Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme

Published 01/01/2017.  Last updated 18/07/2023

The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme is managed by Disclosure Scotland. It helps ensure people who are unsuitable to work with children and protected adults cannot do certain types of regulated work with these vulnerable groups.

Only people who do regulated work with children and protected adults need to join the PVG Scheme. It does not apply to parents helping their children or to personal arrangements that parents may make with friends and family to look after their children.

The PVG Scheme continuously updates people's membership records when any new vetting information becomes known. Vetting information is conviction information retrieved from criminal justice systems and any other information held by the police which they consider is relevant. This means that any new information, which indicates that a person may have become a risk, will be quickly identified and assessed by Disclosure Scotland. Should this new information lead to the individual being placed under consideration for listing, Disclosure Scotland will then notify the organisation(s) that the individual is in regulated work, and the change in status. There is more information on the consideration for listing process on the Disclosure Scotland website.

As well as strengthening protection for children and protected adults, the PVG Scheme is quick and easy for staff and volunteers to use. You can apply to join the PVG scheme online.

The PVG Scheme service is free for volunteers working in the qualifying voluntary sector. Volunteer Scotland provides free disclosure checks, guidance, advice and support to voluntary sector organisations.

You can email Disclosure Scotland or call their helpline on 0300 0200 040. The helpline is open 9am to 4pm (Monday to Thursday) and 9am to 3:30 pm (Friday).

Questions and answers

Do parents coming into school have to be a member of the PVG Scheme?

Most definitely not. The PVG Scheme applies to people who are doing regulated work with children and protected adults. Parents attending parents' evenings or visiting the school for any reason to do with their own child are not doing work so would fall outside the scope of the PVG Scheme.

Do Parent Council members have to join the PVG Scheme?

Parents who are in school and caring, teaching, instructing, training, supervising or in sole charge of children will be within the scope of the PVG Scheme. Other parents who, for example, attend a Parent Council meeting, should only be asked to become members if any of this work gave them the opportunity to have unsupervised contact with children. The Scottish Government believes that it should be possible in most cases to make arrangements for Parent Council members to avoid unsupervised contact with children and in doing this, PVG Scheme membership would not be required.

What about parents helping on school trips - do they need to be checked?

Whether parents who chaperone on school trips should be required to be PVG Scheme members will depend on the circumstances of the trip, such as whether the activities occur regularly and the responsibilities of the chaperones. One off involvement in a school trip does not require a PVG check. A balance has to be struck between avoiding unnecessary checking and protecting children from harm.

Do parents wishing to hire the school hall outside of school hours or who get involved in raising funds for school equipment have to be scheme members?

No. If there isn’t any unsupervised contact with children those parents should not become PVG Scheme members.

What is the Scottish Government doing to prevent unnecessary checking taking place?

The PVG Act and guidance set out in some detail the purposes for which PVG Scheme disclosures can be used. To use them for other purposes is unlawful. Disclosure Scotland works with its registered bodies to ensure that they request and handle disclosures appropriately in line with the Code of Practice. They monitor disclosure applications and will take action where it becomes clear that organisations, including local authorities, are making unlawful requests. Individuals who are concerned that they may be being asked for a disclosure inappropriately should report the matter to Disclosure Scotland for further investigation. The Code of Practice applies to all organisations handling disclosure information, even if not directly registered with Disclosure Scotland. This includes, for example, where a Parent Council applies for PVG checks through Volunteer Scotland.

Further information

Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020

The Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 received Royal Assent on 14 July 2020. The new laws aim to make the disclosure process in Scotland simpler and easier to understand. Find more information about how the Disclosure system will change.

Disclosure Scotland Guidance

Guidance materials about the PVG Scheme are available on the the PVG scheme website.

Connect

Connect (formerly SPTC)​ has published a range of child safety and protection leaflets for Parent Councils.

PVG Scheme - Types of Disclosure

Parents and Parent Council members can find more information about what type of organisations should apply for PVG Scheme membership. Disclosure Scotland have also published video guidance explaining the different types of disclosure available.

