Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services (VSDS) has recently issued a number of new updates regarding the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) and Disclosure Services, some which will take effect from Wednesday 1 April 2026.
Important Note on Fees
There will be no additional cost related to the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme five year membership change on Wednesday 1 April 2026, or the separate renewal process.
Groups and organisations will continue to be charged per disclosure application for individuals in paid roles, as they are currently. Volunteer disclosure applications will continue to be fee waivered.
Further information on PVG scheme applications and the cost for each type of application is available via Disclosure Scotland’s website (linked for your convenience).
Renewal Process Will Be Separate from PVG Scheme Application Process
Renewing a PVG scheme membership will not be the same as applying for a disclosure, these processes will be separate. Renewals will be made through the online account (with an offline process in place for anyone who is unable to use the digital service). Every five years, members will have to renew their PVG scheme membership.
Further information on the separate processes is available on the Disclosure Scotland website.
No Change to Current Application Process
The Wednesday 1 April 2026 update does not impact the current application processes. Groups are urged to please do not apply for a PVG scheme application earlier than they would usually, or change how often they would apply. Groups should continue applications as they normally would.
Wednesday 1 April 2026: Moving Existing PVG Scheme Members to a Five Year Membership
From Wednesday 1 April 2026, applications made to the PVG scheme will move individuals over to a five year membership, ending their lifetime membership. Those who do not make an application will be moved to a five year membership by Disclosure Scotland.
Groups and individual members do not need to do anything, and Disclosure Scotland will contact scheme members before they intend to move anyone.
Disclosure Scotland’s email notifications will be updated to reflect the five year membership period; an example of the email notification is available on the VSDS update page, where the individual’s membership expires on 1 May 2031.
For further information and latest updates, please visit the dedicated Disclousre updates page on the Volunteer Scotland website (linked for your convenience).
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