London Borough of Havering - Awaab's Law Case Review

The London Borough of Havering Council (Havering) is the local authority for the London Borough of Havering in Greater London, England, managing approximately 9,300 domestic and 1,300 communal buildings. 

Project Overview

Havering appointed Pennington Choices to undertake an independent review of its approach to managing Awaab’s Law cases.

The review was designed to assess whether documented processes were being consistently applied in practice, evaluate the effectiveness of operational delivery, and provide independent assurance on whether its approach was meeting the requirements of Awaab’s Law.

The review considered both the management of individual damp and mould cases and the wider processes, controls, and governance arrangements supporting compliance with Awaab’s Law.

As the requirements of Awaab’s Law continue to expand through its phased implementation, Havering wanted to independently test its current arrangements under Phase 1, identify any areas of vulnerability, and understand where further improvements could strengthen its approach. 

How Pennington Choices Supported Havering with Awaab's Law

We undertook a detailed review of Havering’s current arrangements for identifying, categorising, investigating, recording, and progressing Awaab’s Law cases.

This included: •

• Key lines of enquiry: We developed a structured set of key lines of enquiry to assess Havering’s approach against the requirements of Awaab’s Law, regulatory expectations, and sector good practice. 

• Data and document review: We reviewed relevant data and corporate documents, including strategies, policies, processes, and procedures, to understand the framework supporting the management of damp and mould cases. 

• Staff and contractor engagement: We held information-gathering sessions with employees and contractors involved in identifying, assessing, and addressing damp and mould, as well as supporting functions relevant to case management.

• Case review: We undertook a detailed review of a sample of 20 damp and mould cases, assessing how cases were managed from initial identification through to completion.

• Process and controls assessment: We assessed whether documented processes were being consistently applied, including whether appropriate evidence, information, and decision making rationale were being captured and retained.

• Case categorisation: We reviewed how cases were identified and categorised, including whether emergency and significant hazards were being appropriately recognised and managed.

• Operational resilience: We considered the capacity and resilience of current arrangements, including how processes could perform during periods of increased demand or higher case volumes.

• Independent assurance: We identified areas of good practice, potential vulnerabilities, and opportunities to strengthen processes and controls, providing an independent position statement and recommendations for any further improvements. 

Our Achievements

The review provided Havering with an independently validated view of its current position in managing Awaab’s Law cases. By testing documented processes against their application in practice and reviewing a sample of individual cases, we helped Havering identify areas that were working well, potential failure points, and opportunities to further strengthen its approach. The review also supported Havering in assessing its preparedness for Awaab’s Law Phases 2 and 3, providing recommendations to help strengthen its processes, controls, and governance arrangements and maintain effective compliance as the requirements develop. 

Client Testimonial 

 “Pennington Choices provided us with valuable independent assurance on how we are managing Awaab’s Law cases. Their review gave us an opportunity to test our documented processes against how cases are being managed in practice, providing a clear view of what is working well and where we can strengthen our approach. Their practical recommendations and constructive challenge have helped us better understand our current position and ensure we are prepared for Awaab’s Law Phase 2.” - Communications Lead for Regeneration and Inward Investment at London Borough of Havering