A social landlord has overhauled how it responds to reports of damp, mould and hazards after the Housing Ombudsman issued a wider order.

The order followed a severe maladministration decision where the ombudsman found that Onward Homes left a vulnerable family living in poor conditions for nearly two years.

The ombudsman says the case highlights the need for all landlords to assess how to identify and respond to reports or findings of multiple hazards in a property as Awaab’s Law expands later this year. The complaint itself was made before the start of Awaab’s Law for damp and mould hazards.

The family reported damp, mould and mites to the landlord multiple times. They told the social landlord about the impact this was having on their children’s physical and mental health. Letters from medical professionals and concerns raised by a social worker supported this.

Surveys found structural problems with the roof, guttering, and insulation and that the family were living with several hazards at the same time.

Onward Homes carried out mould washes and some repairs and continued to treat the mites without identifying the underlying cause, despite their presence being a sign of an unresolved damp problem. There was no formal record of consideration for the family to be temporarily moved to alternative accommodation whilst it carried out works. Despite recommendations for repair works, the problems did not improve, and the landlord closed the case without resolution.

The ombudsman asked the landlord to conduct a senior management review of the case. Following the review, Onward Homes has made changes to how it responds to reports of damp and mould. This is also now in accordance with Awaab’s Law. Reports now automatically activate a formal internal procedure and staff have received training on the process designed to identify and target damp and mould, associated risks and any vulnerabilities in the household.

The landlord has also updated its process for temporary moves (also known as decants), including how it records and considers the need to be moved if living with significant hazards.

The ombudsman says Onward will now:

• Refer vulnerable households to support services or neighbourhood teams when a complaint is made

• Record the outcome of every survey and use a contractor checklist for every damp or pest inspection

• Flag all vulnerable household and unresolved complaints as high risk for senior oversight

• Create a ‘single evidence bundle’ on all cases, recording all visits, surveys, resident contact and decisions

• Require a verification step and resident confirmation before closing a case

• Carry out a 12-month review across its properties for reports of mould mites to identify wider lessons and review for further improvements.