Contents: • New Chief Executive • Celebrating Success • Estate Walkabouts • Nutrition Mission • Universal Credit • Text Appeal • Get Connected • Have Your Say! • Let’s Chat • Be Survey Smart • Cyber Safety • Scrutiny on Grounds Maintenance • Peace of Mind • HomeCheck Service • Home Sweet Home • Tackling Tenancy Fraud • Competition

01726 874450 email: help@oceanhousing.com www.oceanhousing.com

Contact us for a Large Print or Audio CD version of this newsletter

Happy Christmasfrom all at Ocean

Wishing you a

Christmas Opening Hours Our offices will close at 5.00pm on Thursday 22nd December and will

re-open at 8.30am on Tuesday 3rd January.

Out of Hours Telephone Numbers Should you need to report an emergency

repair please call us on 01726 874450

Anti-Social Behaviour out of hours

can be contacted on 0800 0886699

Winter 2016 Residents & Tenants Magazine

Streettalk

With thanks to The Polgooth Inn

Issue No.

54

h

It was the end of an era this Autumn as we waved goodbye and wished outgoing Group Chief Executive, David Renwick all the best for his retirement. But as the saying goes when one door closes, another door opens and with this Ocean are thrilled to welcome our new Chief Executive Mark Gardner to the Group.

Mark has been busy settling in, meeting staff and customers too. Having been in the housing sector from the age of 18, it’s fair to say he brings a wealth of experience with him to Ocean.

“I am delighted to be joining a great organisation that is delivering excellent results, has a track record of success along with staff who are committed to providing homes and services of the highest quality” says Mark. “I’ll be looking to build upon David’s great work and bring my own experiences and leadership to help Ocean evolve”.

There will be plenty of opportunities to meet Mark in the coming months, but for now we hope you will join us in wishing him every success for his future here at Ocean.

Welcome Aboard to Ocean’s New Chief Executive, Mark

Celebrating Success! Scrutiny Panel member Karen has plenty to celebrate having recently graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Management and Business. Karen joined our Scrutiny Panel in 2011 and wanted to make a valued contribution, ensuring customers views are at the forefront of our meetings. Despite Karen’s ill health she remained focused and committed herself to higher education which she hopes will secure employment or progress into her own business.

Karen tells us “I’ve always enjoyed studying and wanted to make a worthwhile impact on society, which is why I got involved with Ocean. They offered me the chance to study for a qualification in Housing and it reignited my fire to improve my knowledge. Ocean has been a great support with directors giving their time to help me with my modules”. “There’s one piece of advice I can give when it comes to studying” continues Karen “go for

it! Anything is possible if you put your mind to it and you will succeed with the right support- I’m the proof”.

Find out more about Ocean’s involvement opportunities by contacting the Tenant Involvement Team at www.oceanhousing.com.

.... at the heart of the community

Estate Walkabout Calendar

Our New Year’s resolution is to go on a Nutrition Mission and spread the word about healthy cooking amongst our younger residents. Eating healthily doesn’t mean giving up your favourite food, but choosing the right food and portion size can work wonders for your general well-being.

So, if you’re aged between 9 and 15 roll up your sleeves, pull on your apron and join us on Thursday 16th February at Ocean’s St Austell Office from 10.30am until 1.30pm where you can discover the secret to scrumptious snacks and real recipes you can cook at home.

Universal Credit is the new benefit replacing six work related benefits, including Housing Benefit. One single monthly payment will be paid in arrears direct into your bank account. This means

you will be responsible for paying your rent from your Universal Credit payment. Some people have already transferred to this new benefit and depending on your situation you could be told you are moving over to Universal Credit at any time. It will mean a big change so let’s prepare for the switchover!

• Make sure you have a suitable bank account

• Talk to our Customer Accounts Team or Welfare Advice Team about the best way of paying your rent

• Check out the website for our Universal Credit Survival Guide

• Brush up on your digital skills as applications for Universal Credit have to be made online

Ocean’s Welfare Advice Team is offering Universal Credit Workshops to help you prepare. Check our Events Calendar on www.oceanhousing.com for details of upcoming workshops near you or contact the Welfare Advice Team on 01726 874450.

Complete the online booking form by visiting www.oceanhousing.com and click community, get in touch via our Facebook Page or call us on 01726 874450. The sessions are completely free, include lunch and we can arrange transport. Don’t miss out, booking is essential.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on the ‘Event Calendar’ in the ‘Your Community’ section on our website: www.oceanhousing.com where you can find a useful guide detailing information on your next Estate Walkabout. Alternatively, please contact your Neighbourhood Services Officer to find out when we are next in your area on 01726 874450.

