on its website about tackling damp and mould in its properties.

The group said it will seek to fix issues within 24 hours if there are significant risks to the resident or their family’s health.

After RBH’s previous chief executive Gareth Swarbrick resisted calls to step down, RBH’s board removed him and appointed Ms Arrowsmith as its interim chief executive to lead the reforms.

In November, housing secretary Michael Gove said that RBH will not receive an expected £1m of Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) funding, or receive any new AHP contracts, until the regulator has concluded an investigation into the housing association. 

Regulators and the government have issued various statements in the aftermath of the RBH scandal as the spotlight has been shone on the issue of damp and mould in social housing stock.

The RSH has called on providers to submit evidence to show they have systems to identify and deal with damp and mould in homes. Furthermore, the Housing Ombudsman called for a renewed focus on its damp and mould recommendations.

In November, the housing secretary urged social landlords to “absorb the lessons” from Awaab’s death.

Mr Gove is also aiming to amend the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill to give deadlines for social housing providers to act on damp and mould issues.