Street-Talk-No-69

Street
TENANTS & RESIDENTS MAGAZINE Winter 2021 | Issue 69
from all at
Ocean Housing
Find out about the
new community hub at
Polgrean and how to get
involved
. . . see page 4
Read about our successful
Community Action Day
in St Dennis
. . . see page 5
Meet Archie and Ava-Grace, whose mum Michelle was offered a lifetime tenancy
earlier this year. We all know this year has been a difficult one for many and we
want to make life a little easier going forward. Michelle explained,
I was previously on a fixed term tenancy, I was over the moon to be offered a
“
lifetime tenancy. I gratefully accepted the offer and thanks to Ocean, I have the
security I wanted for my family. We now have our forever home.
Christmas opening times...
Our offices will close for Christmas at 5pm on Thursday 23rd December 2021 and
will reopen at 8:30am on Tuesday 4th January 2022. Out of hours emergency
contact number: 01726 874450.
”
Read our top tips
for dealing with
condensation, damp
and mould
. . . see page 11

Street
TENANTS & RESIDENTS MAGAZINE
As we approach
Christmas and move
into winter, it is a
reminder that yet
another year has
passed by. It's hard not
to reflect over what
has taken place during
the year, and it is also
time to start thinking
forward to the year
that lies ahead.
We have all shared the most extraordinary time
over the past 18 months. Things that we once
regarded as “normal” – like socialising with family
and friends - have been forbidden or restricted
and we have had to rethink how we live our lives
to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.
Of course, many of us have suffered loss,
bereavement or other trauma during the year,
which was made even more difficult because
of Covid.
As Chair of Ocean Housing, I am humbled by the
extraordinary efforts that the staff team have
gone to in order to maintain services as near to
Christmas wishes from Andie
normal as possible. I am also so impressed with
the commitment made by so many of our tenants
to work with us to improve services for all.
Christmas is a difficult time for many of us and it
can be a very lonely time for people on their own
too. So we all need to reach outside of ourselves,
if only momentarily, to engage with others
who may be struggling. It can be as simple as
checking on your next door neighbour, spending
ten minutes chatting to someone on their own or
sharing a mince pie with a friend.
What will you be doing over the festive period?
I will be having Christmas at home for the first
time in more than 20 years. As I love the outdoors,
I will spend my day outside – on the beach or
walking the coast path – stopping to chat with
anyone doing the same thing – before returning
home at nightfall to cuddle up by the fire with
a glass of something and a veggie Christmas
dinner.
Whatever Christmas means to you and however
and wherever you decide to spend the festive
season, I send you my very best wishes.
Andie Smith Chair of Ocean Housing.
Repairs service update
Ocean is proud of the high quality service our tenants should expect
when a member of the team visits your home to carry out a repair. Over
the past 18 months it has been extremely challenging for our repairs team
in particular. We have had three Covid-19 lockdowns, resulting in us only
being able to provide an emergency repairs service and putting on hold
the day-to-day routine repairs. This caused a large backlog of jobs that we
have been working hard to complete. Our primary objective throughout
has been and continues to be to protect tenants and staff.
In addition, there have been the challenges out of our direct control that
have impacted our service; Brexit, material shortages due to factories and
suppliers closing or restricting production due to Covid-19. Our staff levels
have also been affected due to self-isolating and the increased difficulty in
recruitment.
Despite this, since April 2020 we have completed 3,498 emergency repairs,
5,013 urgent repairs and 10,054 routine repairs as we know that every
repair matters to our tenants, especially when it is in your homes.
We are extremely
proud of the dedication
and commitment of our
workforce. We continue to
try and meet the
expectations of our tenants
and customers and we thank
you for your continued
patience and understanding.
2

