PVG Scheme

To be eligible to access PVG information an organisation must be:

• A Qualifying Voluntary Organisation e.g. registered charity, a not for profit organisation

• Providing a service to children and/or protected adults

• Carrying out work in Scotland

If your community group or organisation has volunteers or paid staff which you consider to be undertaking regulated work, your committee or board has a legal responsibility to make sure that those people are suitable to work with children or vulnerable adults.

It is an offence for an individual who is barred to undertake regulated work. It is also an offence for an employer to offer a barred individual regulated work unless they can show that they did not know and could not reasonably be expected to know that the individual was barred. If your organisation has paid staff or volunteers who are carrying out regulated work, you need access to scheme records.

You must either:

• register with Disclosure Scotland, which will enable them to countersign disclosure applications or requests

• or enrol with a registered body that can provide countersignatory services for them Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services can help with this

Key points:-

To register with Disclosure Scotland – will incur an annual fee of £75 for up to 5 signatories including the Lead Signatory. This fee is over above the fees for processing the individual applications for paid staff.

• It is free to become a QVO through Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services (VSDS) and once you are registered with them you will have access to free PVG checks

• To join the PVG scheme as an individuals it costs £59 per person and £18 to update an existing record to add a new organisation

A group can also register with Volunteer Scotland or another intermediary body. Volunteer Scotland can advise on this.

Nominate a Lead Person. The lead person will be responsible for completing the enrolment process and ensuring that the organisation complies with the requirements of the Code of Practice.

As part of the enrolment process you will need the following information:

• Details of what your organisation does

• The structure of your organisation and details of your Management Committee/Board (e.g. Constitution).

• Details of how your organisation is funded (e.g. copy of your most recent audited accounts, last 3 months bank statements or a letter confirming funding from your funding provider).

• However, if you are a registered charity you do not need to submit this information.

• Details of the positions/roles within your organisation that require a standard, enhanced or PVG scheme disclosure record.

• We will send you a secure handling policy with your enrolment form however the following sample policies and recruitment tools are available on our website. Click the links below to download or click here to browse all resources

The enrolment process:

• The lead person will then complete the form on behalf of the organisation through our telephone enrolment service with a member of our team.

• We need about 15-20 minutes to complete the process and we need you to have the following details to hand

• Funding and management details about your organisation.

• What your organisation does and what its purpose is.

• Details of the positions that will require a standard, enhanced or PVG Scheme disclosure record.

• What services your organisation provides to children and/or protected adults.

Links for more information

Legislation

Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2007/14/contents

Volunteer Scotland

Enrol with Volunteer Scotland

https://www.volunteerscotland.net/for-organisations/disclosure-services/enrolling-an-organisation/

Scottish Government - Disclosure Scotland

Register with Disclosure Scotland

https://www.mygov.scot/register-organisation-disclosure/apply-to-register/