Damp, Mould and Condensation Policy

Ensuring that customers are safe in their homes and able to live comfortably is of the highest priority. Longhurst Group (the Group) is committed to providing homes that are well maintained and kept in good and safe repair, both for the benefit of existing customers and to maximise the long-term life of each asset.

This policy presents a clearly defined system of control for the management of damp and mould activities within each asset.

Implementation of this policy will ensure compliance with our legal and regulatory responsibilities. This policy has been written to address recommendations published by the Housing Ombudsman in their ‘Spotlight on Damp and Mould’ report. Additionally, this policy acknowledges the most significant risk remains the risk to the health and safety of Longhurst Group customers as identified by the NHS in ‘Can damp and mould affect my health’.    

This policy supports the Group’s values and is a commitment to improving lives and supporting colleagues by taking a priority approach to damp and mould.  We will take a proactive approach across all areas of our business to ensure issues of this nature are not seen as acceptable and we ensure that support is offered by us to our customers to ensure that any issues are resolved satisfactorily.

Longhurst Group will adopt a three-stage process as shown below, work will continue to address and improve methods by which damp and mould can be identified within our properties to ‘find our silent customers’. The management of our cases will revolve around customer, building and usage with our options for remediation being the output. The final stage will be assurance including inspection of completed works, validating the impact of the works, annual re-inspection and recording any changes in the usage.     

• Identifying Cases of Damp and Mould

• Managing Cases of Damp and Mould

• Assurance of outcome of cases of damp and Mould

The terms ‘Longhurst Group’ and ‘the Group’ incorporate all member companies and subsidiaries.

This policy applies to all employees.

The policy does not form part of any colleague’s contract of employment and the policy may be amended at any time.

The Group will achieve and maintain effective management systems and will comply with all relevant legislative and regulatory requirements as defined in this policy.

In implementing this policy our objectives will be to:

• Comply at all times with all current legal responsibilities and codes of good practice.
• Take a zero-tolerance approach to damp and mould. We will take a proactive approach across all areas of our business to ensure issues of this nature are not seen as acceptable and we ensure that support is offered by us to our customers to ensure that any issues are resolved satisfactorily.
• Work in partnership with our customers to ensure our homes provide safe and healthy environments for customers to live.
• Ensure that customers have access to and/or are provided with comprehensive support, advice, and guidance on managing and controlling damp and condensation.
• Be supportive and responsive to customer vulnerabilities to ensure all customer needs, regardless of protected characteristics, are considered, addressed and solutions are agreed with customers.
• Ensure that our staff receives training to properly diagnose and respond to reports of damp and mould, in addition to understanding the causes and remedies of the causes and to understand the effects that damp and mould can have on the health of our customers.

Longhurst Group will work across departments to manage and seek to eradicate damp and mould.

 This includes:

• Ensuring detailed records are kept when reports of damp and mould are made. An assessment of risk will be made with details recorded and logged on our system. This risk rating will be determined in line with current regulations (e.g., Housing Health and Safety Rating System, Decent Homes standards etc.) and will enable us to better understand the archetype of properties and components that are likely to suffer from damp and mould and to identify where issues may arise in similar properties, in addition to allowing for more effective tenancy support and aftercare.
• Proactively reviewing all Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) energy ratings of D and below for our properties to identify those at risk of damp, mould and condensation
• We will use our data to review, prioritise and target those properties at highest risk, as well as identify any damp, mould and condensation.
• Where extensive works may be required, we will consider the individual circumstances of the household, including any vulnerabilities, and whether it is appropriate to move resident(s) out of their home at an early stage.
• We will ensure that surveys to establish the presence of any damp and mould are carried out by skilled and trained officers during any void period and when mutual exchanges are conducted.

Longhurst Group will risk assess individual cases aligning with the HHSRS (Housing Health and Safety Rating System) assessment criteria, classes of harm, likelihood and outcome. Due to the seriousness Longhurst Group view damp and mould this matrix simplifies the risk categories and assumes that damp and mould is treated as high harm or outcome.  

In the event that works are complex and can not be completed within the appropriate time scales, and the property cannot be made safe, Longhurst will decant the customer into suitable alternative accommodation.

Risk Assessment score matrix

In response to the tragic death of Awaab Ishak the following timeframes have been introduced in line with the Government consultation.

As detailed in the above risk assessment emergency work where there is significant and imminent risk of harm regarding damp and mould, work will be completed within 24 hours and in all cases that require a surveyor visit this will be carried out within 14 days with the customer receiving a plan for remediation within those 14 days. If works are diagnosed as significant works will start within 7 days of diagnosis and if these works are of a particular complex nature timescales for remediation will be communicated to our customers.

The most at-risk customers are the very young and elderly (HHSRS vulnerable age group under 14 years of age). Further consideration needs to be given where there are vulnerability factors in terms of damp and mould, this relates to known medical vulnerabilities such as asthma, allergies, chronic conditions and learning difficulties, where self-management present added complexities.

* For dwellings where rooms are occupied for both living and sleeping, such as bedsits and small flats in multi-occupied buildings, then the presence of dampness may be more significant as occupants can be expected to spend a greater proportion of time exposed. This can be compounded if the room is also used for cooking. (The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) Regulations 2005)

The following documents are associated with this policy:

• Policy Development Plan