Ex-children’s commissioner Anne Longfield warns more families face ‘awful living conditions’ like Awaab Ishak | UK News

Britain’s former children’s commissioner has warned of families across the country facing “bad conditions” in their social housing, following the death of Awaab Ishak.

Two-year-old child dies in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by mold in his home, managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH).

There was a surge of emotion after the child’s death, and anger from many places at the poor state of the home in which he and his family were forced to live – resulted in the dismissal of RBH’s chief executive officer.

But Anne Longfield, who serves as a child rights commissioner until 2021, said it was “certainly the case” that other children would find themselves in similar situations.

Speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, she said: “I think we should be shocked by this but we should also be really angry.

“These are completely meaningless harms and unnecessary harms, they can be prevented, that needs to be the focus right now.”

She said she has spoken to families with similar circumstances, adding: “We are talking about cramped conditions but [also] cold, mold, rat infestation, places that, as the coroner said in the Awaab case, are really not suitable for human habitation.”

Ms. Longfield praised Housing Minister Michael Gove for his willingness to focus on the issue, after he wrote to every British council leader and social housing provider to inform them of the “disgusting” conditions that killed Awaab.

But she said: “My message to him is let’s make this a mission. Obviously, it’s in front of us, it’s one of those things that causes a lot of social problems around. around children growing up in poverty.

“But it takes determination and leadership [to fix it].”