RBH appoints new chair to ‘rebuild trust’ after death of toddler
Kevin Brady has taken on the leadership role at Rochdale Boroughwide Housing’s board after his predecessor, Alison Tumilty, quit amid an investigation looking into the conditions that led to the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from prolonged exposure to mould at an RBH home.
The government investigation found that there were “significant failings” in how RBH dealt with mould and dampness at its properties. An independent Housing Ombudsman report in March echoed the government’s results and concluded that there were issues with how RBH treated its tenants.
RBH interim chief executive Yvonne Arrowsmith said that the organisation accepted the findings of the Housing Ombudsman report in full.
“They are sobering, but not unexpected,” she said in March. “There has been significant learning following the tragic death of Awaab Ishak, which we acknowledge highlighted key failures within RBH. We apologise unreservedly for these failures.”
Arrowsmith added that RBH has taken “significant steps” to address damp and mould in its properties and has a recovery plan in place to help tackle the issue.
As chair of the RBH board, Brady will “play a vital role” in helping the housing association “rebuild trust” with tenants, partner organisations, and wider community, according to a press release.
Brady acknowledged there was a lot of work to do.
“Although there are some huge challenges ahead, I am looking forward to working with RBH employees and tenants to make sure that we deliver our recovery plan and make sure that we provide the high-quality homes and services that our tenants and communities expect and deserve,” Brady said.
“As a resident of Middleton, I know how important it is that the borough’s main social housing provider is strong and successful.”
In addition to being the chair of RBH, Brady is also a part-time director at Together Housing Group, and a committee member for Yorkshire Housing and Transport for the North.
Brady was the deputy chief executive of Salford City Council from 2006 to 2012, and his resume also includes roles at Livv Housing Group, Henshaws Society for Blind People, Achieve North West, and KSB Management Services.
Brady was chosen for the role by a nominations committee made up of employee representatives Jonathan Wenn and Yasmeen Hasnain, non-executive director Larry Gold, and tenant representative Andrew Johnson.
Wenn, who was chair of the nominations committee, welcomed Brady’s appointment.
“Kevin is a long-term resident of the borough and brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to his new role,” Wenn said.
“The nominations committee were very impressed with Kevin throughout the process. We are glad he is joining RBH and look forward to working with him as we meet the challenges RBH faces.”
