Personnel Checks Are Now A Fully Registered Umbrella Body For Disclosure Scotland
Personnel Checks are pleased to announce that we are now a fully-fledged Umbrella Body for Disclosure Scotland. This means we that from the 1st September 2021 we can provide solutions for all levels of Scottish Disclosure Checks as well as applications for the PVG Scheme.
Who Are Disclosure Scotland?
Disclosure Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. They provide employers with criminal record checks for individuals that live and work in Scotland. They are also responsible for managing the barred lists, as well as the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG).
Disclosure Scotland provides services that make sure unsuitable people don’t work with vulnerable groups, including children and protected adults. They perform the same role in Scotland that the Disclosure and Barring Service do in England and Wales.
Levels of Disclosure
Disclosure Scotland issues certificates for three levels of check: Basic, Standard and Enhanced Disclosures. These certificates provide employers with information regarding someone’s criminal record history (if any). Each level of Disclosure Scotland Check shows different information and are used in different circumstances.
Basic Disclosure
Anyone can apply for a Basic Disclosure certificate. A Basic Disclosure is the most common and lowest level of disclosure available. It includes information on any 'unspent' convictions the person has.
Standard Disclosure
Standard Disclosures are used for specific roles such as solicitors, accountants and other services. A Standard Disclosure shows criminal history information from UK records, including:
unspent convictions
unspent cautions
information from the Sex Offenders Register
The certificate will show if there are no convictions to disclose.
Enhanced Disclosure
Enhanced Disclosures apply to specific roles such as checking people are suitable for adoption or applying for certain gaming or lottery licences. For Enhanced Disclosure Checks, Disclosure Scotland gathers criminal history and other relevant information from the police and some government departments.
An Enhanced Disclosure includes:
unspent convictions
unspent cautions
inclusion on children's or adult's lists (if it's relevant to the job)
other relevant information held by the police
information from the Sex Offenders Register
What is the PVG Scheme?
The PVG Scheme is maintained by Disclosure Scotland and is there to make sure that unsuitable individuals cannot do 'regulated work'. There are two types of regulated work, involving working with either children or vulnerable adults. This usually involves, caring, teaching, or supporting these groups but can also include positions of trust such as trustees for certain charities.
When someone applies to join the PVG Scheme, criminal record checks are carried out by Disclosure Scotland, and they share the results with individuals and organisations. If the information shows the individual could be unsuitable for regulated work, they will then be referred for further investigation.
Once someone is a member of the PVG Scheme, Disclosure Scotland continues to check their suitability to work with the demographic they have applied for. If that applicant changes what type of regulated work they will be doing, then they would have to reapply to the PVG Scheme.
How much are the Disclosure Checks?
The list price for the Basic, Standard and Enhanced Scottish Disclosures are £49.99 (Government Fee: £25 + £24.99 Admin Fee).
The price for a first-time application to the PVG Scheme is £83.99 (Government Fee: £59 + £24.99 Admin Fee).
The price for an existing PVG member to apply to work with a new vulnerable group is £83.99 (Government Fee: £59 + £24.99 Admin Fee).
The price for a Scheme Record Update, for PVG members joining a new organisation but working with the same vulnerable group is £42.99 (Government Fee: £18+ £24.99 Admin Fee).
Discounts are available for customers processing checks in volume. For more information about Disclosure Scotland Checks and applications for the PVG Scheme, get in touch! You can give one of our account managers a call on 01254 355659 or click on the button below to request a callback.