Nutrition Mission

Customers who have used our repair service in the past will know

you receive confirmation of repairs appointments by email or post. Ocean is passionate about improving the service you receive and to make things a little easier we’ve introduced confirmation of repairs appointments via text message. This handy alert will be sent automatically

Our Service Standards need updating, so come along to an open meeting in January and have your say! Held at our St Austell offices on Thursday 26th 2pm-4pm and Tuesday 31st 6pm-8pm we will discuss the standards and create a set of commitments for each of our services so you know what to expect from us. We can assist with transport and there will be a free buffet.

Please contact the Tenant Involvement Team for more information and to confirm your attendance on help@oceanhousing.com or 01726 874450.

if you have a mobile number linked with your Ocean account. It will contain your job number, time and date of the appointment

along with a time frame to which the repair should be completed.

Customer Cynthia said “This is a really convenient way to receive confirmation of a repair and it helps to manage my expectation of when a repair will be completed”.

With Universal Credit on the way we are helping customers to become more at ease with using computers and accessing the internet. With help from SWITCH Community Ltd and Link into Learning, we can provide customers with useful information and access to further computer training.

Find out more about our ‘Get Connected’ workshops by contacting The Tenant Involvement Team on 01726 874450 today.

Live Chat is a new way for our customers to contact us through the Ocean Housing website. All you need to do is search for www.oceanhousing.com and click ‘let’s chat’. Just enter your name to start chatting with a Customer Service Advisor – it’s that simple! Since starting in July we have received over 350 Live Chats on many subjects from raising repairs to new development enquiries and customers are telling us it’s more convenient than phoning. We want more of our customers to try the service so next time you need to contact us, give Live Chat a try. We think you will like it!

Text Appeal

Let’s ChatGet Connected

Have Your Say!

It’s that time of year when we plan our programme of improvements to make sure we meet customer needs, which is why you will have recently received a Customer Survey.

Completing this survey will give us a better picture

of your preferences and needs. It will also

There are so many benefits to using the internet but if it looks too good to be true, then it probably is. It’s vital to understand ways to stay safe online so we’ve put together some useful tips to help you and your family use the internet safely.

• Always have an up-to-date version of anti-virus software. Avast and Avira are well-known, FREE anti-virus programmes available online

inform us where we can make improvements to our existing services, or whether there are things we can do to help you get the most out of being online.

You can either return your survey by freepost, or if you’d prefer, you can complete it online at www.oceanhousing.com

If you or someone you know would like assistance completing the survey or if you require the document in a different format, please contact us on help@oceanhousing.com or 01726 874450.

Be Survey Smart and return your survey by Friday 16th December 2016 to be in with a chance of winning a brand new Smart TV – just in time for Christmas!

Text Appeal Be Survey Smart

Cyber Safety

.... at the heart of the community

You could

WIN a brand new

Smart TV

Find out more at www.thinkuknow.co.uk or www.getsafeonline.org

• Never have more than one anti-virus programme on your computer - they work against each other leaving your computer un-protected

• Avoid using easy to guess passwords such as family names or your Date of Birth and change passwords often

• Supervise children on the internet and check your privacy settings

• Give the least amount of personal information out over the internet

• If you’re unsure about an email, contact the company direct to ask, do not reply to the sender

• Beware of people asking you for money, not everyone is who they say they are

Scrutiny Panel on Grounds Maintenance

Ocean HomeCheck

It’s been a busy few months for the Scrutiny Panel putting the finishing touches to our report on the Grounds Maintenance Service. A detailed review took place and I can now share our findings with you. We found lots of positive feedback from customers on the high standard of work carried out by the Grounds Maintenance Team. That said we know there is room for improvement, so we’ve made these recommendations where EVERYONE can make a difference. These include:

• Raise awareness of litter. Litter puts a huge strain on the team who spend a lot of time picking it up. Help us by putting litter in bins, collecting litter in your area or by purchasing a Seagull-Proof Bag from Cornwall Council.

• Increase the number of monitors. Ocean has lots of committed monitors but some areas are without and we need you to feedback on the standard of service.

• We feel customers want to know where your money goes when it comes to Grounds Maintenance so we’ve asked for these charges to be included on rent statements. This is a long–term goal as Ocean are introducing a new IT system in the next two years.

