Handsam is 18!

Originally founded in 2000 as Quick Guides Publishing by Dr. Chris Lowe CBE—a former Headteacher and President of SHA (now ASCL)—our mission was simple: provide school leaders with the expert, accessible guidance that was missing from the sector.

In February 2008, Quick Guides Publishing became HANDSAM - the trusted backbone of school and trust compliance. We don’t just provide tools; we give education leaders the confidence to navigate a complex regulatory landscape.

2008: The Year Compliance Changed

By 2008, the UK health and safety landscape had moved firmly away from "box-ticking" and into a modern era of active risk management. For schools and businesses, this was the year that "safety culture" became a legal and professional necessity rather than just a buzzword..

Here are the key compliance shifts that defined 2008:

The Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008

This was the most significant legal "teeth-sharpening" for the HSE in decades. It raised the stakes for non-compliance across the board:

• Higher Fines: Lower courts gained the power to levy fines of up to £20,000 for most summary offences (a massive jump at the time);

• Imprisonment: It made imprisonment a sentencing option for nearly all health and safety offences in both the lower and higher courts; and

• Individual Liability: It became easier to prosecute individual directors or "responsible persons" if a breach was attributed to their personal neglect.

Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007

While passed a year prior, this act came into force in April 2008. It was a game-changer for large organisations and Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs):

• It allowed companies and organisations to be found guilty of manslaughter if the way their activities were managed caused a person’s death; and

• Crucially, it focused on senior management failure rather than just the immediate actions of a frontline worker.

By 2008, schools were two years into the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The "grace period" for transitioning from Fire Certificates to self-managed Fire Risk Assessments (FRA) had ended.

• In 2008, the HSE and Fire Authorities began more rigorous inspections.

• This prompted the rebranding of Quick Guides Publishing to Handsam Ltd, as schools realized they needed a centralized, digital system to track the mountain of evidence now required by law.

Why 2008 Mattered for Handsam

This was the year Handsam pivoted from being a publisher of advice to a system provider. With the threat of higher fines and corporate manslaughter charges, "paper-based" folders were no longer sufficient. Schools needed:

• Audit Trails: To prove who did what and when;

• Automatic Reminders: To ensure Fire Risk Assessments didn't expire; and

• Centralised Control: For the emerging MATs to see compliance levels across multiple sites at a glance.

Handsam Today

Since becoming Handsam Ltd in 2008, we’ve grown into a trusted partner for the education sector, delivering sector-leading systems that streamline health and safety management, create robust audit trails, and centralise documentation at both school and MAT level. We've supported some of the UK’s largest MATs from their inception, enabling consistent services, trust-wide dashboard reporting, and smooth onboarding of new academies.

Today, our team of specialists continues to provide responsive, expert support, from health and safety audits and fire risk assessments to fire door and compartmentation surveys, and training in an extensive range of subjects for staff, senior leaders, and trustees.

At Handsam, we’re committed to delivering forward-thinking, collaborative compliance solutions that uphold the Higher Duty of Care in Education.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

... and thank you to all our clients over the last 18 years - we will continue to deliver the high level of service that we always have and ensure that schools, Trusts and academies are compliant and well-informed in all areas of Health and Safety.

HERE'S TO THE NEXT 18 YEARS!