Regulatory judgement improvement plan

Regulatory standard

Area of weakness

Intended outcome(s)

Regular reporting of damp and mould performance following implementation of Awaab's Law.

Transparent and accountable reporting aligned with regulatory expectations.

Benchmarkable performance data to drive continuous improvement.

Lead

Kevin Lowry (Service Director, Repairs and building maintenance) 

Laura Atkinson (Service Manager, Repairs and voids)

Target completion

Step targets (where possible)

Short/medium/long term plans

Short Term

Report on current performance and targets.

Medium Term

Preparation work for implementation of Awaab's Law and comparison with previous position. 

Long Term:

Identification of further innovation possibilities / Sustained performance in line with Awaab's Law targets.

Organisational risks

1. Access to properties
2. Resource resilience

Potential impact on customers if we do not achieve intended outcome

1. Lack of visibility into service effectiveness
2. Prolonged exposure to damp and mould due to poor oversight

Current position

Reporting arrangements for damp and mould have been strengthened to provide clearer and more consistent oversight of performance, trends and compliance risks. Performance reporting now covers the full damp and mould journey, including inspection timescales, resolution times, case volumes and repeat occurrences.

Damp and mould performance is reviewed alongside complaints and disrepair data to support earlier identification of systemic issues and ensure learning is embedded across repairs and planned works activity. These arrangements provide improved assurance that senior oversight is timely, accurate and focused on outcomes for residents.

Performance is reported to relevant governance bodies, including monthly reporting to the Housing Portfolio and six‑monthly reporting to Strategic Housing Board or HEHC Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The frequency of reporting to Strategic Housing Board and Overview and Scrutiny has been temporarily adjusted to reflect the pre‑election period and an ongoing corporate governance review, with reporting to resume in line with agreed governance arrangements. New damp and mould performance targets have been agreed to enable external benchmarking, scrutiny and comparison with other housing providers.

The HEHC Overview and Scrutiny Committee will agree its 2026/27 programme at its meeting on 29 June 2026.

A progress report on the implementation of Awaab's Law was presented to the Strategic Housing Board on 5 February 2026. Awareness‑raising activity has been undertaken, including a team brief issued to all council staff and updates to the Council's website to reflect the new statutory timescales.

To support prevention and resident understanding, an animation produced by Wakefield Council has been published on the Council's website, helping customers identify typical causes of condensation and practical steps to reduce the risk of mould developing.

In addition, a service redesign project has been completed to understand the causes of no‑access from both organisational and customer perspectives. An action plan is currently being developed to address the recommendations arising from this work.

RAG

Evidence

Reports to Strategic Housing Board, Housing Environment and Healthy Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HEHC OSC), Housing Portfolio and Corporate Management Team.

Team Brief to staff on Awaab's Law

Link to website

Damp, Mould and Condensation Policy