Statement from DIO Chief Executive, Mike Green
Last week, a severe case of damp and mould came to my attention via social media. I want to address the entirely unacceptable conditions and offer my sincerest apologies for the severity of that situation. This is not the standard of accommodation service our service families deserve, and I have been engaging with our suppliers to gain robust assurances that such cases are proactively identified and managed with compassion.
In relation to this case, an offer of alternative accommodation was made within hours of the post, work has already been completed to rectify the immediate problem and the installation of a new bathroom has been scheduled. I have also asked our suppliers to carry out an urgent review of all outstanding damp and mould cases to ensure there are no other families in a similar situation.
Last year, DIO conducted an assessment across the SFA estate to fully understand the extent and the causes of damp and mould. A year-long programme of works to address the underlying causes in thousands of homes is already underway with over 3,300 homes receiving damp and mould remedial work in the 2023/24 financial year.
Over the next 12 months, £29million will be spent on damp and mould mitigation packages for around 4,000 families, prioritising those with vulnerable family members. While we are moving at pace, this will take some time to fix as we have extensive issues with damp and mould in some homes, at least 2-3 years of work is required along with significant investment.
If families need to report damp or mould, they should call the National Service Centre on 0800 031 8628 to raise a report and undergo an initial assessment.
I would like to assure you that I am personally committed to ensuring cases like this never happen again. At times, we all get things wrong, but we remain determined to learn and to do better, I will continue to do all in my power to ensure we work collaboratively to significantly improve performance.
Additional Information
IDEAL Customer Safety Notice
A safety recall has been issued by IDEAL regarding their Heating Logic 2 gas combi & system boiler range. Around 1,700 homes have this type of boiler installed. Impacted families have been issued a letter and FAQ document informing them of the issue and the next steps to resolve this.
Families are still able to use the boilers, however, IDEAL advise families to repressurise their boiler and ensure they register their details for an upgrade. Instructions on how to do this, can be found on IDEAL’s website: https://www.idealsupport.co.uk/
Accommodation Survey
The MOD is undertaking a review of the Modernised Accommodation Offer (formerly New Accommodation Offer), following the pause in rollout of elements relating to Service Families Accommodation (SFA).
As part of the review, the MOD People Team seek to gain a clearer picture of your personal circumstances and your future accommodation choices. This data will be used to improve understanding of the potential demand for family accommodation, including where, how and with whom Service personnel would like to live. It will help to create an improved accommodation offer for the Armed Forces.
More information on the survey and a link to complete the survey, can be found HERE.
Facilities Condition Management Assessments
Under the new Accommodation contracts, which came into service on 1 April 2022, there is a requirement for Amey and VIVO to carry out Facilities Condition Management (FCM) Assessments of all homes within their region in the first three years.
The objective of the FCM Assessment is to provide DIO with a baseline condition of all homes across the Defence Estate to help inform future investment decisions. They are completed by VIVO or Amey who use a DIO owned FCM Application (App) with a standard methodology provided by DIO.
To minimise disruption to families, Amey and VIVO will seek to complete these assessments alongside other visits such as response repair appointments, Landlord Gas Safety Inspections or in periods such as between Move-ins where homes are empty. As a result, an FCM assessor may accompany an operative undertaking a scheduled appointment.
The assessments should take no longer than an hour to complete. The results of these surveys will not impact current CAAS SFA charges; the survey is not a CAAS survey.
