Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), the housing association deemed responsible for the death of Awaab Ishak due to mould exposure, has sacked CEO Gareth Swarbrick.
His removal follows an inquiry into the two-year-old’s death, which found that prolonged mould exposure in the one-bedroom RBH flat that he and his parents called home led to Awaab developing fatal breathing difficulties.
It was only last week that Swarbrick issued a statement saying that the conversation about his position had begun to “overshadow the most important part of all of this, which is that a family has lost their child”.
During the same statement, Chair Alison Tumilty said Gareth had “full confidence” in Swarbrick’s leadership.
However, in a subsequent statement issued this weekend, and following growing calls for Swarbrick to go, RBH said it “recognises that this is no longer tenable” and have removed Swarbrick from his post “with immediate effect”.
RBH says it will now begin the process of appointing an external interim CEO.
Under new leadership, “RBH will continue to embed these changes and to continue to drive further improvements to our homes and to our communications with tenants.”
Social housing standards
The case had begun to attract political scrutiny, with Michael Gove issuing a statement on social housing standards following the death of Awaab.
In an address to Parliament, the Housing secretary spoke of the need for further reforms to the sector, pledging to “act immediately” on recommendations.
Image: Gareth Swarbrick, former CEO, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing. Credit: RBH
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