PVG Scheme

Information about the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme and Safe Recruitment.

The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme is managed by Disclosure Scotland. It helps ensure people who are unsuitable to work with children and protected adults cannot do regulated work with these vulnerable groups.

All persons over the age of 16 (paid or voluntary who work with children, young people or vulnerable adults are suitable to do so and should follow Scottish Hockey’s safe recruitment procedures.

What is a safe recruitment?

Safe recruitment is ensuring that people who undertake regulated work with a protected group; children, young people, or vulnerable adults, within a club who require a PVG check have one.

Clubs have a legal obligation – as an employer – to ensure they do not recruit someone who is barred from working with children, whether in a paid or a voluntary capacity. The only way to find out whether an individual is lister or is being considered for listing, therefore barred from working with children, is through a criminal records check.

Getting started with PVG

Each club is required to appoint a designated safeguarding officer. This individual must be a registered member of Scottish Hockey and have completed the necessary training. The safeguarding officer also assumes the role of the club’s PVG processor and is responsible for completing and submitting the following forms:

Club PVG processor agreement, signed by the safeguarding officer
Club PVG processing suitability contract, co-signed by the safeguarding officer and the club manager or chair

A club may choose to assign more than one individual to act as the club PVG processor. Each of these individuals must be registered members of Scottish Hockey, have completed the relevant courses, and have submitted their own club PVG processing agreement to Scottish Hockey .

In the case of multiple PVG processors within a club, one individual must be designated as the lead processor.

Support & Advice

For assistance in completing any of the above tasks or for any queries regarding the PVG process, including eligibility or understanding what constitutes regulated work, please reach out to us at [email protected]

PVG application process

The online PVG application process is an 8-step process from start to finish:

Step 1: the club recruits the applicant (paid or voluntary coaches and other roles) using the clubs Safer Recruitment Process and is satisfied from that process they wish to appoint subject to a PVG check.

Step 2: the club PVG processor verifies ID for the applicant and completes the PVG application request via the online form below. Please note, the applicant must show one photo ID and two forms of proof of address dated within the last three months.

Acceptable Photo ID: Passport, photo driving licence, national entitlement card, employee ID card, Young Scot card, photographic membership card, student ID card.

Proof of Address Options: Phone bill, utility bill, bank statement, bank letter, school letter, benefit agency letter, UK driving licence, credit card statement, council letter, financial statement.

Step 3: the applicant completes the Scottish Hockey self-declaration and PVG consent form by following the link below. NO PVG will be processed without the completion of this form.

Step 4: Scottish Hockey checks the submitted forms and uploads to Disclosure Scotland.

Step 5: Disclosure Scotland will input the data provided to their PVG online application portal. This generates a link that is sent to the applicant to complete their PVG online application.

Step 6: The applicant has 14 days to complete the personal information via email link. Please note, the link may take up to two weeks to be sent and day one starts from the day the link is sent.

Step 7: Disclosure Scotland undertakes disclosure checks and issues a certificate to Scottish Hockey and the applicant.

Step 8: Scottish Hockey checks the PVG certificate to make the suitability decision and informs the club of the outcome by contacting the PVG Processor so the club can complete the recruitment process.

Expired links
If the applicant does not complete the PVG application using the link within fourteen days, this link becomes invalid. Scottish Hockey then must re-submit the request (repeat steps 4 onwards) to DS to issue a new link which incurs a fee of £5.00. If you miss your link, please contact your safeguarding officer immediately.

Contact us

If you have a query or a concern and are not sure what to do, or a question about the PVG Scheme, please email [email protected] or contact the Lead Safeguarding Officer.

Keith Macleod

Email

[email protected]

Phone

+44 (0)7561 853471