Shergroup is a reputed enforcement service provider in the UK. From 1780 to 2004, we were the original Sheriffs, before being renamed High Court Enforcement Officers when the UK Government modernised the role. Claire Sandbrook, Shergroup’s CEO, was one of the primary negotiators with Ministry of Justice officials as this antiquated law enforcement system was upgraded. Today, we collect debt and retrieve the property for clients all around the world, manage admin tasks for our clients, promote their business on Google and social media, help clients find their missing debtors as well as provide security services, and everything in between, through our UK operation.
The Background |
In the world of bailiffs and courts, there is an honest approach that needs to be taken. This new show will do just this by showing how these professionals operate in their jobs every day – with professionalism but also integrity which we think everyone can appreciate! We were hesitant at first because it’s hard enough when you’re on film yourselves let alone watching yourself perform tasks from your job listing; however, after seeing what they’ve done so far I’m excited for any future episodes where our company might have some involvement.”
When Claire Sandbrook, an experienced Authorised High Court Enforcement Officer (AHCEO) and owner of Shergroup put together a team to star in the new TV documentary series that will help show our industry professionals. It was explained how previous Channel 5 broadcasts had been successful with “Can’t pay? We’ll Take it Away” so they were looking for something different focusing on HCEs- this time around more focus should be placed on their work as well!
Originating from the heritage of Sheriff’s Shergroup has come a long way since its inception. It was Shergroup who introduced the use of cameras to record an eviction back in 2007 in London for evidence purposes and marketing. This became viral back then and then everyone started filming the enforcement action. We were the innovators and we kept evolving year after year adding more milestones on our roadmap to success and helping our community. So, from 2007 to our first TV Show, The Enforcers in 2015 and to our latest TV Show Call The Bailiffs – Time To Pay Up in 2020, the journey has been adventurous, challenging and fascinating for us. We’ve grown from a hard-core enforcement company to a leading business solutions provider with three offices in London, UK, Orlando, Florida and New Delhi, India and during the last year we stretched out to a new location, the Philippines. Everything we’ve achieved over the years has been a result of our Chief Shergroupie, Claire Sandbrook’s persistence, hard work and her will to help society, and the business owners. Ms Sandbrook has been in the enforcement sector for the past 42 years and she’s rightly called the Boss Lady of Enforcement.
The Making |
Claire Sandbrook, as the CEO of Shergroup and a past Chair of the High Court Enforcement Officers Association, reflects on her involvement in TV shows and why they are so important to inform and educate the general public about the consequences of getting into debt.
During the first lockdown in 2020, we were one of the only enforcement agencies still processing Writs in very constrained conditions. Our CEO, Claire Sandbrook received a call from Middlechild Productions from the wonderful Andrew Eastel. He explained he was looking for an HCEO who would be willing to work with Middlechild to produce a successor to the “Can’t Pay, We’ll Take it Away” series. He had heard of Claire, although she was the second or third HCEO he had called to see if I would be prepared to support a TV show with Writs being issued in her name.
Having chatted for a few minutes it became clear that a couple of our competitors had shut the door in Andrew’s face, saying that no one would make a TV show now or in the future.
Claire liked Andrew’s idea of filming the enforcement agents, enforcing the judgments sent to Claire. He wasn’t going to try and constrain the type of story filmed, but he wouldn’t include stories that showed poverty or eviction. Claire supported that approach because filming the misfortune of others was done in the “Can’t Pay” TV show and it didn’t work. The saving grace in that project was the genuine compassion of Paul Bohill and Steve Pinner for some of the people they encountered.
We all now know what enforcement looks like as a result of the arrival of TV shows but the term “poverty porn” is not something we need to share. So Middlechild’s approach was to show the enforcement agents as heroes which not surprisingly Claire liked. Claire agrees that as enforcement agents we do an incredibly difficult job – enforcing court orders to deliver justice to people who have gone to court to get a judgment.
Andrew and the team at Middle child understood this and it took a few phone calls for Claire to come on board with the TV project and think about how we were going to deliver that for Middle child and Channel 5 in the middle of a pandemic.
Drawing on Claire’s experience of working in security during the COVID crisis, it was clear that if we were going to be involved, we would have to work on a systematic plan of protocols to wrap around the production process to keep everyone safe and keep the reputation of ourselves and the High Court intact. Andrew worked on these from the TV standpoint, and Claire ended up with a very robust framework that protected all our teams, and contributors, from the risks that we assessed as being in place from the start of the production.
As the protocols were developed, we began talking to enforcement agents who already work in Claire’s name, and as a result, Claire knew can be trusted to deliver the enforcement of a High Court Writ to the correct standard. Channel 5 were also clear that the crew of agents should move forward from the “Can’t Pay” franchise, in that the agents should reflect a diverse and inclusive set of people. For Claire, diversity in enforcement is just so important and so she was able to handle this in her network in what she hoped was a respectful and professional manner. Having been a trailblazing woman enforcement professional Claire wanted women to be on TV. She also wanted enforcement agents to reflect different ethnicities and backgrounds which is something that still needs to be tackled in the enforcement industry.
