What Is A PVG Check And What Do They Show?
You might expect a criminal record check to look the same no matter where you are in the UK. But that isn’t the case.
How a criminal record check is carried out, and what it will show, varies depending on which region of the UK you live and work in.
In this guide, we will take a look at the Scottish system for carrying out criminal record checks.
Why are criminal record checks different in Scotland?
In the UK, there are separate criminal justice systems for England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. This is because criminal justice is devolved to the Scottish parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly.
This means that the definition and rules relating to certain offences can differ between regions.
To account for these differences, criminal record checks are slightly different in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In Scotland, the organisation that carries out criminal record checks is Disclosure Scotland. As an executive agency of the Scottish Government, they fulfil the same role as the DBS do in England and Wales.
What is the PVG Scheme?
PVG stands for Protecting Vulnerable Groups.
Managed by Disclosure Scotland, the PVG scheme is essentially a database listing individuals with offences which makes them unsuitable for working with certain vulnerable groups.
Criminal record checks, known as PVG Checks, are carried out against this database.
What is a PVG Check?
Under the PVG Scheme, employers can apply for Standard or Enhanced disclosures for staff who are going to be working with vulnerable groups, such as children or the elderly.
These checks are broadly similar to the Standard and Enhanced DBS Checks carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) in England.
Who needs a PVG Check?
Similarly to DBS Checks, PVG Checks are needed by anyone working in a role where they may have access to vulnerable groups. This is known as ‘regulated work’.
Obvious roles that fall under this definition are doctors, nurses and teachers but there are many others that might require a check.
As a broad rule, Disclosure Scotland advise that anyone meeting the below criteria will need a PVG Check:
jobs with caring responsibilities
teaching or supervising children or protected adults
providing personal services to children or protected adults
working directly with children or protected adults
What do PVG Checks show?
Standard Disclosures are used for specific roles such as solicitors, accountants and other services. A Standard Disclosure shows criminal history information from records, including unspent convictions, relevant spent convictions, unspent cautions and information from the Sex Offenders Register.
Enhanced Disclosures are used for checking people are suitable for adoption or applying for certain licences. Disclosure Scotland gathers criminal history and other relevant information from the police and some government departments.
An Enhanced Disclosure includes all the same information as a Standard Disclosure as well as a check of the Barred Lists (if relevant) and any other relevant information held by the police.
What is the difference between DBS and PVG Checks?
The first difference is what is potentially revealed on a certificate.
As criminal justice is a devolved function, the information published on a PVG Certificate could differ to a DBS Certificate. This could be true even if the same level of check is carried out for the same job role.
The key difference is continuous updating.
When a DBS Check is carried out the information is published on a certificate. All this information is correct at the time of publishing.
When a PVG Check is completed a hard-copy certificate is also issued. However, Police Scotland will then update the PVG database if new information is made available. This means employers can be notified if someone carrying out regulated work becomes unsuitable.
How to apply for a PVG Check
If you need a PVG Check as an individual, it will need to be applied for by your employer. They can engage a Disclosure Scotland Umbrella Body to provide application forms and manage the process. Unfortunately, Personnel Checks cannot assist with PVG Checks, as we are only registered to process Disclosure Scotland Basic Checks.