Agenda item

Stephen Davies of Camelot House Guardians was present and made a presentation to the Committee, a copy of which is interleaved.

During consideration of the presentation the following main points were made –

·         Camelot Europe was established in 1993 and had 5 offices in the UK. Camelot had an £18 million turnover in 2013 and over 225 employees

·         Camelot were the only live in guardian company to achieve  a number of quality standards

·         Camelot were the only live in guardian company with full insurance in place and covers all aspects of Camelot’s operation including any damage caused by Camelot’s operation to the property

·         There were criminal risks to the property e.g. squatting, vandalism, arson, illegal raves etc., technical risks such as water leaks, fire, dilapidation, etc. and economic risks such as depreciation, planning/development and empty business rates

·         There was also social risk to vacant properties such as them being a magnet for trouble makers and the lost sense of community. Camelot offers a ‘one stop’ solution with tailored advice, a bespoke solution and a range of services

·         Live in guardians were mainly key workers who acted as temporary occupants and offered a quick solution and cost savings in comparison to traditional methods of security. The property is kept in permanent use and indicates to the neighbourhood that the property is occupied and any squatters rights are not valid and constitute a criminal offence. Camelot Guardians care for the property as their own home

·         Camelot offer flexible security solutions and have a hand back period of 4 weeks notice

·         The economic benefits include permanent protection for a fraction of the cost of conventional security methods

·         There were property requirements and Camelot provided the most cost effective price to return property to occupiable condition and offered the experience to deliver the full range of facilities management services

·         In relation to decants there is increased level of communication between the client and Camelot and an agreed and clearly defined the intake process. There were fixed budgets pre-approved for repairs if required, with any units needing more than agreed level discussed before proceeding

·         Camelot had a wide range of clients and were guardians to a number of properties in Islington

·         In response to a question it was stated that people initially applied on the website, or heard about Guardians by word of mouth. The average length of stay for a Guardian was 8/9 months, and most moved on to other properties. However some properties had been in a Guardian tenancy for several years

·         Guardians have a notice period of 4 weeks and have to take out contents insurance but buildings insurance is covered by Camelot

·         Camelot worked with a number of London Boroughs

·         Guardians were vetted directly by Camelot and Camelot did not take people directly off the Council  waiting list, as this type of accommodation they offered was often not suitable for them, especially families

·         In response to a question it was stated that very few of Guardian clients used their services to ‘land bank’ properties and the average length of time Camelot occupied properties for clients was 8/9 months

The Chair thanked Stephen Davies of Camelot for his presentation