Winter 2021 | Issue 69
Cornwall's housing crisis
Having tenants involved in shaping our services and
building a positive future is so important to us.
That is why we have a dedicated group of tenants,
who form the Together with Ocean group (TWO).
This group of tenants from across Cornwall commit
to monthly meetings via zoom and are a vital link
between residents, board members and Ocean's
executive group.
TWO requested Councillor Oliver Monk to attend
one of their meetings, who is the Portfolio Holder for
Housing and Planning. Councillor Monk says, “We are
working tirelessly addressing the housing pressures in
Cornwall. Working closely with partners such as Ocean
is key to making sure that we provide as many social
and affordable homes to local people who need them.
It was great to hear from the tenants and we look
forward to strengthening our relationship with
Ocean further.”
The latest update on the Council’s work to address
housing pressures can be found at www.cornwall.gov.
uk/council-news/communities-and-housing/
Together with Ocean Chair, Paul said, “It was a pleasure
to welcome Councillor Monk and learn about his
role and aims for housing in Cornwall. The group
were pleased to have the opportunity for an open
discussion on the current housing issues and look
forward to continuing the important conversations at
future TWO meetings.”
If you would like to
get involved and
make a difference,
please contact
one of the Tenant
Partnership team
to discuss the
best options
for you at
tenantpartnership@
oceanhousing.com
or 01726 874450.
Become a VIP and win £50
The nights are getting longer, it’s colder and the typical British weather is closing in! It’s
easy to focus on some of the negatives at this time of year but we asked our Virtual
Internet Panel (VIP), what they liked most about their community. The results were really
heartwarming and we wanted to share some of these with you.
The village shop, parks and walks nearby.
It's a small cul-de-sac which has a nice
feel to it.
We help each other out if we can.
Lovely home in a beautiful, tranquil village.
A sense of togetherness, camaraderie
and mutual concern for the residents
well being.
We know this isn’t the same for everyone, but it’s good to hear that our love of community
resonates through some of your messages. Remember, it's easy to join the Virtual Internet Panel
and give your feedback, both positive and negative.
If you are our lucky 500th member, you will win £50 in shopping vouchers!
Visit www.oceanhousingvip.co.uk/oa/6a612e to register.
3

Street
TENANTS & RESIDENTS MAGAZINE
The role of a Customer Service
advisor at Ocean is a busy one to
say the least. However, it’s incredibly
rewarding, as our very own Aled
explains.
Aled has worked full-time as a
Customer Service advisor for over
two years and is one of the many
people in the team that you might
end up speaking to whenever you
call. You may also have contact with
him by email, Livechat, send a text
or message via our Facebook page.
Aled explains, “When the phone
rings, we never quite know whether
we’ll be having a conversation about a repair that
needs raising, helping somebody with questions about
their rent and payments, giving advice about moving
and our lettings process, or speaking about anti-social
behaviour. Since the range of queries we get is so
large, everyone in our team is always talking to one
We could not be happier to share the exciting
news that ten out of the overall 60 properties at
the redevelopment in Polgrean, St Blazey have
now been occupied, including the relocation of
the hairdressers, Jacqui’s and the fish and chip
shop, The Jolly Roger. Within this first phase is our
new community space. We are looking forward
to working alongside Cornwall Neighbourhood
for Change (CN4C) to set up a community hub for
both current and new residents of the surrounding
area. CN4C are a charity that have been supporting
communities, groups and individuals in Cornwall
since 2001. Plans are already in place to deliver some
of CN4C’s existing services from this space such as
offering advice, guidance and support, access to
learning opportunities as well as social activities.
Sharon, from CN4C says, “We want the space to be
accessible and flexible enough to host a variety of activities that will appeal to a wide range of people, allowing
everyone to feel welcome and be able to take an active part in the development of their local community. We
would also like to hear from local residents to let us know what groups and activities they would like to see the
hub used for.”
If you live in the area and would like more information on being involved, please email
tenantpartnership@oceanhousing.com or 01726 874450.
4
A day in the life of Customer Services advisor, meet Aled
New community hub for 2022!
another to make sure we’re all up to
speed. It makes for a very tight-knit
group, and it’s one of my favourite
things about the role.”
Aled adds, “There is no better
feeling than when you have helped
a customer and resolved their issue,
going home at the end of the day
and feeling that you have made a
difference to them. The customer
may not always remember you,
but they will always remember the
experience they took away!”
I’m sure you will agree, our
Customer Service advisors are a very important part of
the Ocean team. Is there any department or role you
would like to know more about? If so, please contact
the Tenant Partnership team at
tenantpartnership@oceanhousing.com and we will
look to include in future issues of the magazine.

