What are we doing to make applicants aware of the need to share their disclosure?

The applicant is notified by email when the disclosure is viewable. Once the disclosure is viewed, the online account service provides guidance to the applicant on how to share the disclosure with recruiting organisations. The applicant only needs to select to share the disclosure digitally – they do not need to do anything further.

The applicant is also reminded twice during the sharing period if they have not taken any action to share their disclosure or apply for a review.

How long do applicants have to share their disclosure?

The applicant has 14 calendar days from the date it is received, to share their disclosure with the countersigning organisation.

Applicants have to choose to share their disclosure, what does this mean?

When a disclosure is viewable, the applicant has several options:

• If the applicant chooses to share the information with an employer, countersignatory or an organisation who has used an umbrella body, the option to review the information is no longer available.

• If the applicant chooses to review the information: Either for accuracy (this is the only option for level 1) or, if it meets the criteria, the disclosure information on the disclosure - then they need to advise Disclosure Scotland.

• If the applicant does not make their decision known to Disclosure Scotland, the application is terminated, and a new application would be required to share or review the information.

I don’t want to move to online disclosures, I still want paper certificates sent. Do I have to do this?

We are committed to a digital future for our customers which will provide a faster, more efficient and streamlined service. We will not provide a paper certificate as a default from now on. Offline processes are available for those who do not have the skills or access to apply digitally. We are happy to discuss any concerns you may have about the digital service.

What level of disclosure do I need?

You need to liaise with your employer to ensure their requirements are being met. 

They might be subject to the rules and policies of a particular regulator or professional body. Please ensure you are aware of their requirements. Please also ensure that you are sharing your disclosure with your employer, usually via your online account. You should only contact Disclosure Scotland about sharing your disclosure if you are unable to do so, or if you have applied using our offline process. 

If you are self-employed and you are undertaking a regulated role, it is your own responsibility to ensure you have an active PVG membership. You can check which are regulated roles by using our online checker tool, written guidance and list of regulated roles.

What level of disclosure do I have?

We can check our systems for you if you contact us via helpline or email to check your information. Provide the following to ensure we can provide the correct information, including your:

• full name
• date of birth
• current address
• mother’s maiden surname
• national insurance number

If you have no certificate to hand and no access to an online account, your employer will likely advise you whether an application will be necessary and make clear which disclosure level you require.

Will a countersignatory (CSG) be able to tell the difference between an application in process, and a disclosure that is complete, when the applicant hasn’t provided consent to share?

No, the application status for the CSG will initially remain as is. At the point in time when the disclosure is ready to be viewed by the CSG, it will appear in their dashboard with a status of ‘Not Viewed’. As below:

It is only when the disclosure is available to the CSG that this status will appear on their dashboard. Prior to this appearing, the application could still be in process within Disclosure Scotland, or the applicant has their disclosure and has not yet shared it.

What is my PVG scheme membership number?

You do not require your PVG scheme membership number to apply for a PVG application, as long as you provide other identifying information (name, previous name(s), date of birth, national insurance number, driving licence, 5-year address history). We can process any new application without the specific number being supplied.

You will need an active membership for the selected workforce (children/protected adults or both) to process an existing member application. If you have a membership already, your number will have been issued along with your paper certificate or your online disclosure. If you have an online Disclosure Scotland account that is linked to a recent application, you can view this information online.

What are the new disclosure levels and the differences between them?