Duty to Refer

When might organisations be committing a criminal offence?

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Introduction

Under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007, employers have a legal duty to refer individuals to Disclosure Scotland for PVG Scheme consideration if they meet the referral criteria.

This is for both paid and unpaid work of those eligible to join the scheme i.e both employees and volunteers.

What is a PVG Scheme referral?

Regulated work providers must make PVG referrals when they have information that suggests an individual may pose a risk to vulnerable groups. This legal requirement ensures that relevant concerns are thoroughly assessed, and appropriate actions are taken to safeguard vulnerable individuals. It is a criminal offence for an organisation to not make a referral if circumstances are meeting the criteria.



It is crucial for regulated work providers to fulfil their legal duty to protect vulnerable groups and maintain a safe environment.





PVG Referral Criteria

Organisations must make a referral if a person shows harmful behaviour and they:

If any of these actions were taken, the organisation must make a referral to Disclosure Scotland within 3 months of making the decision.

If the organisation does not make a referral within 3 months, Disclosure Scotland will report the organisation to Police Scotland.



Harmful behaviour that must be referred.

Examples of harmful behaviour include:



Types of harm

There are different ways 'harm' can be defined. It's important to remember that people can cause a risk of harm without actually doing anything directly.

Examples of harm include:

Examples of behaviour which lead to a risk of harm include:

Need Disclosure Scotland Checks?

Whether you're an individual or an organisation seeking Basic, Standard, Enhanced or PVG Checks, we're here to help.

Scottish Disclosures provides disclosure check processing as an Umbrella Body registered with Disclosure Scotland.

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