The Complys Blog
Practical guides and compliance checklists for every UK trade - scaffolding, electrical, roofing, rail, healthcare and more.
Guides
CQC Compliance Software for Care Homes (2026): Complys vs Radar Healthcare vs Access
An honest comparison of CQC compliance software for UK care providers — Complys, Radar Healthcare and Access Care Compliance — covering what each does, who it suits, pricing and how to choose.
GPhC Compliance for Pharmacies (2026): The Complete Guide
A practical guide to GPhC compliance for UK community pharmacies: registration and the Responsible Pharmacist, SOPs, controlled drugs, the cold chain, recording errors and near misses, staff training and staying inspection-ready every day.
RCVS Practice Standards & Compliance for Vets (2026): The Complete Guide
A practical guide to compliance for UK veterinary practices: RCVS registration and the Practice Standards Scheme, controlled drugs and veterinary medicines, radiography, health and safety, clinical governance, CPD and staying assessment-ready.
Taxi & Private Hire Licensing Compliance (2026): The Complete Guide
A practical guide to compliance for UK taxi and private hire operators, drivers and fleets: operator, driver and vehicle licences, enhanced DBS, safeguarding standards, medical fitness, vehicle testing, insurance, booking records and staying audit-ready.
Transport & Operator Licence Compliance: The Complete Guide (2026)
A practical guide to compliance for UK HGV, PSV and van fleet operators: the operator licence and its undertakings, driver CPC and licences, tachograph, maintenance and walkaround checks, and staying audit-ready for DVSA.
EYFS & Ofsted Compliance for Childcare: The Complete Guide (2026)
A practical guide to compliance for UK nurseries, pre-schools and childminders: the EYFS framework, safeguarding, DBS, ratios, paediatric first aid, and staying Ofsted-ready every day.
Hospitality Compliance & Food Safety: The Complete Guide (2026)
A practical guide to compliance for UK pubs, restaurants, cafes and hotels: food safety and HACCP, allergens and Natasha's Law, food hygiene ratings, fire and premises safety, licensing and staff training.
Landlord & Lettings Compliance: The Complete UK Guide (2026)
A plain-English guide to lettings compliance for UK landlords and letting agents: gas safety, EICR, EPC, right to rent, deposit protection, fire safety, legionella and HMO rules, and keeping every certificate current.
CQC Compliance for Care Homes (2026): The Complete Guide
A practical guide to CQC compliance for care homes: the single assessment framework and quality statements, mandatory training, medicines, safeguarding, building safety, statutory notifications, and staying inspection-ready every day.
CQC Compliance for GP Practices and Clinics (2026): A Practical Guide
A plain-English guide to CQC compliance for GP surgeries and private clinics: the five key questions, medicines management, infection prevention, staffing and appraisals, and staying inspection-ready all year.
CQC Compliance for Dental Practices (2026): The Complete Guide
A practical, plain-English guide to CQC compliance for UK dental practices: registration, HTM 01-05 decontamination, radiography (IR(ME)R), safeguarding, staff records and how to stay inspection-ready all year round.
How to Avoid Rogue Builders: A Homeowner's Guide to Hiring with Confidence (2026)
Rogue builders cost UK homeowners millions every year. This guide shows you how to spot the warning signs, check a builder is genuine, insured and competent, and hire someone you can trust with your home and your money.
Builder Took Your Deposit and Disappeared? What to Do Next, and How to Stop It Happening Again
If a builder has taken your deposit and vanished, act quickly. This guide explains your rights, how to try to recover your money through your bank, Action Fraud and the small claims court, and how to make sure it never happens again.
How to Pay a Builder Safely: Deposits, Stage Payments and Milestone Protection
Paying a builder the right way protects your money and keeps the job on track. This guide explains deposits, stage payments, retentions, which payment methods protect you, and how milestone protection keeps your cash in step with the work.
How to Check a Builder Is Properly Insured Before You Hire
Hiring an uninsured builder can leave you liable for accidents and damage on your own property. This guide explains the insurance a builder should carry, how to verify a certificate is genuine and current, and the questions to ask before you commit.
