If you volunteer with a community group, PTA, parent council, school or sports club in Scotland, this page answers the most common questions about PVG checks: what they are, whether you need one and what happens next. If you sit on a committee and need to set up checks for your whole group, read our full guide instead: PVG Checks for Volunteers: Do Them First.

What is PVG?

PVG stands for Protecting Vulnerable Groups. It is Scotland's legal requirement for anyone working or volunteering with children. Since April 2025 it is mandatory, not optional. If you are in a regulated role with children, you must have PVG membership for the organisation you are volunteering with. It protects children and it protects you.

This applies to any group running activities for children, not just schools. A Friends of the park group running a children's fun day needs PVG checks just as much as a parent council running a disco.

Do you need one? Quick check

You need a PVG check if your volunteer role involves:

  • Supervising children (discos, movie nights, school or community events)
  • Running a children's event in a park, community hall or other venue
  • Running a tuck shop or refreshment stall where children come to you
  • Driving or escorting children to away matches or trips
  • Providing first aid or care to children
  • Running a breakfast club or after school activity
  • Coaching or instructing children in sports or activities
  • Being in a standby pool to cover any of the above roles

You probably do not need one if you:

  • Set up or take down equipment when children are not present
  • Handle money or admin in the background with no child contact
  • Attend committee meetings to plan events
  • Provide recommendations to the school about activities
  • Serve refreshments at adult only events

Unsure? Ask your committee to run your role through the five step assessment in the full guide. When in doubt, it is better to have a check you did not strictly need than to operate without one you did.

The timeline: when to submit, how long it takes

Submit applications

September at the latest, or before the summer break

Processing time

From submission date · 4–6 weeks minimum

Confirmation arrives

By mid October (if submitted in September)

You can start the role

Only after confirmation received

Membership valid for

From confirmation date · 5 years

Countdown to renewal begins

Do not submit an application the week before an event. You will not have confirmation in time. The volunteer cannot start until the group has written confirmation from Volunteer Scotland.

The costs

For volunteers: free, if your group is a qualifying voluntary organisation. Most volunteer run community groups, parent councils and PTAs are.

For committees: free through Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services. There is a one time enrolment, then applications are free for all volunteers.

What you pay for: nothing, if you are a non profit volunteer run group. If you are unsure whether your group qualifies, contact Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services.

Key numbers to remember

  • 4 to 6 weeks: minimum processing time for applications
  • 5 years: how long PVG membership lasts
  • 1 per organisation: each volunteer needs a separate disclosure for each group they volunteer with. You cannot transfer a disclosure from another organisation.
  • April 2026: when the first wave of PVG renewals begins, for anyone who got their disclosure in April 2025
  • September: the latest month your committee should submit all outstanding applications. Before the summer break is even better.

What to do next

  1. Ask your committee whether your role needs a PVG check. Use the quick check above.
  2. If yes, tell them you are interested in volunteering and they will start your application.
  3. You will receive an email asking you to verify your identity and provide information. Respond promptly.
  4. Wait 4 to 6 weeks for confirmation.
  5. Once confirmed, you can start your role.

If you sit on the committee, the full guide covers the whole process: assessing roles, enrolling with Volunteer Scotland, submitting applications and keeping records.

Common questions

Q: Can I volunteer while my PVG check is being processed?

A: No. You cannot start a regulated role until your confirmation has arrived. Being in progress does not count. The group needs written confirmation from Volunteer Scotland.

Q: I have PVG membership from my job or another organisation. Can I use that for this group?

A: No. PVG membership belongs to you, but the disclosure belongs to the relationship between you and one organisation. You need a separate disclosure for each group you volunteer with. The good news: if you already have PVG membership, your new disclosure processes faster. It is an update rather than a new application.

Q: How does the committee track who is cleared and when memberships expire?

A: A simple spreadsheet with columns for volunteer name, role, confirmation date and expiry date (five years from confirmation). It gets updated as confirmations arrive and reviewed at the start of every school year.

Q: What if the group discovers mid year that checks have not been done?

A: The committee should do the assessment today and submit applications now. The next event should run on volunteers who are already cleared, or be postponed if there are not enough. The full guide has catch up advice.