Downing Street has hit out at 'unresponsive landlords' in a statement following the tragic death of Awaab Ishak. Coroner Joanne Kearsley concluded today (November 15) that the two-year-old's death was brought on by prolonged exposure to mould at his home on Rochdale's Freehold estate.
Rochdale Coroners Court heard that Awaab's dad Faisal Abdullah, who came to the UK as a refugee from Sudan in 2015, had not experienced mould before autumn 2017. When he showed a picture of 'black dots' in his home to a worker at Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), he was told to 'paint over it', in advice described by Ms Kearsley as 'not clear or effective'.
Concerns were raised to RBH in a letter from health visitor Caroline Ridley in July 2020, while a legal claim had been submitted by the family a month earlier. Mark Wrigley, technical inspector at RBH, visited the property on July 14 and listed repairs that needed carrying out.
But the work was not done, with a policy at RBH meaning they would not carry out remedial works without the go-ahead from the family's solicitor, and Ms Kearsley said this work 'should have been undertaken'. The coroner also criticised RBH for blaming the family's 'lifestyle' for the mould and failing to identify a lack of ventilation to prevent moisture at the property.
Following the inquest, a Downing Street spokesperson told PA: “Clearly this is a tragic case. The Prime Minister’s thoughts are with his family at this extremely difficult time.
“Clearly the circumstances in which he died are unacceptable and we will no longer stand for unresponsive landlords failing in their response to tenants.” Ms Kearsley commented that the issues raised in Awaab's inquest were 'not simply a Rochdale problem', as she warned the death of Awaab should be a 'defining moment' for the housing sector.
Rochdale MP Tony Lloyd raised the issue in the House of Commons this afternoon, telling MPs Awaab's death has 'implications that go way beyond this tragic case'. Coun Danny Meredith, Rochdale Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing, told the M.E.N. : “Firstly, my deepest sympathy remains with the family for the tragic loss of their son.
"No one should have to live in the degrading conditions that Awaab Ishak and his family were forced to endure. The appalling state of their home and the indifferent response to their pleas for help are shaming and have raised serious questions for our largest social housing provider.
"I will be writing to the chief executive of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing to outline the council’s concerns and will continue to monitor their reaction to this judgement and their ongoing performance in relation to repairs and complaints.” RBH chief executive Gareth Swarbrick said he was 'truly devastated' by the case and the 'things we got wrong'.
He added: “We know that nothing we can say will bring Awaab back or be of any consolation to his family. We have and will continue to learn hard lessons from this.
“We didn’t recognise the level of risk to a little boy’s health from the mould in the family’s home. We allowed a legal disrepair process, widely used in the housing sector, to get in the way of promptly tackling the mould.
“We must make sure this can never happen again. Awaab’s death needs to be a wake-up call for everyone in housing, social care and health."
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READ MORE ON THIS STORY:
- 'We complained so many times about mould in our home but they did nothing to help us
Coroner rules Awaab Ishak, 2, died after mould wasn't treated at his home
Awaab Ishak's death shames the country - this is what needs to change now
All the ways tragic two-year-old toddler Awaab Ishak was failed before his death
Actions leading to Awaab Ishak's death were 'unacceptable', Downing Street says