Introducing Project Guard: Protect Your Money When You Hire a Builder
Project Guard is a new way to hire a builder with your money protected. Pay in stages, get photos and a plain-English review of the work at each milestone, and release payment only when each stage checks out. Here is how it works.
Toolbox Talks: The Complete UK Site Guide (2026)
Toolbox talks are short safety briefings that keep crews focused and prove your duty of care. We explain what they are, how often to run them, the best topics, and how to record them properly so the paperwork holds up when it matters most.
Site Inductions on Construction Sites: The Practical Guide (2026)
A clear, practical guide to construction site inductions under CDM 2015. Learn what a good induction covers, who must be inducted, how to keep a record that holds up, and why a site-specific induction beats a generic one every time.
Getting Paid in Construction: How to Protect Your Cash Flow and Beat Late Payment (2026)
Late payment is the quiet crisis in UK construction. This practical guide covers clear payment terms, applications for payment, retention, your rights under the Construction Act, and how milestone protection keeps money moving so your business stays healthy.
RIDDOR Reporting and the Accident Book: A Practical Guide for UK Construction (2026)
A clear, practical guide to RIDDOR reporting and the accident book for UK construction. Learn what is reportable, who must report, the exact time limits, how to report to the HSE, and the records you need to keep so nothing slips through when something goes wrong on site.
The Construction Phase Plan Explained: What CDM 2015 Really Asks For (2026)
A plain English guide to the construction phase plan under CDM 2015. We explain what it is, who writes it, when it must be ready and what it should contain, then show how to keep the supporting arrangements together so you can prove your job is being run safely.
How Complys Projects Keeps Every Site and Subcontractor Compliant (2026)
Running multiple sites means chasing insurance, RAMS and inductions across scattered folders and inboxes. This guide shows how the Complys Projects feature gives main contractors one place to onboard subcontractors, hold documents against every job and stay on top of CDM 2015 duties from tender to first day on site.
Scaffolding Job Management That Keeps Every Job's Paperwork in One Place (2026)
Running scaffolding jobs means running the paperwork that rides with them. This is how we manage RAMS, scaffold inspection records, site handover and work at height compliance on one page per job, from our own yard to yours, using Complys Projects.
Project Management for Small Builders: Run Every Job Properly with Complys (2026)
A plain-speaking guide to running jobs, RAMS and site records without drowning in paperwork. Learn how the Complys Projects feature helps small builders and sole traders look professional to clients, stay compliant and keep proof of work done. Free to start.
The scaffold handover certificate: what it is, why it matters, and how to get it right (2026)
A practical guide to the scaffold handing-over certificate for both scaffolders and the contractors who use the scaffold. What it is, the Work at Height Regulations 2005 duties behind it, what a compliant certificate must contain, the 7-day inspection link, who keeps what and for how long, what goes wrong on real sites, and how Complys turns it into a digital certificate you can sign and send in minutes - free in your trial.
Onboarding contractors without the email back-and-forth: a guide for letting, property and block managers (2026)
How letting agents, property managers and block managers can onboard contractors and verify their compliance without chasing documents by email. Structured forms, keeping your own form, AI document review, the free contractor account, and a worked example from invite to approval.
What to check before a contractor touches a managed property (2026)
The compliance a letting agent, property manager or block manager should verify before letting a contractor on site: public liability cover, gas and electrical competence, RAMS for higher-risk work, and right to work - plus the document failures automated review catches.
Finding and vetting local trades for a managed portfolio (2026)
How letting agents, property managers and block managers can find trades near a property, get their contact details even when none are listed, invite them to onboard, and build a reusable list of approved, compliance-checked contractors.
How to build a RAMS in under 5 minutes (UK 2026 guide to Q&A-driven RAMS tools)
Writing a UK construction RAMS by hand takes 4 to 6 hours. Filling in a template takes 1 to 2. A modern Q&A-driven RAMS tool produces a complete document in under 5 minutes. Here is how question-driven RAMS generation actually works, what makes the output good, what makes it bad, and how UK trade contractors should evaluate the tools available in 2026.
