The introduction of a new Condensation, Damp and Mould Policy is set to support North Tyneside Council’s commitment to keeping its properties safe and secure.
Approved by the Council’s Cabinet last night (November 25), the Condensation, Damp and Mould policy, alongside a refreshed repairs and maintenance policy, is set to be implemented across the Council’s 14,000 properties.
The policies clearly set out the Housing and Property Services Team’s approach and response to repair requests, planned maintenance work and how concerns about condensation, damp and mould will be resolved.
Recent changes to legislation have strengthened the role of the Regulator for Social Housing and the Council is committed to ensuring it now only meets the new requirements, but goes above and beyond for its tenants.
Even before the formal introduction of these policies, a number of steps had already been taken to enhance the Council’s response when a tenant reports issues with condensation, damp and mould.
This includes the creation of a dedicated team to take responsibility for condensation, damp and mould. This team will respond directly to any resident enquiries about their issues and will allow increased capacity to respond appropriately when needed.
Alongside improvements to booklets and flyers for tenants, all North Tyneside Council staff who are required to go into tenants’ homes as part of their role will receive training on signs of condensation, damp and mould, and the steps to take if they have any concerns.
Cllr John Harrison, cabinet member with responsibility for Housing, said: “Up and down the country, people are concerned about condensation, damp and mould and it’s up to us, as social landlords, to take steps to support them and take action where appropriate.
“We take these responsibilities very seriously and even prior to these new policies being introduced, we had already introduced new ways of working to make sure we were providing the best response possible for our residents.
“We’ve got a strong track record when it comes to managing repairs, and the introduction of this new policy, as well as refreshing our existing repairs and maintenance policy, will help support this further.”
Last year, the Council introduced a video diagnosis system primarily for reports of condensation, damp and mould. The system means the caller can share the camera on their device with the Council’s Customer Service and show them the issue they’re concerned about.
This gives the call handler more context and means they can give more tailored, specific advice for the resident’s concern or, when necessary, prioritise the call and quickly have a member of staff out to inspect.
And the system has been a huge success so far. It was quickly expanded to cover all repairs calls, and since its introduction the Council has been able to clear its backlog of repairs and increase the capacity of its repairs staff.
Both the refreshed Repairs and Maintenance Policy, and the new Condensation, Damp and Mould Policy are available to view on the Council’s website.
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