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Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme

Published 01/01/2017.  Last updated 18/07/2023

The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme is managed by Disclosure Scotland. It helps ensure people who are unsuitable to work with children and protected adults cannot do certain types of regulated work with these vulnerable groups.

Only people who do regulated work with children and protected adults need to join the PVG Scheme. It does not apply to parents helping their children or to personal arrangements that parents may make with friends and family to look after their children.

The PVG Scheme continuously updates people's membership records when any new vetting information becomes known. Vetting information is conviction information retrieved from criminal justice systems and any other information held by the police which they consider is relevant. This means that any new information, which indicates that a person may have become a risk, will be quickly identified and assessed by Disclosure Scotland. Should this new information lead to the individual being placed under consideration for listing, Disclosure Scotland will then notify the organisation(s) that the individual is in regulated work, and the change in status. There is more information on the consideration for listing process on the Disclosure Scotland website.

As well as strengthening protection for children and protected adults, the PVG Scheme is quick and easy for staff and volunteers to use. You can apply to join the PVG scheme online.

The PVG Scheme service is free for volunteers working in the qualifying voluntary sector. Volunteer Scotland provides free disclosure checks, guidance, advice and support to voluntary sector organisations.

You can email Disclosure Scotland or call their helpline on 0300 0200 040. The helpline is open 9am to 4pm (Monday to Thursday) and 9am to 3:30 pm (Friday).

Questions and answers

Do parents coming into school have to be a member of the PVG Scheme?

Most definitely not. The PVG Scheme applies to people who are doing regulated work with children and protected adults. Parents attending parents' evenings or visiting the school for any reason to do with their own child are not doing work so would fall outside the scope of the PVG Scheme.

Do Parent Council members have to join the PVG Scheme?

Parents who are in school and caring, teaching, instructing, training, supervising or in sole charge of children will be within the scope of the PVG Scheme. Other parents who, for example, attend a Parent Council meeting, should only be asked to become members if any of this work gave them the opportunity to have unsupervised contact with children. The Scottish Government believes that it should be possible in most cases to make arrangements for Parent Council members to avoid unsupervised contact with children and in doing this, PVG Scheme membership would not be required.

What about parents helping on school trips - do they need to be checked?

Whether parents who chaperone on school trips should be required to be PVG Scheme members will depend on the circumstances of the trip, such as whether the activities occur regularly and the responsibilities of the chaperones. One off involvement in a school trip does not require a PVG check. A balance has to be struck between avoiding unnecessary checking and protecting children from harm.

Do parents wishing to hire the school hall outside of school hours or who get involved in raising funds for school equipment have to be scheme members?

No. If there isn’t any unsupervised contact with children those parents should not become PVG Scheme members.

What is the Scottish Government doing to prevent unnecessary checking taking place?

The PVG Act and guidance set out in some detail the purposes for which PVG Scheme disclosures can be used. To use them for other purposes is unlawful. Disclosure Scotland works with its registered bodies to ensure that they request and handle disclosures appropriately in line with the Code of Practice. They monitor disclosure applications and will take action where it becomes clear that organisations, including local authorities, are making unlawful requests. Individuals who are concerned that they may be being asked for a disclosure inappropriately should report the matter to Disclosure Scotland for further investigation. The Code of Practice applies to all organisations handling disclosure information, even if not directly registered with Disclosure Scotland. This includes, for example, where a Parent Council applies for PVG checks through Volunteer Scotland.

Further information

Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020

The Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 received Royal Assent on 14 July 2020. The new laws aim to make the disclosure process in Scotland simpler and easier to understand. Find more information about how the Disclosure system will change.

Disclosure Scotland Guidance

Guidance materials about the PVG Scheme are available on the the PVG scheme website.

Connect

Connect (formerly SPTC)​ has published a range of child safety and protection leaflets for Parent Councils.

PVG Scheme - Types of Disclosure

Parents and Parent Council members can find more information about what type of organisations should apply for PVG Scheme membership. Disclosure Scotland have also published video guidance explaining the different types of disclosure available.

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