Email tracking for trade contractors: who actually opened your quote, RAMS or compliance pack (UK 2026)
Most trade contractors send compliance documents, quotes and RAMS into a black hole. You never know if anyone opened them. Here is how email tracking works in 2026, what it tells you, what it does not, and how UK contractors should use it to follow up better, win more tenders and protect margins.
How to share your compliance pack with main contractors in one link (UK 2026 guide)
Most subcontractors send their compliance pack as a zip file of PDFs over email. Here is why that approach is breaking down in 2026, how live compliance share links work, what main contractors expect to see, and how UK trade contractors should handle compliance evidence going forward.
How Complys rewrites failed RAMS into approved documents (UK 2026 guide)
When a principal contractor sends back a RAMS as 'not adequate', rewriting it by hand can take half a day. Here is how AI rewrite tools like Complys work, what they fix, what they cannot fix, and how UK trade contractors should approach automated RAMS rewriting in 2026.
How Complys checks subcontractor RAMS in 30 seconds (UK 2026 guide)
Reviewing subbie RAMS by hand can take 30 minutes per document. Here is how AI-powered review tools like Complys work, what they catch, what they miss, and what UK principal contractors should expect from automated RAMS checks in 2026.
Electrical RAMS UK 2026: what every electrician's risk assessment and method statement must cover
A complete guide to writing an electrical RAMS that passes main-contractor checks. Live working, isolation, EICR, BS 7671, CDM 2015 and the 8 sections every electrical RAMS must contain.
How to start a scaffolding company in the UK: complete guide for 2026
Step-by-step guide. CISRS qualifications, Ltd company formation, insurance, equipment, accreditations, pricing, T&Cs, hiring your first employee.
NASC vs CISRS: what's the difference and which do UK scaffolders need?
Plain English explanation of NASC and CISRS - what each is, how they relate, who needs which, and what main contractors check.
TG20 scaffolding compliance explained for principal contractors
What TG20 covers, what falls outside it, what to check on scaffolder documentation, and the most common TG20 compliance failures on UK construction sites.
Scaffolding compliance in the UK: the complete guide for contractors
Everything scaffolding contractors need to know about NASC, CISRS cards, insurance, CHAS and sharing compliance with principal contractors.
What is a training matrix and how to build one for your construction business
A complete guide to construction training matrices - what to include, why clients require them and how to keep them updated automatically.
How to run Google Ads for your construction business
A practical guide to Google Ads for UK trade businesses. Keywords, budgets, ad copy, location targeting and measuring results.
Do you need a CRM for your construction business?
A practical guide to CRM software for UK contractors. What it does, which features matter and how to choose the right tool.
CRM for trades: the UK guide for 2026
Prices, features and what actually matters when choosing a CRM for a UK trades business. With comparisons of HubSpot, Pipedrive, Monday and Complys.
Construction CRM software UK: a buyer's guide for 2026
How to choose construction CRM software in the UK. What to look for, what to avoid, real prices, and why most generic CRMs miss the basics.
CRM vs spreadsheet for tradespeople: when to make the switch
Honest comparison of running a UK trade business on spreadsheets vs proper CRM software. When spreadsheets work, when they break, and the signs you've outgrown them.
How to become an ECO4 approved installer in the UK
A complete guide on certifications needed, earnings potential and how to start taking on ECO4 work.
ECO4 grants: how homeowners can claim up to £25,000 free
Who qualifies, what is covered, how to apply and what to expect from the ECO4 scheme.
What is a RAMS document and do you need one?
A plain-English guide to Risk Assessments and Method Statements - what they are, when you need them, and how to write one quickly.
How to write a RAMS for scaffolding (UK 2026): step-by-step
Step-by-step guide to writing a UK scaffolding RAMS. What to include, how to identify hazards, and how to keep them project-specific to pass main contractor checks.
