Internal Use Only

Enforcement Agent SOP – Risk Assessment Protocol

Lease Forfeiture and Housing Evictions. This protocol is to be followed by Enforcement Agents attending operational instructions where there is a foreseeable risk of confrontation, uncertainty, criminality, or changing conditions on site.

Core Rule: No job is to be completed at the expense of agent or contractor safety.

Scope

This SOP applies to all Enforcement Agents attending:

  • Commercial lease forfeiture instructions
  • Housing evictions
  • Excluded occupier removals
  • Temporary accommodation evictions
  • Other possession-related attendances where risk must be assessed dynamically

Operational Position

  • Risk is to be assessed before attendance and throughout the visit
  • Forfeiture premises are to be treated as occupied until proven otherwise
  • Lone attendance remains client dependent but agents must assess whether the risk remains manageable
  • Where danger presents itself, safety takes priority over completion

1. Pre-Attendance Requirements

  • Review the instruction before leaving for site.
  • Consider the nature of the premises, expected occupancy, previous issues, and any known warning signs.
  • For lease forfeiture attendances, contact the Police the day before attendance on an information-only basis.
  • Ensure that contact with Police is logged.
  • Where the instruction or surrounding circumstances create concern, proceed with caution from the outset.
  • Do not assume the client’s understanding of the site is current or complete.

2. Pre-Attendance Checklist

Instruction reviewed and understood
Premises risk considered
Police informed in advance where required
Body-worn video available and working
Phone charged and available
Communication expectations understood

3. On Arrival

  • Park for immediate exit.
  • Do not position your vehicle where it can be boxed in unnecessarily.
  • Assess the area before approaching the premises.
  • Remain alert to persons nearby, signs of surveillance, and unusual activity.
  • Switch on body-worn video before entering site for forfeiture and eviction attendances.

4. Communication Requirements

  • Send a WhatsApp update when on site.
  • Send a WhatsApp update when off site.
  • If an issue arises, contact office immediately.
  • Any confrontation, threat, or incident must be reported immediately.
  • If an issue arises and the office cannot be contacted, the agent must immediately reassess risk and may withdraw or call 999 as appropriate.
  • Standing down is authorised after one hour of no response providing the situation remains safe.

5. Initial Engagement

  • Where contact is made with a person inside the property who opposes entry, identify yourself clearly as an Enforcement Agent.
  • Maintain a calm, controlled and professional approach.
  • Do not engage in unnecessary argument.
  • Proceed cautiously where people are present, watching, or reacting to your attendance.
  • Continue to assess risk throughout the engagement, not just at the point of arrival.

6. High-Risk Indicators

The following are to be treated as serious warning signs:

  • Suspected weapons or weapons visible
  • Evidence of cannabis cultivation or other organised criminal activity
  • Individuals acting as lookouts or clearly watching and monitoring your presence
  • Hostile behaviour suggesting escalation is likely
  • Any scene that materially differs from the intelligence or expectation before attendance

7. Immediate Decision Points

Call 999

Call 999 immediately where there is immediate danger, suspected weapons, visible weapons, or cannabis activity on site.

Withdraw

Withdraw where risk cannot be managed safely, where the situation is escalating, or where remaining on site would expose agents or contractors to avoidable harm.

Stand Down

Standing down is authorised after one hour of no office response, provided the situation remains safe and there is no reason to escalate to withdrawal or emergency contact.

8. Contractor Control

  • Agents control when locksmiths or contractors approach site.
  • Do not expose contractors to unmanaged risk.
  • Where the scene is uncertain or unstable, contractors are to remain back until it is safe to proceed.

9. Equipment and Site Control

  • Do not leave equipment unsecured.
  • Maintain control of operational items at all times.
  • Be aware of your surroundings when moving between vehicle, site boundary, and point of engagement.

10. Attendance Position

  • Proceed with caution where occupation is unknown or the environment feels wrong.
  • For lease forfeiture attendances, treat the premises as occupied until proven otherwise.
  • Where the client has authorised a single-agent attendance, remain mindful that risk may still require withdrawal.

11. Final Operating Rules

  • Switch on body-worn video before entering site for forfeiture and eviction attendances.
  • Send WhatsApp updates on site and off site.
  • Report confrontation immediately.
  • Call 999 where there is immediate danger or cannabis activity on site.
  • Withdraw where the risk cannot be managed safely.
  • No job is to be completed at the expense of agent or contractor safety.

12. Mandatory Reporting and Debrief

  • Any confrontation, threat, attempted assault, suspicious activity, or forced withdrawal must be reported immediately.
  • This applies even where no injury has occurred.
  • Agents must provide a short account of what occurred, what was observed, and what action was taken.
  • Where required, a debrief is to take place so that lessons are captured quickly and future attendances can be reviewed properly.