Summary: This entry demonstrates how landlords and service providers are developing proactive approaches to monitoring conditions within their homes and acting on any warning signs or emerging hazards. They have integrated these approaches into their compliance checks and planned maintenance visits to reduce disruption for residents and to be more efficient. Such approaches will help landlords keep their residents healthy and comply with the new and future requirements under Awaab’s Law.

What is the project and what is innovative about the service provided?

Accent – Proactive approach (early intervention and improved monitoring) to improve resident health and wellbeing, while also addressing requirements of Awaab’s Law before it came into force. Disrepair, damp, and mould work delivered within responsive repairs, voids, and planned works contracts to 19,000 homes in Yorkshire, the Humber, Northwest, East and South. It was a challenge to address damp and mould quickly, particularly in occupied homes and vulnerable settings (delays in formal surveys and follow-up works left households in unhealthy conditions, putting resident wellbeing at risk). Approach included:

• Proactive checks, including DMC, embedded through a bespoke set of questions is included in every repair visit (part of operative workflow on their Smartphone, which must be undertaken before they can complete the repair or job). This ensures any DMC issues detected, even if residents have not reported or identified an issue.
• Information is sent directly to Accent, ensuring clear view of condition and DMC status.
• IW provide, as part of checks, recommendations for follow-on surveys/orders to ensure fast action to identify and rectify issues.
• Emergency Damp & Mould Kits developed with Wykamol and supplied via Travis Perkins now carried as standard van stock.

What are the measurable benefits to the client, the contractor, the resident, and the neighbourhood?

Accent – Client Benefits: Regulatory Compliance, aligned with Awaab’s Law, enabling more eyes in more properties with no extra cost. Process streamlined jointly to refine procedures to ensure jobs correctly prioritised. Dedicated D&M process that is managed separately from day-to-day repairs, with clear tracking of specific DMC Work in progress, completions, and KPI performance. Faster response and early intervention to prevent issue escalating. D&M process ensures right operatives assigned (maximising 1^st time fix rates, treating DMC issues quickly/efficiently), with clear process for raising subsequent surveys or orders to rectify any underlying issues. Digital systems were updated to mandate D&M checks every repair visit, making early detection standard. Workflows easily amended on Smartphones ensuring the solutions remain fit for purpose or surveys can be adjusted according to feedback/new requirements. Operative-led checks improve data collection, manage stock condition proactively ensuring customers living in warm, safe, high-quality homes.

Contractor Benefits: Standard Van Stock (Kits included in all Accent contract vehicles so always available for operatives), 100% of operatives received D&M Toolbox Talk training, reinforced through monthly refreshers, ensuring long-term competency for operatives. Ongoing monitoring and process reinforcement through regular reporting to Accent and internal feedback. Operatives’ observations feed into contract reviews, and ad-hoc Toolbox Talks used to address gaps or reinforce best practice.  

Resident & Neighbourhood Benefits: Improved Resident wellbeing through faster action so residents (particularly vulnerable) are not in unhealthy conditions. Household flexibility with self-application or operative-led treatment (agreed with Accent). DMC issues detected even when not reported or identified. Fast response and early intervention by 1^st-visit treatment if suitable (operative applied or kits left for residents to use) to prevent issues escalating while waiting surveys. Ongoing communication and regular reporting on property conditions, using operatives’ observations (“eyes and ears” approach) to identify and escalate issues beyond the immediate repair. As well as DMC check, any safeguarding/wellbeing issues observed whilst in customer homes are reported (holistic approach).

What are the financial costs and measurable cashable benefits over a defined time period?

Accent – Data-driven performance monitoring via Dundas Bi to track Work in Progress and completion trends, helping both partners monitor stock condition and identify improvement areas. Results demonstrate how this proactive initiative, with quick, efficient mobilisation has enabled Accent to have more eyes on the ground in more properties with no extra cost. Smartphone workflow/survey project has been running since 2024 pilot. They collaborated on survey wording before rolling out across the contract. To date:

• 60,076 Smartphone surveys carried out as part of the responsive repairs process.
• 14,524 properties surveyed with these results:
  • 729 had damp/mould present,
  • 289 had no bathroom extractor fan or operational one,
  • 114 had bathroom fans switched off at fused spur (rewired with no switch),
  • 321 had no kitchen extractor fan or operational one,
  • 168 properties with failing double glazing, and
  • 12 with external above damp proof course levels.

Operatives supported by a HHSRS Toolbox Talk to better identify/understand hazards, with a joint review to ensure learning incorporated in operative workflow/additional questionnaire.

How relevant is this as an example that might be followed by other organisations?

Accent – This initiative has informed wider practice across Ian Williams, with learning applied across other contracts. It has been set up so they can utilise for similar contracts, but also make it bespoke to particular client requirements. Internal repairs meetings also include discussions on refining and expanding the solution, reinforcing best practice across their housing partnerships, and ensuring it can be adopted for other elements required for healthy homes. Survey can be easily adopted in repairs Smartphone workflows using the following questions:

• Is there evidence of mould within the property?
• If mould is present, what is the severity?
• Is there an extractor fan in the bathroom?
• Is the bathroom extractor operational?
• Is there an extractor in the kitchen?
• Is the kitchen extractor operational?
• Is there condensation present on the internal side of the windows?
• Are there trickle vents on the windows? (ensure these are in an open position)
• Any additional comments?

These questions ensure it is a solution which can easily be followed by other organisations, provided the service provider and the client work collaboratively.