Roofing RAMS template UK 2026: what every roofing RAMS must include
Complete guide to roofing RAMS in the UK 2026. HSG33 requirements, fragile roof presumption, hot works, lead, wind speed thresholds, edge protection.
Lead flashing RAMS UK 2026: a roofer's guide to CLAW 2002
Complete guide to lead flashing RAMS for UK roofers in 2026. CLAW 2002, hot works, oxy/acetylene, blood lead monitoring, and the controls every Principal Contractor expects.
RAMS template free UK 2026: what main contractors actually want
Free RAMS template for UK trades. What HSE-aligned RAMS must include in 2026, why generic templates fail, and the AI alternative.
Method statement examples UK 2026
Real-world method statement examples for scaffolding, electrical and roofing work. What goes into a method statement and what main contractors expect.
RAMS vs risk assessment: what's the difference (UK 2026)
RAMS vs risk assessment explained. What each is, how they differ, when each is needed, and why UK construction has standardised on combined RAMS.
Are AI-generated RAMS HSE-compliant? (UK 2026 honest assessment)
Can AI generate UK RAMS that pass HSE and main contractor checks? An honest look at what works, what does not, and what to verify before relying on AI-generated RAMS.
CDM 2015 compliance guide UK 2026: the complete reference
CDM 2015 explained in plain English. The duties for clients, principal designers, principal contractors and contractors. Notification thresholds, documentation requirements.
CHAS vs SafeContractor vs SMAS UK 2026
Honest comparison of the three biggest UK SSIP schemes. Real costs, real coverage, what main contractors accept, and how to choose without paying for all three.
How to get CHAS approved in 2026: step-by-step UK guide
Step-by-step guide to getting CHAS accreditation in the UK. What documentation you need, how to prepare, common reasons for failure, and how to pass first time.
Building Safety Act 2022 explained for UK trades
What changed for UK trades, the new duty holders, the Golden Thread, who has to register, and what main contractors will demand from you.
What UK main contractors actually look for in subcontractors
An honest look at what UK main contractors really check when selecting subcontractors. What gets you on the approved list, what gets you removed, and what wins repeat work.
UK Construction Insurance Complete Guide 2026
Complete UK construction insurance guide. Public liability, employers liability, contract works, professional indemnity, contractor all-risks. What is mandatory, what is optional, typical 2026 premiums.
How to get CHAS or SMAS accreditation: a guide for small contractors
What CHAS and SMAS require, why applications fail, and how to make sure your business is ready before you apply.
Why we built Complys: The story behind construction's most affordable compliance software
How frustration with generic RAMS templates and fragmented systems led to building Complys.
How to build RAMS in 10 minutes: Complete guide for electricians, roofers, scaffolders, groundworkers and builders
Build a complete Risk Assessment and Method Statement in 10 minutes, not 2 hours with templates.
Best RAMS software 2026: Why RAMS-only tools leave you managing 10 different systems
Complete comparison of RAMS software: Citation, HandsHQ, swiftRMS, The Site Book vs Complys.
Compliance checklists by trade
Find the checklist for your trade or company type.
Scaffolding compliance checklist: what contractors want to see
Everything a principal contractor will check before letting a scaffolding company on site - NASC, CISRS cards, RAMS and more.
Electrical contractor compliance checklist
The documents, certifications and insurance every electrical contractor needs to work commercially in the UK.
Roofing contractor compliance checklist
What roofing contractors need to have in place before working on commercial and domestic projects in the UK.
Groundworks and civil engineering compliance checklist
Compliance requirements for groundworks, civils and earthworks contractors working on UK construction projects.
Plumbing and heating contractor compliance checklist
Gas Safe, CIPHE, insurance, RAMS and everything else a plumbing and heating contractor needs to be compliant.
General construction contractor compliance checklist
A complete compliance checklist for general builders and construction contractors working in the UK.
Principal contractor compliance checklist
Everything a principal contractor needs to manage on their own compliance and across their subcontractor supply chain.
Sole trader compliance checklist for UK tradespeople
What sole traders in the UK need to have in place to work commercially - insurance, RAMS, accreditation and worker documents.
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