Winter 2021 | Issue 69
Community celebrations in St Dennis!
Back in August we celebrated our first face-to-face
community event since the start of the COVID-19
pandemic. The St Dennis Community Action Day
was a huge success and an opportunity for tenants
to meet the staff at Ocean and resolve any issues,
speak to other agencies, enjoy a coffee and chat
with neighbours as well as disposing of unwanted
items in the skips provided.
Abigail, Tenant Partnership Co-ordinator, said:
“It was great to be back in the community,
accompanied by many local agencies, showing
support to our tenants. It’s so important for our
team to gain a better understanding of the issues
faced by residents in the area, as well as giving
them the chance to access free advice and useful
tips for running their home.”
Tenants were able to discuss heating issues, raise
repairs, and chat with the Tri-Service, Fire Service,
Citizens Advice Bureau, and Cornwall Council. They
were also given new recycling equipment.
Laura, resident of St Dennis, added: “It was a lovely
day, my daughter enjoyed the magician, yummy
sweet treats and she was thrilled to be able to sit in
the fire engine. I was able to speak with the Citizens
Advice Bureau advisor who gave me much needed
advice with my energy bills, which is a huge relief
for me before the winter months.”
Local councillor Dick Cole also attended the event.
He told us: “I was really impressed with Ocean
Housing. It was a great example of how agencies
working together can be successful and shows how
a housing association should interact with their
tenants to pull the community together.”
It was great to meet so many tenants and we are
looking forward to visiting other Ocean areas
in 2022.
Arthur
Fond farewell to Arthur and a warm welcome to Ross
This October, we said a very fond farewell
to our dedicated Environmental
Co-ordinator, Arthur. There is not much
Arthur does not know about grounds
maintenance and the areas we manage
across Cornwall, this being a result of
spending over 40 years in the industry.
Arthur says, "I have great memories of my
time at Ocean and I have met lots of lovely
people along the way."
We are delighted to welcome Ross, who
is taking on the role. Ross said, "You might
recognise me as I have been part of the
Ocean team for over three years. I'm
excited to be in this role and the positive outlook I can bring. I hope to gain as much knowledge and
experience along the way while working closely with the residents.
Hoping you will all join us in wishing both Arthur and Ross well in their new ventures.
Ross
5

How are we p
Street
TENANTS & RESIDENTS MAGAZINE
94 %
90 %
of tenant monitors
satisfied with
communal cleaning
service
At the end of September, 90% of our communal
cleaning monitors were satisfied with the service,
which is an improvement on 88% since March.
We are always looking for monitors who receive the
cleaning service in our blocks of flats so if you are interested
please contact our Tenant Partnership team by emailing
tenantpartnership@oceanhousing.com
formal complaints completed
within policy target times
From April to September we have received 32 complaints compared with 34 from the
same period last year. Of these complaints, 27 were responded to within the policy
target with one ongoing and two needing further investigation.
Every complaint we receive is acknowledged and we ensure we learn lessons
in order to improve the service.
335 engaged tenants
We have 335 tenants engaged with us.
After launching our Virtual Internet Panel in November 2020 we
have since built an online community of over 270 residents.
We also have our tenants group, Together with Ocean (TWO) and we
are constantly recruiting for monitors on our estates.
New complaints policy
We know we don't always get things right and when that happens we want you to know that you can make
a complaint. That's why we have simplified the number of stages in our formal complaints process from
three to two, in line with good practice. We will still try and resolve your complaint as quickly as possible
but if you remain dissatisfied, you can now escalate your concerns to the independent
Housing Ombudsman faster than before.
If you want to find out more head to the complaints section of our website or take a look at the
Housing Ombudsman for more information on your rights at
www.oceanhousing.com/home-2/contact-us/online-complaint-form/complaints/
6

