A housing association boss has refused to resign from his £185,000 position despite a tremendous backlash after the tragic death of Awaab Ishak in a mould-infested home.
The two-year-old died in December 2020 from a respiratory illness induced by mould in the one-bedroom flat where he lived with his parents, Faisal Abdullah and Aisha Amin, in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
His mother and father previously made complaints about the black mould in their kitchen and bathroom and asked to be rehoused.
The Chief Executive of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), Gareth Swarbrick, has come under fire and has been advised to resign from his position by figures including Michael Gove. However, Gareth Swarbrick, who was paid £170,000 the year of Awaab’s death, has now confirmed in a statement that he will not be quitting.
He said that he wanted to start by saying how sorry he was to Awaab’s family for their loss and that no apology would ever be enough, and he said that the discussion around his position had started to surpass the most important part of all this, which was that a family had lost their child, but having spoken to the Board, he could confirm he wouldn’t be leaving.
He said that they’d given him their full support and confidence to continue to manage the improvements and changes required within RBH.
The chief executive also added that after the tragic death of the two-year-old, the RBH had made a number of changes and this included compulsory training for all staff on mould and damp.
Alison Tumilty, RBH Board Chair, said that as an organisation, they would again like to extend their deepest sympathies and say sorry to Faisal and Aisha and that they let them down.
She said that this was a tragedy of the highest order, and they were devastated that it occurred in one of their homes, and she added that they make mistakes and that they were trying to fix them.
She said that having spoken to the Board, she could confirm that they have complete confidence in Gareth’s leadership, and that he has the trust of the Board, and that he has a vast understanding of the sector and the communities of Rochdale.
She said that together, they would work to repair the trust of the people of Rochdale and show that they’re a mutual landlord that cares and cares greatly about their tenants.
Gareth Swarbrick makes £185,000 in his council job, no surprise this country’s in the state it’s in, and those on this type of salary tend to have a gold-plated pension as well, and it’s utterly infuriating that the revolving door of failures get so much money when someone just as capable could be doing the very same job for half that wage.
How does this guy make all that money and still not have any knowledge of mould? He should have had implemented training years ago, so there should be no failings, especially on that salary.
Gareth Swarbrick is an overpaid jobsworth, and how on earth is that type of salary justified?
So, this is where our council tax rises go, not on housing for people but on paying inflated salaries and their gold-plated pensions. This man should resign! And if he won’t resign, then sack him, and not just him but everybody at RBH who failed this family.
Just like our MPs, Gareth Swarbrick expects rewards for failure, but then they all seem to have their snouts in the trough.
This man is now responsible for a child’s death, and he should be prosecuted and sacked, and it’s obscene that he makes that much money and gets away with murder.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 