voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
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Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 Update - Five-Year PVG Membership
Created: 09/10/2025
News/Events Category: General News
This item will show under the following categories: Children and Families Governance Volunteering
The majority of the provisions in the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 were put into action on April 1, 2025. Looking ahead, starting from April 1, 2026, individuals joining the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme will automatically be enroled in a five-year membership tailored to their specific regulated role, replacing the previous lifetime membership model.
Disclosure Scotland is planning a transition from April 2026 to ensure existing PVG scheme members are smoothly and fairly transferred to the new five-year membership system.
For further details regarding the changes that took effect on April 1st, please visit the Disclosure Scotland website here.
Important information to note
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Five-year membership: From 1 April 2026 PVG scheme membership will last for five years from the date scheme members join. Every five years, renewal will be required.
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Separate renewal process: Applicants renewing their PVG scheme membership will not be the same as applying for a disclosure, these processes will be handled separately.
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Online Account: Renewals will be primarily made through the applicants online account, with an offline process in place for anyone who is unable to use Disclosure Scotland's digital service.
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No change to current application process: You will continue to submit application requests as normal. You should not change how often or when you apply for an PVG application when the five-year membership starts or in preparation for this change.
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Organisation notifications: Disclosure Scotland will notify your organisation when an individual's PVG scheme membership is due for renewal. Notifications of upcoming renewals will be issued at least three months in advance of the renewal date.
Next steps
1. Moving over to the five-year PVG scheme membership
On 1 April 2026, the PVG scheme will move to a five-year membership. Not all existing PVG scheme members will move to the five-year membership on 1 April 2026. This is expected to happen in phases. Disclosure Scotland are working with Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services (VSDS) to understand the requirements for this transition.
2. What can you do now?
To prepare for the five-year membership organisations should:
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Notify VSDS, when a PVG scheme member stops carrying out a regulated role with them. This helps reduce unnecessary admin and ensures you do not receive updates you are no longer entitled to. You can inform VSDS of these changes by completing our Removal of Interest form, available to download on our website here.
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Keep records up to date - VSDS provide a sample tracking sheet on our website to encourage you to keep track of applications you have made and has all the information you require to remove your interest when an applicant is no longer volunteering/working for your organisation. Download here.
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Encourage your volunteers and staff to tell Disclosure Scotland when they no longer require their PVG scheme membership. They can email Disclosure Scotland at [email protected] with their full name, date of birth and PVG scheme number.
3. Current PVG scheme members – What do they need to do?
PVG scheme members who are currently or intends to carry out a regulated role, do not need to do anything before 1 April 2026. They still need to tell Disclosure Scotland if their personal details have changed. This will ensure that Disclosure Scotland hold accurate address and contact information. Information on how applicants can update their PVG details, timescales and legal requirements can be found on Disclosure Scotland's website.
Disclosure Scotland intend to share regular updates on the lead up to the commencement of the five-year PVG scheme membership which VSDS will share.
If you have any questions or need further support, please don’t hesitate to contact the Volunteer Scotland Dislocure Services team at [email protected].
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