Winter 2021 | Issue 69
erforming?
50 %
of tenants satisfied
with the outcome
of their
anti-social behaviour case
Only 50% of tenants were satisfied with the outcome of their anti-social
behaviour case. To improve our approach to ASB and satisfaction levels in the future, our
Together with Ocean group have recently completed a scrutiny review and updated our ASB Policy
to ensure we are managing expectations.
96
% of tenants satisfied
with letting process
From April to October only 96% of tenants reported they were
happy with the lettings process against our target of 98%.
We set ourselves a very high target which we are only 2% away from achieving.
The one person who was dissatisfied, felt that the process had been too rushed.
We are working with the new tenant to see if we can improve the customer experience while
still letting homes efficiently.
87 %
repairs
completed
on time
From April to October
we have completed
7,222 repairs.
Due to the pandemic, which has affected
our repairs service, only 87% of residents
are reporting that their repairs are
completed on time. This is something
we are working to improve and reach our
target of 95%.
Keeping us up to date with your details
In order to provide you with the best and most
appropriate service, we need your help to keep
your details up-to-date. It is important to let us
know about any changes in your household or if
your contact details have changed. If we need to
get in touch, it is important we have your up-todate
telephone and mobile numbers, as well as
your email address.
You can do this by
• Visiting www.oceanhousing.com and using our
LiveChat function
• Sending an email to help@oceanhousing.com
• Signing up to our Virtual Internet Panel and sending a
message to one of our Tenant Partnership team
• Calling 01726 874450
7

Street
TENANTS & RESIDENTS MAGAZINE
Winter worries, we can help you
If you are having problems with paying your
rent, have fallen behind and now have arrears or
other debts, these might have increased due to
the challenges of the pandemic. Just as you can
take action to improve your physical health, you
can also take some simple steps to feel more in
control of your financial wellbeing too.
We can help you!
If you are struggling with your energy bills you
can contact Community Energy Plus on 0800
954 1956. Alternatively, we can make a referral to
them on your behalf. They can help provide you
with independent energy advice tailored to your
individual needs. This includes
Our local foodbanks are a great source of help to
many of our customers. Transformation Cornwall
have a list of all the local foodbanks throughout
Cornwall that is updated weekly on their website
www.transformation-cornwall.org.uk including
details of opening times. We can discuss the
situation and arrange to issue a foodbank voucher
code if appropriate; you can then visit the relevant
foodbank centre to exchange the voucher code for
a food parcel.
• Advice on saving energy and money
• Emergency electricity and gas key-meter
top-ups
• Providing practical advice on understanding
and reducing your energy bills and
combatting condensation and damp
• Access to heating and insulation grants
Louise, Financial Inclusion Advisor (left)
pictured with Hayley, Customer Accounts Advisor (right)
Changes with Universal Credit, the Department of
Working Pensions has now changed its processes.
They can automatically identify claimants who
receive a second monthly salary payment in one
benefit assessment period. They will now be able
to move this payment to the following assessment
period. This will ensure customer's benefits do not
fluctuate from one month to the next, due to the
system thinking a claimant has received increased
wages in one month.
If any of the above sounds familiar, you should
know you are not alone and there is help
available to you. If you would like to talk to one
of our Financial Inclusion advisors,
please email fia@oceanhousing.com
or 01726 874450.
8

