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The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) membership scheme is managed and delivered by Disclosure Scotland. To be eligible for the PVG Scheme you must be working in Scotland and undertaking regulated activity with children and/or adults.
The PVG Scheme is Scotland’s reaction to the Bichard Inquiry Report’s main recommendation that was made following Soham’s murder enquiry in 2002. This recommendation called for a system for all of those who work with children and vulnerable adults to make sure they are eligible to carry out regulated activities. The PVG Scheme was established by the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.
The PVG Scheme only applies to regulated work with children and protected adults. Regulated work is usually jobs including:
A job role requiring PVG can be unpaid or paid. Some examples are:
It can also apply to certain positions within an organisation, even where the role doesn’t involve any direct contact with children or protected adults. Examples include:
| Type | Who is it for? | Includes vetting information |
|---|---|---|
| Scheme Record | People who want to join the PVG Scheme to do regulated work for an organisation | Yes |
| Short Scheme Record | PVG Scheme members joining a new organisation for the same type of regulated work, and have had a scheme record issued for that type of work before | No |
| Scheme Membership Statement | People who want to do regulated work in the future, people who are self-employed and doing regulated work, or private individuals (personal employers) employing someone to do regulated work for them | No |
You can apply for each type of PVG disclosure record using an online form. There are different forms depending on whether you are new to the PVG Scheme, or are already a scheme member.
You can request the form from your employer, they will email it to you.
You’ll need to fill in, sign the form and email it to your employer.
Please note: Disclosure Scotland will accept typed signatures.
You’ll also need to show some ID to confirm your identity and address to your employer or the organisation managing their PVG records.
90% of PVG applications are completed within 14 days (not including postage time). If you’ve made any mistakes in your application, or if Disclosure Scotland have to make any extra checks, your application may take longer to complete.
If you’re already a member of the PVG scheme, you should update your record with Disclosure Scotland when you start a new job or voluntary role which involves regulated work.
Your new employer may ask you to complete an Existing PVG Scheme Member form. This will allow them to get an up-to-date certificate as well as be added to your PVG membership account. This update – known as a Short Scheme Record costs £18.
All PVG Scheme records show the following information:
This information is the scheme member’s statement of scheme membership. Each PVG disclosure record will also have a disclosure number.
Other information shown depends on the type of PVG disclosure record:
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Before you start your Individual Basic DBS Check, it is extremely important that you ask yourself the below questions and fully read the information carefully.
If you have been asked by an organisation that is registered with Disclosure Services to conduct a DBS Check, you will need to log into our Client Portal here rather than applying for an Individual Basic DBS Check.
The organisation that has asked you to complete a check will be able to provide you with the logins that you need to gain access to the portal.
Should you continue to proceed and pay for an Individual Basic DBS Check through this portal, your check will be processed by our team and the information will be sent to the DBS for which we will be invoiced.
We will be unable to offer you a refund for applications that have been submitted through the wrong portal or that you no longer require.
As part of your application, your identity will need to be verified by a Registered Professional, somebody that has one of the job titles listed here.
COVID-19 : We understand that due to COVID-19, this has become somewhat of a difficult process for people. However, it is incredibly important that you do not progress with your application unless you are able to get your documents verified by a Registered Professional.
Most Registered Professionals will not charge you for this service, but we always recommend asking one that is familiar to you to be sure.
We will be unable to offer a refund for applications that cannot be completed due to an individual being unable to verify their identity.
When completing your application, you will be asked whether you want to receive a ‘Digital’ copy of your certificate or a ‘Paper’ copy.
If you choose to receive a ‘Digital’ copy of your certificate, you will be unable to request a ‘Paper’ certificate at a later date. The DBS will send you a letter by post to your current address containing an activation code and information on how to access your ‘Digital’ certificate on their website. Therefore, please make sure that you have access to this location.
This is a rule stipulated by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), and as an Umbrella Body, we have to abide by these rules when processing applications.
We will be unable to offer a refund to applicants that have chosen the wrong option on their application. We are also unable to amend an application on your behalf.