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Criminal record checking process in Scotland

Discover the criminal record check process for volunteers in Scotland

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January 2026 Update

From 1 April 2025, there's been some changes to the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020. It is now a legal requirement for all individuals volunteering in a regulated role to be a member of the PVG scheme and have a PVG disclosure that has been viewed and cleared for a regulated role by the UKHQ Safeguarding Team. 

Volunteers are not able to start a regulated role in Scotland until their PVG disclosure has been viewed and risk assessed by the UKHQ Safeguarding Team, even if they have had a PVG disclosure for another organisation. Attending without a completed PVG but under supervision is no longer permitted.

We have dedicated pages explaining these changes and their impacts further. We must be compliant with these changes from 1 April 2026.

More volunteers in Scouts are affected by this new legislation, including adult volunteers such as Trustees and parents on a rota to help at unit meetings or with activities, and those young people aged 16-17 who hold Young Leader roles, or who may be volunteering to support other young people in Scouts as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme or as another type of Young Helper. Young Leaders/Helpers who are younger than 16 do not need a PVG disclosure, however can start the process at 15 years and 8 months so their result is returned by their 16th birthday. 

It is also a requirement for anyone aged 16 and over carrying out a regulated role whilst visiting Scotland with Scouts to have a PVG disclosure, even if their normal Scouting is in another UK country.

The PVG process has also changed. All applicants are required to ‘share’ their PVG disclosure outcome with the UKHQ Safeguarding Team within 14 days unless they have requested a review of the information.  

Further information about what a ‘Regulated Role’ is can be found here. 

Certain roles at Scouts require a criminal record check. A PVG disclosure is a type of criminal records check. To find out which roles require a criminal record check please see POR Chapter 16: Teams Table.

The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme 

The PVG scheme works to make safer appointment decisions, making sure only appropriate people work with vulnerable groups, including young people. It is an ongoing scheme which means that, once a person has a Scouts’ PVG disclosure, they are a PVG scheme member and Disclosure Scotland keep the UKHQ Safeguarding Team updated with any new information that may need risk assessing. From 1 April 2025, it is a legal requirement for individuals volunteering in a regulated role to be a member of the PVG scheme. When a volunteer with a PVG disclosure stops volunteering for Scouts, they should inform Disclosure Scotland of this. 

The majority of volunteers in Scouts work with young people so have a PVG disclosure for the ‘Child Workforce’. There are some specific occasions where volunteers may be working in a Regulated Role with Protected Adults and require a PVG disclosure for the Adult workforce. More information about PVGs for Protected Adults can be found here. If you think that an Adult workforce check is required, please contact [email protected] to discuss this. 

More information about the Disclosure Scotland PVG Scheme can be found online. 

PVG applications

Under 16 PVG applications

Young Leaders/Helpers who are younger than 16 do not need a PVG disclosure, however can start the process at 15 years and 8 months so their result is returned by their 16th birthday.

Those under 16 cannot use the online Scotland PVG application process and must follow the paper PVG process. You can download the paper PVG form here, guidance for completing this provided below.

PVG applications for over 16s

The PVG process for anyone aged 16+ is the same as the usual adult process. There are some variations in the guidance for those under 18 as they will hold different roles and ID documents.

Guidance

It is important that the applicant and the ID Checker has a copy of the relevant Applicant’s Guidance and ID Checker’s Guidance documents.

A volunteer can choose between two types of PVG applications to complete: 

  • ‘Application to join the PVG scheme’ – for someone who hasn’t previously completed a PVG disclosure with Scouts or elsewhere, or someone who's applying for a different workforce. 
  • ‘Existing PVG Scheme Member Application’ – for someone who’s already a member of the PVG scheme and holds a 16-digit member number. This can be from any organisation. An applicant can find their PVG membership number on their PVG certificate under their date of birth. The PVG number will start with the year they joined the PVG Scheme, e.g. if they joined in 2023, it will start with ‘23’.

If an applicant already has had a PVG disclosure with another organisation, they will need to bring their 16-digit PVG number to the meeting with the ID Checker. However, they will still not be able to volunteer with Scouts until their Scouts’ PVG disclosure is viewed and risk assessed by the UKHQ Safeguarding Team. This is part of the new legislation, and because Disclosure Scotland can not share confidential information with Scouts until a Scouts’ PVG application is processed.

As PVG is an ongoing membership scheme. If a 17 yr old has a Scouts’ PVG disclosure and wishes to continue volunteering in Scouts with an adult role when they turn 18, they will not need a new PVG disclosure as long as it is the same workforce (working with Children or Adults). However, the known information will be risk assessed again by the UKHQ Safeguarding Team according to their new responsibilities.

Please note: 

  • In line with the new legislation, an applicant cannot start to volunteer in a regulated role in Scotland until their PVG disclosures result has been risk assessed as satisfactory by the HQ Safeguarding Team. 