Winter 2021 | Issue 69
You will no doubt have noticed that the Summer
edition of Street Talk landed on your doormat with a
thud in August as it included a copy of our updated
Service Standard Commitments. We hope that you
find the standards easy to read and follow, now that
they are aligned to the National Housing Federation's
(NHF) Together With Tenants Charter.
Our commitment to you!
The commitments are our promise to you about
the level of service you can expect from us as your
landlord. For the first time the standards now give you
the opportunity to have you say in how you think we
are performing by completing a survey on our Virtual
Internet Panel; 79 of you have completed the survey
so far and you can see a summary of the results below.
s e r v i c e s t a n d a r d c o m m i t m e n t s - 2 0 2 1
What you can expect from the services Ocean deliver
Relationships
Communication
Voice and influence
Accountability
Quality
When things go wrong
• 66% feel Ocean treats residents with respect
• 82% feel that they receive clear, accessible and
timely information
• 73% feel that Ocean seeks your views before
making decisions
• 75% are satisfied with their neighbourhood as
a place to live
From the feedback we have received so far, it is clear that we
have work to do in some key areas but we need more of you to
complete the survey so that we have a better understanding
of the views of all. The survey takes a maximum of five minutes
to complete and you can access it here
www.oceanhousingvip.co.uk/oa/a6dd84
We will report back to you again in later editions of
StreetTalk and remember if you want to get involved with
Ocean directly speak to the team by contacting us at
tenantpartnership@oceanhousing.com and join up as a
member of the Tenant Partnership and have your say!
You said, we did!
We are always working to
improve our services and to do
this we need your feedback. You
may have been contacted by
IFF research on 020 7098 3949,
who we have asked to carry
out a number of surveys on our
behalf and feedback how we are
performing.
We use your feedback to identify
areas we are doing well or where
improvement is needed. Our
Tenant Partnership team follow
up any negative comments we
receive and do what we can to
ensure the tenant is happy.
“
You said....
Recently I had to cancel my
appointment twice as I had to
isolate from track and trace
and the second time because
we all had Coronavirus. We got
a letter threatening us with
legal action. They jumped the
gun quickly. Even though I had
a valid reason.
”
We did....
Our Together with
Ocean (TWO) group
are currently reviewing
ways we can improve
the process and our
communication
with tenants.
If you would like to give your feedback on any services you have received please
contact the Tenant Partnership team on tenantpartnership@oceanhousing.com
9

Street
TENANTS & RESIDENTS MAGAZINE
Domestic abuse
Everyone has the right to feel safe in their home
and anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse.
Domestic abuse is a pattern of behaviour in any
relationship that is used to gain or maintain power.
It is often caused by a partner or ex-partner, but can
also be a family member or carer. Domestic abuse
can include
• Controlling and coercive behaviour
• Psychological
• Emotional
• Financial abuse
• Violent or threatening behaviour
• Sexual abuse
• Threats and harassment
• Stalking
• Online or digital abuse.
You are being abused if you feel you have to alter
your behaviour because you’re frightened of how
someone will react or treat you. Domestic abuse
can affect anyone, men, women and those who
identify as non-binary and it can occur in any
relationship, heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual,
young or old.
If you are worried for yourself or for someone
you know you can get confidential help and
advice for women and children from
www.refuge.org.uk or speak to them on
0808 2000 247 or the Men’s Advice line on
0808 801 0327.
Kelly
A warm welcome to Kelly - Neighbourhood Services officer
Meet Kelly, the new Neighbourhood Services officer covering our
West Cornwall homes including St Agnes, Pool, St Columb Major and
Camborne. Kelly told us, “I have been employed in the housing sector
for almost 20 years, working with other housing associations and as
a support worker for the homeless. I am passionate about helping
and supporting our residents from all different walks of life and look
forward to what this new role brings. I work within a great team, who
have made me feel so very welcome.”
Kelly is here to help you with any of the following:
• Carrying out a visit when you move into your new home, to
ensure you have settled in and are receiving the right support
• Provide guidance to help you manage your tenancy, look after
your home and keep your garden well-maintained
• Keep your neighbourhood and communal areas safe and in
good order
• Partnership working with Police, local authorities and other
agencies
• Putting you in contact with support and community hubs in
your local area.
10

