New interim chief executive appointed at RBH

Awaab Ishak

Yvonne Arrowsmith has been appointed as the new interim chief executive of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing after the departure of Gareth Swarbrick.

Mr Swarbrick was sacked on 19 November by the Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) board only days after the board said it had "full confidence" in his leadership after the tragic – and preventable – death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak.

Awaab died in December 2020 as a result of a severe respiratory condition due to prolonged exposure to mould in his home, which was managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing.

Ms Arrowsmith will take up the interim position on 12 December. She has worked in the social housing sector for the past 30 years, as a director of supported housing, group operations director, and as a chief executive. Prior to that she worked as a nurse.

Ms Arrowsmith said: "This is a difficult time to be joining RBH, following the tragic death of Awaab Ishak. His death and the coroner’s verdict into it have rightly shocked the social housing sector. I strongly believe that everyone has the right to live in a home that is safe and secure.

"So, although a difficult time, I am looking forward to working with the board, representative body and employees to prioritise the safety and security of people living in our homes, to make sure that action is taken where it is needed, and to begin the process of earning the trust and confidence of our residents."

A statement from the chair of the board of RBH and the chair of the representative body said: "We want to start by saying again how sorry we are for the loss of Awaab. We know our words will not take away the pain felt by his family, nor will they heal the hurt being felt here in Rochdale as well as across the country.

"We have appointed Yvonne Arrowsmith as our new interim chief executive to lead our organisation and to make sure that we put in place the changes we need to make.

"Yvonne has a track record of joining organisations as an interim chief executive and helping them to improve and succeed – we are really pleased to be able to bring in someone with her experience and skills to lead RBH.

"We are looking forward to working with her to make sure that we deliver the quality of homes and services that our tenants deserve and expect."