Mum enraged by housing body’s delays in fixing damp and ‘bubble wrap’ advice over ‘dodgy’ window panes

By Ben Lynch, Local Democracy Reporter

A West London mum-of-two has spoken of her shock after being advised by a council officer to ‘securely place’ her autistic daughter in a room while she collects her specialised buggy, after she raised concerns about the logistics of her living situation.

Lauryn Henderson, 25, has also been recommended to look to order more groceries online and to wrap her window panes in bubble wrap and plywood to prevent her daughter causing damage.

Ms Henderson said she found the advice ‘completely shocking’, and is pushing both Hammersmith and Fulham council and her landlord, Notting Hill Genesis, to relocate her and her family to a more appropriate property.

Hammersmith and Fulham council said they were ‘urgently asking’ Notting Hill Genesis to find Ms Henderson a new home. A spokesman for the provider added they are looking for a property which better meets her needs.

Ms Henderson moved into her first-floor, one-bed Shepherd’s Bush home in early 2020 with her eldest daughter, who is autistic. She said problems arose almost instantly, with there being no hot water or heating on arrival.

The following year when Ms Henderson said she contacted Notting Hill Genesis to report that window frames were rotting and black mould was appearing, a particular concern given her asthma, and she feared her daughter would injure herself.

“She’s going up to windows, she’s biting windows, she bangs on the windows which she still does now because she can see outside,” she said. “And at the time I was obviously very fearful of her smashing through a single-glazed window.”

Notting Hill Genesis has since completed requested works with repairs finished last year. Ms Henderson however maintains she continues to face difficulties with her landlord, which she believes should upgrade her to its highest-priority band for a new home.

Her concerns primarily revolve around the needs of her eldest daughter, who is nearly six years old and has autism, sensory processing disorder and ADHD. Ms Henderson said her daughter, who is also non-verbal, has bundles of energy and needs space and routine to regulate her emotions.

She argued her current property fails to meet these requirements, and that the flight of stairs into the home, up which she has to carry her eldest daughter, eight-month baby and specialised buggy, poses a risk.

Notting Hill Genesis said an independent panel has confirmed her suitability for Band B rather than Band A, though she contests this.

A spokesman for Notting Hill Genesis said: “We take matters of damp and mould in our residents’ homes extremely seriously and operate a zero-tolerance approach to its presence.

“We are sorry for the length of time it took to get the matter fully resolved and Lauryn was compensated as a result.

“We have been in consistent communication with Lauryn and understand she believes she should be in a higher transfer banding. She has appealed this a number of times and an independent panel has confirmed that the band rating matches her circumstances.

“We are working to find Lauryn somewhere that better meets her needs but this could take some time. Nominations for homes generally come from the local authority and waiting times are long.”

Ms Henderson has been critical of advice offered by a council officer about the window mould, which said: “I would suggest using cut-to-size plywood and bubble wrap to cover over the bottom 2 panes of glass.”

The officer continued to provide an estimate of what it would cost, at £108.92, which they admitted ‘is not cheap’ but deemed a reasonable measure.

They also said: “You could consider ordering your shopping online and have it delivered to your home in order to reduce the number of items you need to carry in with you at the same time.”

Responding to Ms Henderson’s concerns about lifting her eldest daughter and her buggy up and down the stairs, the officer wrote: “You have stated that you feel it is unsafe to leave your daughter at the top or bottom of the stairs while you arrange to take the buggy up but there remains the option to securely place your daughter in one of the rooms while you go back to retrieve the buggy.”

Ms Henderson said she has since hired a solicitor to support her case, and that she will continue to contest both Notting Hill Genesis and the council’s assessments.

“I don’t understand how they don’t deem it to be an urgent need to move,” she said. “In terms of when they say about going down for her buggy, they want me to secure her in a room? I’m not sure which room they want me to secure her in, but those stairs are steep and all it takes is one slip on those stairs.”

As for the window advice, she added: “I shouldn’t have to live in a way where I’ve got to board my windows up for it to be deemed as safe.”

A spokesperson for Hammersmith and Fulham council said: “We are urgently asking the landlord, Notting Hill Genesis, to find a more suitable home for Ms Henderson. In the meantime, we’re working closely with Ms Henderson to provide support where we can for her and her family.”

Pictured top: Lauryn Henderson in her flat in Shepherd’s Bush (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)