Winter 2021 | Issue 69
Helping with damp, mould and condensation
We understand how hard it can be to maintain a
temperature in your property due to the increasing
heating costs especially at this time of year. Warm
walls and an even temperature reduce the likelihood
of condensation and damp. Condensation occurs
where warm air meets with a cold surface or cold air
and produces tiny drops of water particularly in the
corners of rooms, behind furniture or around windows.
Over time, this can lead to mould growth to walls or
furniture. We’ve listed some useful tips below to keep
your home free of condensation and mould
this winter:
Top tips for reducing moisture in the home
• If fitted, use an extractor fan when cooking or
bathing and for at least 30 minutes afterwards
• Keep a window or trickle vents slightly open when
possible
• Shut the bathroom door when bathing or
showering
• Dry clothes outside where possible, or if not, in the
bathroom with the door closed and windows open
• Avoid putting too much in your air cupboards and
wardrobes as this stops the air circulating.
Follow this link or hover your
camera over the QR code
for helpful advice and top
tips on ways you can treat
condensation in your home
and avoid mould.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kmknz2OATAo&t=3s
Doing our bit to reduce greenhouse gases
Homes contribute to around a fifth of the UK's carbon
emissions. Our target is to massively reduce our net
carbon footprint by 2050. Any remaining carbon will
need to be removed from the atmosphere through
ways, such as planting more trees.
Energy Efficiency Lead, Liam explained, “At Ocean,
we monitor our Green House Gas emissions and are
constantly looking at ways to reduce them. We have
committed to improving the energy efficiency of
our lowest performing housing stock, ensuring our
properties have an energy performance rating (EPC)
of C by 2030, and net zero by 2050.”
“As a first step, we will be improving insulation
and draught proofing to reduce carbon
emissions and subsequently reduce energy
bills for tenants. Once completed, we
will then look to replace fossil
fuel systems such as gas boilers
with low or zero carbon electric
systems, such as modern electrical
heating or heat pumps.”
We are making a real difference with tenants
benefitting from warmer homes and lower fuel bills,
as well as helping to reduce carbon emissions. We will
be making a huge investment in our stock of over £10
million and maximising grant opportunities by 2030.
However, this is not a quick fix and in the mean time we
can offer advice on energy bills, your current heating
system and top tips on typical property issues.
Liam, Energy Efficiency lead
11

Street
TENANTS & RESIDENTS MAGAZINE
Become an Ocean VIP! We are celebrating our Virtual Internet Panel's first birthday.
To celebrate we are inviting you to take part in our festive quiz. For your chance to win a
£50 shopping voucher please follow this link www.oceanhousingvip.co.uk/oa/5c8610
or use your camera to scan this QR code, the closing date is Monday 31st January 2022
and is open to Ocean tenants and residents only.
Good Luck!
Please help us find the
Christmas differences in
these two pictures for
a chance to win a prize.
The first three correct entries drawn will win:
1st Prize - £60 Shopping Voucher
2nd Prize - £40 Shopping Voucher
3rd Prize - £20 Shopping Voucher
The competition is open to anyone
living in our properties. Only one entry per
household.
Closing date is Monday 31st January 2022.
Good Luck!
You don’t need a stamp, just circle the differences
and cut out the picture and pop it in the envelope
addressed to: FREEPOST RSES-LCCA-EJUJ
Christmas Competition, Ocean Housing,
Stennack Road, St Austell, PL25 3SW.
How many differences did you spot?
Name:
Address:
Tel No:
Mobile:
Email:
Postcode:
Congratulations to our Summer Street Talk winners,
Rod, Natasha and Elaine.
Enjoy spending your vouchers!
Please recycle your Street Talk. Printed on Re-cycled paper. Designed & produced by Karen Jackson Design 01326 373108 Photography by Frame by Frame 01503 262684.
email: help@oceanhousing.com
www.oceanhousing.com
01726 874450
Out of Hours Numbers
Emergency Repairs: 01726 874450
Anti-Social Behaviour: 01726 874450
Contact us for a Large Print or Audio CD of this newsletter