  • PVG disclosures are just one element of the National Vetting Process. The issuing of the disclosure doesn’t mean the volunteer's membership is full and complete. The membership system will confirm the status of a volunteer's membership.  

Application Process

There is a 3-step process for processing all applications

  1. Checking of ID documents
  2. Finalising the application 
  3. Sharing the result with Scouts HQ 

1. Checking of ID documents    

Once the individual has been added to the membership system on scouts.org.uk (See guidance for adding under 18s to the membership system) they must be sent the link to the appropriate guidance document shared above.

This document contains important information for the Applicant including the List of Acceptable ID documents and process requirements.  

The ID Checker will need to meet face-to-face with the applicant to review their ID documents, if this is not possible then an online meeting can be used.

Note: Where the applicant is under 18 the young person and ID checker must not be in a one-to-one situation at any point, so another volunteer, or a parent or guardian should also be in attendance, although it will be the applicant’s choice whether they wish to bring their parents to this meeting. 

The applicant will need to show three documents, with at least one of these documents being photographic.  

The following information is needed across the three documents: 

  • Full name (including any middle names)
  • Date of birth
  • Current residential address

The ID Checker must state which documents have been used for the identity check, confirming they are original documents. The ID Checker must only accept valid, current, and original documentation and must not accept photocopies.  Documentation printed from the internet e.g. internet bank statements must not be accepted.    

The ID Checker must ensure that the applicant declares all previous name changes and provides documentary proof to support this change of name. If the applicant is unable to provide this proof, ID Checkers will need to have a discussion with the applicant about the reasons why, before considering validating their identity. It is important that ALL names on the applications match the names on the ID.  If an individual is a PVG scheme member, the ID Checker should also advise the individual that they are required to tell Disclosure Scotland of the name change if they have not already done so.  

A disclosure certificate or record issued by Disclosure Scotland must not be taken as evidence of identity.

Paper PVG Process

Alongside the original documents the ID Checker must take scans/photographs of the ID documents so that these can be shared alongside the paper PVG. 

The ID Checker must also review the PVG application with the individual to ensure this is completed accurately.

2. Finalising the application 

Once the ID checker has submitted the online form on the disclosure application on the membership system, it will go to the Disclosures staff in the HQ Safeguarding Team.   

The volunteer applicant will receive an email which contains a one-off link to create a ScotAccount and complete and submit their PVG application. The link expires after 14 days.  ID checkers should remind the applicant to look out for these emails from Disclosure Scotland. If the applicant doesn’t complete their application within 14 days then unfortunately, the process will need to be restarted.

Paper PVG Process

ID Checkers must

·        Check the paper PVG application form is correct to prevent any delays in submission.

·        Upload clear, colour copies of the front and back of their ID documents onto the last page of the PVG application form

·        Upload the document onto My Membership, by going to HQ Services > Support Centre Requests > Create Request and then select ‘paper based criminal record check’ as the type. Add in the applicant’s name and membership number, upload the paper PVG application form which contains copies of their ID and then submit the request.

The application will go to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team who will check, countersign and submit it to Disclosure Scotland. If there are any issues, the form will be sent back to the applicant and the ID Checker for corrections before sending off.

Once submitted to Disclosure Scotland the status will be updated to ‘Forwarded to Authority’ and be awaiting the check by Disclosure Scotland who will then send the result to the applicant.

3. Sharing the result with Scouts HQ 

For ALL applications (both adults and young people)

From 1 April 2025, the PVG process includes a requirement for the Scouts’ applicants to ‘Share’ their disclosure with The Scout Association (HQ Safeguarding team) unless the volunteer disagrees with the information on their disclosure and asks Disclosure Scotland to review it.  

Adult applicants aged 16+ will receive their PVG disclosure online and will have a ‘Share’ button to click in their Scot account. They will have 14 days to ‘Share’ whether their disclosure is clear or contains adverse information. 

Applicants aged under 16 will be contacted direct by Disclosure Scotland with the outcome of their check and must contact Disclosure Scotland after this to confirm that their result can be shared with The Scout Association. (This is the HQ Safeguarding team, NOT the local leaders). They will also have 14 days to confirm to ‘Share’, whether their disclosure is clear or contains adverse information. 

If an applicant does not ‘Share’ their PVG disclosure, the HQ Safeguarding Team will not be able to complete the vetting process and so their application to join will be declined, even if the PVG disclosure is clear. If the applicant misses the 14 day deadline to ‘Share’ they’ll need to start a new PVG application again from the beginning. 

Once the HQ Safeguarding Team has viewed the applicant’s PVG disclosure, all known information will be considered as part of the vetting process and if further information is required, the HQ Safeguarding Team will contact them.

Further guidance