We met with our first set of enforcement agents and had a relaxed video interview which was sent to Andrew for review. Andrew then worked some telly magic to pair up the agents into a cast that he felt would be a natural successor to the hugely successful pairing of Paul Bohill and Steve Pinner in “Can’t Pay”.
Claire thanked all the agents Chris, Mark, Virgil, Alex R, Sherry, KC, Alex J and Gavin for getting on board with the project and working with the Middlechild team to get the job of filming done. This was done in a climate of COVID testing, masks, hand sanitiser and intense industry scrutiny. The series was also filmed in the cold and snow of January and February 2021 before the vaccine roll-out had even gotten going.
We also made sure that we had a legal team in place to handle any issues that can come up as a result of filming a TV about High Court enforcement. Claire had plenty of experience to draw on as “Can’t Pay” attracted a number of hostile complaints which we had to manage through.
As the Chief Shergroupie Claire made sure she had strong and robust legal advice from Peter Felton and Chris Royle of Counsel. Peter is now a Consultant to the show and has provided the Shergroup team with his usual decisive advice having reviewed the body cam footage and Middlechild’s content.
This approach has ensured that our process to review each story and any complaint that comes in is thoroughly reviewed in the context of the legal framework created by the Ministry of Justice in 2013/2014.
The result was a successful TV documentary about High Court enforcement that is truthful, professional, and relevant. It shows the enforcement process both out in the field where agents do a tough job, and it also shows the care and attention to detail that is covered by back-office teams who manage the technicalities of the Writ of Control and the relationship with the Judgment Creditor.
Viewing figures have been strong and over 9,000,000 viewers for the first series confirm that the public is still intrigued by this part of the justice system.
Call The Bailiffs Show Synopsis |
The “Call The Bailiffs | Time to Pay Up” TV show has been produced for Channel 5 TV by Middlechild Productions. Led by Award-Winning Producer, Andrew Eastel, the show has been developed using Shergroup’s expertise in High Court Enforcement. Shergroup’s High Court Enforcement team is featured on the tv show where Shergroup’s skilled and professional enforcement agents work to enforce orders and judgments of the High Court.
Claire Sandbrook is Shergroup’s Authorised High Court Enforcement Officer who is going into her fifth decade as enforcement professional. All the Writs featured in this TV series are in Claire’s name and she manages and oversees the entire enforcement operation. Claire was mentored and trained by the best Sheriff ever – Alastair Black, CBE, DL a former Under Sheriff of Greater London.
She believes in giving creditors and claimants access to an enforcement system that supports their investment in bringing a claim for the recovery of money, or the recovery of land. Under her leadership, Shergroup has built an enforcement service based on exceptional service delivery, where only the best enforcement agents in England and Wales make Shergroup’s national panel.
Through the power of TV, Shergroup and its national panel of carefully selected enforcement agents look into the world of bailiffs and how it helps creditors see the right outcome for their litigation and enforcement process.
“Call the Bailiffs” is now Claire’s third TV project having been involved in the creation of “The Enforcers” on ITV, “Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away”, for Channel 5, and now “Call the Bailiffs” with an updated format and diverse team of enforcement professionals.
Using best of breed technology, Shergroup has always been at the forefront of High Court enforcement thinking and the development of the law. That means for users of our services get the type of outcomes you will see in the TV show – robust and fair.
Watch our new TV Show, “Call The Bailiffs, Time to Pay Up” on Channel 5 where you can view our highly skilled and professional enforcement agents work to enforce orders and judgments of the High Court.
https://www.channel5.com/show/call-the-bailiffs-time-to-pay-up/
We’re happy to announce that Shergroup is coming up with a brand new season of the TV Show Call The Bailiffs, Time to Pay Up on Channel 5 in May 2022, so stay tuned for some more enforcement action coming your way.
Summing-up
So, if you watched our TV show and you have an unpaid CCJ that you need to enforce, we hope you realise that we can help you transform your CCJ into cash in a number of ways.
You can contact us through any of our online channels and speak with a member of our friendly team who will advise you on the best course of action. Before you pay your ONE-TIME price, don’t forget to use our FREE review service to have us go over your CCJ!
You can reach us |
By Phone | 020 3588 4240
Website | www.shergroup.com and you can chat to us from here
Email | [email protected]
Facebook | Check out Shergroup on this channel and message us
Twitter | Check out ShergroupChat on this channel and message us
LINKEDIN | Check out Shergroup’s LINKEDIN feed – and please FOLLOW us!
Instagram | Check out ShergroupChatter and follow us!