• Introduce an official process for larger maintenance ensuring customers are informed of when work will take place.

If you would like to be a monitor or perhaps you want to be involved with our work, speak with one of the Tenant Involvement Team on 01726 874450 or visit the website at www.oceanhosuing.com and click on ‘Community’.

GrahamChair Scrutiny Panel

Don’t be left in the dark this winter. Make sure you’re winter wise

by booking your FREE Ocean HomeCheck appointment.

Our friendly advisors can offer you:

Energy & Money savings advice Our advisors will assess if you can switch to a better tariff and save yourself ££££.

Heating & Boiler systems check Is your boiler or storage heater on the most efficient setting and timing?

Condensation Prevention Discover ways to prevent condensation building up on cold walls and turning to mould.

Health & Safety Check Help prevent trips and falls this winter and ensure you are not putting your health at risk.

Weather Proof Check Check for loose tiles or blocked gutters.

Home Sweet Home

Tackling Tenancy Fraud

Collecting the keys to their new homes was the icing on the cake this year for twenty four families at Pras Lowgan on Treloggan Road in Newquay. The pristine new homes were a hive of activity as families set about moving in and turning the houses into homes and an empty estate into a thriving community. Ocean proudly opened the scheme in October with the help of new residents, Ocean Ambassadors, Ocean Board members and the Bishops’ Academy choir. “It is amazing to have moved out where I was to live here” explains new resident Eileen. “It is nice to have some peace in your life and it’s lovely to see so many local people getting much needed housing in Newquay”.

Across the UK it is estimated that 50,000 housing association and council homes are occupied by someone who shouldn’t live there or have obtained the tenancy fraudulently.

Unlawful subletting means a tenant re-lets their property to another person without the knowledge or permission of their landlord. They continue to pay the rent for the property to the landlord but charge the person they are subletting to the same or more than the original rent. It is illegal and unfair to sublet a home and profit from a property. Sadly, there isn’t enough social housing to meet the needs of the people who genuinely need them so we’re working hard to tackle tenancy fraud and you can help too. If you suspect a tenancy cheat please let us know on 01726 874450, your details will be kept anonymous and you will be making a big difference to

people in real need.

Resident Becky cuts celebratory cake with Board Member Betty and Chairman Dennis at Pras Lowgan official opening.

.... at the heart of the community

A unique gift for someone special

Call us for more information 01726 874450help@oceanhousing.comwww.oceanhousing.com

£3.80From just

a week

This Christmas you can buy peace of mind, our Lifeline and visiting service is affordable, friendly, flexible and makes a great gift.

With our support, friends or family members are able remain in their own home for longer.

We have a range of options to suit their needs and you are free to cancel after just 3 months.

E X T R A

Contact us for a Large Print or Audio CD of this newsletter

01726 874450 or

help@oceanhousing.com www.oceanhousing.com

Prin

ted

on R

e-cy

cled

pap

er.

Desi

gned

& p

rodu

ced

by K

aren

Jac

kson

Des

ign

0132

6 37

3108

Ph

otog

raph

y by

Fra

me

by F

ram

e 01

503

2626

84

Christmas

Competition

Name:

Address:

Postcode:

Telephone No:

Email address:

To start you off, we’ve found the first object for you. Get all 8 right and you could be in with a chance to win:

1st Prize - Tablet 2nd Prize - £50 Shopping Voucher3rd Prize - £25 Shopping Voucher You don’t need a stamp, just cut out this slip and pop it into an envelope addressed to:

FREEPOST RSES-LCCA-EJUJ Christmas Competition, Ocean Housing, Stennack Road, St Austell, PL25 3SW

Winner will be announced on Monday 9th January, 2017 -

1. Christmas Bauble2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Good Luck $

Santa’s little elves have been busy hiding Christmas themed objects within the photos in this edition of Street Talk, can you find

all 8 objects?

Gas SafeIf you have a gas boiler or gas appliances, our scheduling team will be in touch to let you know when your service is due and to arrange an appointment. Year on year, Ocean’s team of qualified engineers service and repair gas appliances to ensure you and your neighbours remain safe in your home. As a condition of your tenancy, you must allow them access to your home to undertake this work as appliances left unchecked could leave you at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Failing to allow our engineers access may result in legal action. A service is free and will last about an hour. Sign up to My Ocean to view when your gas service is due in ‘Planned Works’ or chat live with a Customer Advisor at www.oceanhousing.com.