What Documents is for
Documents holds every file that proves something to an inspector or that staff need to read and acknowledge: certificates, policies, the EHO report, insurance, licences, handbooks and procedures, with digital sign-off tracking against each person. Files are filed by category, as before.
Expected documents
A dot on a category means every venue like yours is expected to hold a document in it and you have none, for example a gas safety certificate for a kitchen. If it genuinely does not apply, an owner can record Doesn't apply to us in that category's empty state, with a reason; the dot goes and the decision is kept. Policies show Review by rather than Expires, because a policy does not lapse, it goes stale. See Records: Checks, Reports and Evidence for how these documents sit alongside checks and reports.
Uploading a document
Go to Documents and click Add documents, or drop the file on the Paddy uploader. Paddy works out what each file is
Select the file (PDF, Word, or image)
Confirm the title and category, and set the expiry or review date if it has one
Choose whether to require staff sign-off
Upload not working? Check the file is within the size limit and a supported format (PDF, JPG, PNG, Word). If it still fails, try a smaller file or a different browser.
Requiring sign-off
With Require Sign-Off on, every current staff member is prompted to read and sign in the app, and new starters are asked automatically when they join. Open a document to see who has and has not signed, and send a reminder.
AI extraction for key documents
When you upload an insurance policy, licence, lease, contract or rates bill, Paddl reads it, pulls out the important details (cover, key dates, terms) and sets up the renewal alerts. Paddy then analyses it with the rest of that area; see Paddy's analysis. The Protection guides cover what each one captures. An EHO report gets an action plan instead.
Documents vs the Knowledge Hub
Documents for formal items with a date or a signature, such as a certificate, the staff handbook or a hygiene policy.
Knowledge Hub for searchable reference content that also powers Ask Paddy.
You can use both for the same content: Documents for the sign-off, Knowledge for everyday lookup.
A document not reaching staff? See A document is not showing for staff to sign.