About us
Disclosure Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government operating on behalf of Scottish Ministers.
Our core function is to contribute to the safety of vulnerable people in our society. We provide criminal history information to organisations and potential employers to assist them to make safer and more informed recruitment decisions. Disclosure Scotland maintains barred lists of those individuals unsuitable to work with children or protected adults for organisations and potential employers.
Under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 (PVG), we:
- are introducing individuals undertaking regulated work into the PVG Scheme and issuing PVG Scheme disclosures;
- are administering the barred lists in relation to regulated work with children or protected adults.
Under Part V of the Police Act 1997, we also:
- issue Enhanced Certificates where the individual’s role is prescribed in legislation;
- issue Standard Certificates where the individual’s role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act legislation; and
- issue Basic Certificates.
For these purposes we access a range of police data as well as data from other sources.
Disclosure Scotland issues certificates - known as 'Disclosures' - which give details of an individual's criminal convictions, or state that they have none. Enhanced Disclosures, where appropriate, will also contain information held by police forces and other Government bodies. We also manage the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme on behalf of Ministers.
Who we help
Our services provide employers, voluntary sector organisations and those in their care, with disclosure information, to assist in the recruitment decision, helping protect the vulnerable. Some employers will be under an obligation to seek disclosures on potential employees. Typically, these will be positions which involve working with children and protected adults.
