From Property Helpdesk to aspiring Surveyor: Nokomis Heywood

Nokomis celebrates 10 years in Robinsons property team

Since Nokomis joined Robinsons 10 years, she's advanced her career and taken steps towards professional qualifications in the property industry. Currently she is the first port of call for our pubs when they have a property or maintenance concern and manages our Property Helpline. We caught up the Nokomis to find out more about her life at Robinsons.

You’ve been with Robinsons Brewery for 10 years now – what first brought you here?

Well, I actually joined through an agency and, to be honest, I was open to any kind of role at the time. The position I landed was a maternity cover, so I never expected it to turn into something permanent! But luckily, the team took to me - at least, I think they did! [laughs] And I quickly built a great relationship with everyone.

Originally, the role was in the Investments department, but right from the start I had a feeling it wasn’t the right fit for me - and I think everyone else knew it too! I remember being in board meetings and asked to take notes, which I’d never done before in my life. You could tell I was out of my depth! [laughs] Thankfully, around that time, Josh - who used to run the Helpdesk - was moving into a surveyor role, and they needed someone to step into his old position. That’s how I transitioned into the Helpdesk, and it ended up being the perfect move. Since then, the role has just grown, and I’ve been given so many amazing opportunities for training and development, which is the opportunity to work towards my Surveyors course came about. It was a no brainer. By then, I really understood the business inside and out, so it just felt like the natural next step.

How long have you been studying for your surveyor’s qualification now?

It’s a 28-month course, and I started it in April 2024, so I’m hoping to have everything completed and be officially associated with RICS by next August. I’m currently doing it as an apprenticeship, studying at college every Wednesday, and I’ll be getting my exam results at the end of August.

The first year is focused on exams, and so far, I’ve been getting Distinctions in all my assignments, which is a huge relief going into the rest of the course! Once that part’s done, I’ll move on to my end-point assessment, which involves three months of work on a case study.

For mine, I’m planning to focus on rain water guttering at the brewery. That project will form part of my portfolio for the RICS association where they’ll review it and decide whether I meet the standard to become an Associate. It’s been a lot of work, but it’s exciting to see it all coming together!

How has your role evolved since you started, especially now as you're training to become a Surveyor?

I started off just plodding along on the Helpdesk! [laughs] But, over the eight years that followed, it was really all about building up my knowledge. Every company has its own way of doing things - Robinsons has a particular approach, and that’s very different from, say, a housing association. That’s actually one of the reasons why getting the qualification is so important - it gives you a broader understanding beyond just how things work here.

The way I see it, the qualification is like an umbrella, it covers so many aspects of the industry. And what’s great is that it opens up a lot of different pathways. I don’t necessarily have to stick with surveying; I could look into project management, like what Tom Wellock or Matt Heathcote are doing. Maybe it’s partly because I like staying in my comfort zone, or maybe it’s just that this is what I know and where I feel confident, but it’s exciting to have options now that I’m working toward the qualification.

What does a typical day look like for you in your current role?

It really varies from day to day. For example, if there’s an issue at the brewery and I’m in, I’ll be the one to investigate it—I’ll take photos, assess the situation, and get fully involved. With our Pub Partners, it’s a bit different. They’ll report the issue to me, and I’ll determine whether it’s something that needs a contractor. If so, I arrange that, and the Pub Partner will meet the contractor and show them to the job. Whereas at the brewery, I’m often the one on-site overseeing things directly.

I also handle things like fire risk assessments. Just the other day, I was at the Bakers Vaults checking that doorways were clear of obstructions, ensuring fire equipment is serviced, and confirming that weekly tests are being logged properly - things like alarms and extinguishers.

A big part of my job is assisting Pub Partners with maintenance and repairs. I’m usually the first point of contact before a surveyor gets involved. If it’s something straightforward, I’ll send a contractor out. But if it’s something that can wait or might benefit from a surveyor’s expertise, I’ll flag it for review. Sometimes, that can save us money - our surveyors are just as capable of assessing certain issues as a contractor, so we try to be efficient with those decisions. I get as much detail as I can from the Pub Partner to help make that judgment call. For example, if there’s a leaking tap, that’s usually something they’re responsible for fixing. But if it’s one of our Managed Houses, then it’s on us to sort it.

Our Pub Partners operate under a Schedule 1, which is part of the tenancy agreement - it outlines what repairs fall under their responsibility. That being said, it’s not always black and white. A blocked toilet, for instance - if it’s just a standard blockage, that’s on the pub. But if it turns out to be a more serious underground drainage issue, then we might need to step in. In those cases, we send someone out, reassess, and depending on the findings, we’ll either recharge the cost or take on the repair ourselves. I’ve also taken on asbestos reviews recently. We work with a specialist compliance company for that- they do the initial fire risk assessments and flag anything that needs monitoring. Once that’s done, it’s my job to keep on top of it and make sure we stay compliant moving forward.

Any funny or memorable moments from your time on site that still make you laugh?

Oh definitely, there’s many. But one that happened recently still makes me laugh! Tony [Roberts] and I were out inspecting one of the gutters on the brewery roof. We’d climbed out through the window, which is how you access that area… and while we were out there, we got locked out! So, there we were, stuck on the roof in the drizzling rain. Thankfully, Issie [Masters] was in the building and managed to let us back in.

How do you juggle day-to-day work with studying? Does it ever get difficult?

It does get difficult at times. I try to stay on top of things by getting most of my studying done on my designated college day. Once I’ve completed the work, I don’t really have to think about it again until the following Wednesday, which definitely helps me stay focused on the job the rest of the week.

I still need hands-on experience in between, so I’m often applying what I’ve learned straight away. Days where I’m doing things like a fire risk assessment and an asbestos review back-to-back - especially when people in the office are away, can be really stressful. The workload increases, especially with incoming issues from Pub Partners, so it’s all about balancing priorities and staying organised.

Is there anything about surveying in a brewery or pubs that’s surprised you or been more interesting than expected?

Absolutely! You end up going into places you’d never expect - like onto rooftops. That’s still something I’m getting used to. Climbing ladders and then suddenly being at the top, looking out across Stockport! What I really enjoy though, is the diagnostic side of it. There’s something really satisfying about spotting an issue, thinking that’s what it is, and then having a contractor confirm you were right. It feels like a little win every time.

 One of the most interesting things I’ve learned recently is about something called “concrete cancer.” Up at UPC, because the building is so old, there’s a part near the boiler house that was built with reinforced concrete, and over time, the steel inside has started to corrode. It’s a bit like diagnosing an illness - it’s literally called concrete cancer - and in a way, I guess we’re like doctors for buildings. We figure out what’s going wrong and decide who’s best to treat it!

Looking back over the last 10 years, what’s one moment or project you’re really proud of?

Definitely the personal progression I’ve made. Not just staying on the Helpdesk where I was comfortable but actually pushing myself out of my comfort zone. It’s so easy to stay where things feel safe, but stepping into new roles, being out and about, meeting people, and having those face-to-face conversations it’s helped me grow so much. Robinsons have been brilliant for that. They really encourage development and want you to keep improving, which makes a big difference.

One achievement I’m especially proud of is completing the Dale Carnegie course back in 2017. I actually won an award for Most Reformed Individual - mainly for how much my confidence improved when speaking in front of large groups. That was a big moment for me, and it’s something that’s really stuck with me throughout my journey here.