Disclosure and PVG Checks

The Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme has changed from 1st April 2025

What has changed 

Regulated Roles: Current ‘Regulated Work’ has become ‘Regulated Roles’. If an individual is in a Regulated Role, they will legally need to become a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme. 

New Responsibilities: Both the University and the individual will be responsible for ensuring PVG membership, if in a ‘Regulated Role’. In the absence of required PVG both parties could face legal consequences.  

What it means 

PVG checks are now mandatory, meaning that it will be an offence for someone to carry out, or agree to carry out, any type of regulated role (i.e. with children, protected adults or both) unless the individual already is a PVG scheme member for that type of regulated role. 

Furthermore, an individual is also deemed to be in a regulated role if they are a day-to-day supervisor or manager of someone doing regulated work. This means that if you are the manager of someone who requires PVG for their role, even if you are not otherwise undertaking regulated work yourself, you will require PVG membership too. 

It will also be an offence for the University to offer any type of regulated role prior to receiving a PVG certificate, unless the offer of employment is made subject to receipt of a valid PVG certificate. 

What you need to do 

The University has determined that, for roles requiring PVG scheme membership, individuals will not be permitted to commence work until their PVG certificate has been received. 

We therefore, encourage all staff to familiarise themselves with the circumstances in which PVG may be required, not only in relation to recruitment, but to be mindful of any changes to duties of existing staff which may cause PVG to apply. Please ensure the below process is followed correctly (in particular re. clauses in offer letters) and in good time so that checks can be completed prior to the intended start date of employment. 

Disclosure Scotland is the agency responsible, on behalf of the Scottish Government, for issuing disclosures of an individual’s criminal convictions and for managing and delivering the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme.

  • Level 1 Disclosure is the lowest level of disclosure and shows details of all unspent convictions (as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974). It is not job-specific and may be used for any purpose. Individuals may make their own application online.
  • Level 2 Disclosure involves higher-level checks and are required for specific professions or duties. Applications must be countersigned by the applicant’s employer and are therefore processed by HR.
  • A PVG certificate contains all unspent and certain spent conviction information. University employees are required by law to become PVG Scheme members where their job means that they will be undertaking a regulated role with children and/or protected adults as part of their normal duties. Applications must be countersigned by HR.
  • Staff in posts involving contact with NHS patients will also require a NHS Honorary Contract or Research Passport. Please see the section on NHS Honorary Cover for guidance on the process required to arrange this.
PVG Scheme Summary (29.03 KB / DOCX)
Regulated Roles with Children (28.33 KB / DOCX)

The below form and accompanying documentation should be submitted to Human Resources as early as possible during the appointment process to ensure that the Disclosure certificate is received before the employee’s start date. Employees requiring PVG will not be permitted to start work until their certificate is received.


  • On commencing recruitment, the need for pre-employment checks should be considered and indicated on the grading request form when a job description is submitted for grading. Where a role will not be graded, advice may be sought from HR as required. The job description should state that a Disclosure check/PVG Scheme membership is required for the post. For advertised posts a job requisition is raised through People & Money. The relevant criminal record check should be selected on the requisition and the relevant PVG or disclosure screening questionnaires inserted. In conjunction with carrying out a right to work check,  the recruiting department should also request additional forms of identification for the Disclosure/PVG check in order to take verified copies. 3 forms of ID, are required at least one of which should be photographic and one address-based (e.g. passport, driving licence and a utility bill).
  • An offer of employment must be made subject to a satisfactory Disclosure check or PVG check as appropriate and outstanding details and documentation requested from the successful candidate at this stage. It is an offence for the University to offer a regulated role (i.e. one requiring a PVG check ) to an individual without having first carried out a PVG check on that individual or at least having made the offer subject to receipt of a PVG certificate. Inserting the appropriate clause to the offer letter is therefore critical.
  • Note that current members of staff who are transferring internally within the University and are already registered with the PVG scheme for work with the relevant group (i.e. for work with Children and/or Protected Adults as appropriate)are not required to apply again. The University will already be registered as their employer and will therefore be notified if there are any changes in the person's scheme record. To confirm if an employee is already registered please contact Human Resources.
  • The recruiting department submits all details and documentation to Human Resources, including any additional forms required for NHS Honorary Cover.
  • Disclosure and PVG applications are initiated online by HR and the applicant will receive an email allowing them to complete their section.  This link is only valid for two weeks.
  • Once Disclosure Scotland have processed the application, the applicant will receive an email with the result. PVG applicants must then give consent in order for the University to receive the result.  

  • Once HR have received a satisfactory disclosure or PVG certificate, we will notify the recruiting department. They may then attach that email when proceeding with the ‘Request contract’ task in People & Money and the employment contract can be processed and issued.

    Members of staff are not permitted to commence work until a satisfactory Level 2 Disclosure check or PVG scheme record/update has been received and they have received their NHS Honorary Cover if applicable. Where a PVG certificate has not been received prior to an employee’s start date, their start date must be postponed. 


Please note that the HR team are only able to carry out disclosure and PVG checks for University employees.  For student checks please contact: 

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences PVG-Disclosure Scotland | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences 
College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine - Postgraduate Students Kim.Orsi@ed.ac.uk  
College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine -  Undergraduate Students MBChBCoordinator@ed.ac.uk 
College of Science & Engineering pgrcse@ed.ac.uk 

 

The below form and accompanying documentation should be submitted to Human Resources as early as possible during the appointment process to ensure that the Disclosure certificate is received before the employee’s start date. Employees requiring PVG will not be permitted to start work until their certificate is received.


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