Updated: 17th October, 2024
Created: 15th October, 2024
Robert joined Barker in 2002 and is a Partner based in our Braintree office. A Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, he has over 20 years’ experience of all core building surveying services and provides strategic estates advice to key accounts in the education, commercial, ecclesiastical and public sectors.
An education specialist, he provides the following services: estates and energy strategy, asset management planning, project management and capital funding applications.
Robert works closely with clients to plan and implement energy efficiency and sustainability strategies to save money, reduce carbon emissions and meet ESG objectives.
As a RICS Certified Historic Buildings Professional he provides conservation consultancy for clients with listed and historic buildings.
Robert is an experienced APC Assessor and Chairman and is also an external examiner for Anglia Ruskin University
As a Partner Robert leads the Business Development and Marketing function at Barker, builds relationships with key sector bodies and helps steer the strategic growth of the company.
Email: rgould@barker-associates.co.uk
Tel: 01279 648057
Effective estate management is at the heart of maintaining functional and inspiring educational spaces. One of the key elements to achieving this is having up-to-date and accurate data on the condition of your buildings. In fact, the Department for Education’s (DfE) Good Estate Management for Schools guidance stresses the importance of condition surveys to support long-term planning and ensure value for money. Despite this, a recent evaluation of their Capital Advisers Programme by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) reveals that 80% of Trusts do not have sufficient data on the state of their estate.
At Barker, we are committed to changing this landscape by providing our clients with comprehensive condition surveys that deliver actionable insights. We’ve now adopted the GoReport solution, a market-leading digital platform that significantly improves the speed and accuracy of data capture. This upgrade allows our surveyors to focus on what matters most: delivering clear, strategic advice to help schools and Trusts plan for the future.
A critical part of the condition survey process is not just gathering the data, but interpreting it in a way that supports strategic decision-making. As we discussed in our article “Condition Surveys: Procuring & Interpreting Data” raw data can be overwhelming if not properly analysed. At Barker, our team is skilled in translating this information into clear recommendations that align with your estate strategy, ensuring you can prioritise and allocate resources effectively.
One of the biggest advantages of the GoReport system is its seamless integration with our own data analytics platform, EOPortal. This platform allows clients to visualise and analyse their survey data, making it easier to track building performance over time and manage multiple sites efficiently. With EOPortal, our clients gain a holistic view of their estate, enabling them to make informed decisions on capital investments, maintenance schedules, and future development projects.
Condition surveys play a critical role in school estate management. These surveys offer a detailed picture of the physical state of buildings, highlighting areas requiring immediate attention, planned maintenance, or capital investment. The DfE advocates for schools to use these surveys to align their maintenance needs with their broader estate strategy and to avoid the risks associated with an outdated or incomplete understanding of building conditions.
In our recent blog post “How Healthy is Your Estate? Condition Surveys – Why and How?” we explored the importance of regular condition assessments. Without these insights, schools risk incurring greater costs over time due to unforeseen repairs or emergencies. Moreover, Trusts with limited data may struggle to secure the necessary funding for vital improvements through capital funding bids.
Barker’s condition survey offering is now fully integrated with GoReport, a digital solution designed to streamline the survey process. Using GoReport, our surveyors can capture data directly on-site, reducing the time spent on manual data entry and allowing us to deliver faster, more detailed reports. These reports are not only accurate but also fully aligned with our clients’ needs, helping them make informed decisions about estate management and capital planning.
Will Bidewell, Partner at Barker, who leads our condition survey transformation programme, explains:
“GoReport represents the future of surveying for our clients. By digitising the data capture process, we can deliver reports faster and with greater accuracy. This means our clients receive timely, reliable insights to help them plan their maintenance and development strategies effectively. It’s a game-changer for Trusts that are serious about long-term estate management.”
Barker offers a full range of services to support schools and Trusts in managing their estates effectively:
We ensure you have accurate and up-to-date information on the condition of your buildings, providing a foundation for well-informed decision-making.
Our experts offer guidance in developing a robust capital programme that aligns with your educational goals and long-term estate strategy.
Our powerful platform helps you collate, report, and analyse your estate’s data, providing a clear overview of maintenance requirements and facilitating better decision-making.
We work alongside schools and Trusts to develop a tailored estates strategy through our Good Estate Management for Schools (GEMS) consultancy. This helps ensure your estates strategy aligns with your operational goals and meets the DfE’s best practice guidelines.
“The portal is fantastic. The data is on it will be hugely helpful.”
The Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust
“Use of condition data has revolutionised how we manage our estate and it enables us to make informed decisions on a strategic level so we are able to compare each of our schools to ensure that we are able to deliver our school allocation funding towards needs as opposed to wants.”
Brooke Weston Trust
At Barker, we are dedicated to helping schools and Trusts maintain safe, inspiring learning environments. If you’d like to discuss your estate’s needs or learn more about our condition survey service, contact us today for a no-obligation chat.
Let’s work together to ensure your estate supports your educational ambitions.