Understanding the PVG Scheme-Scottish Orienteering

Understanding the PVG Scheme

These notes summarise the key points of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme with specific reference to orienteering. The PVG Scheme replaced the previous system of disclosures for people working with children, and encompasses work with vulnerable adults.
This page is not intended to replace training available via CRBS, but summarises key points.
People who currently have a disclosure will eventually be transferred to the PVG Scheme. This is referred to as “Retrospective Checking”. As at 16 May 2012 this is still NOT AVAILABLE.

These notes are NOT a comprehensive guide, rather a summary of some key points of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme as it applies to orienteering. The scheme relates to children and vulnerable adults; in these notes we refer only to “children”, purely for brevity. The term “employed” includes activities undertaken on both paid and voluntary basis.

Terminology

What was previously referred to as “having a disclosure” is now referred to as having PVG Scheme membership, or being a member of the scheme. The legislation refers to “Regulated Work”, meaning work for which you are required to be a member of the PVG Scheme.

If you (your club or you as an individual) employ someone to do regulated work, that person must be a PVG Scheme member, and you are required by law to check that. If that person is already a Scheme member, you would obtain a "Scheme Record".

People who currently have a disclosure will eventually be transferred to the PVG Scheme. This is referred to as "Retrospective Checking". As at 16th May 2012 this is still NOT AVAILABLE.

People who are new to a role that involves regulated work, must apply for Scheme Membership.

Scheme Membership

You start by applying for scheme membership and a Scheme Record, using a form which can be obtained from the Lead Signatory, Hilary Quick. As before, this provides a snapshot of information, but the difference is that additional information can be linked to that person’s membership record as it becomes available. SOA will normally obtain a "Scheme Record Update" every three years or thereabouts.

When a person who is already a scheme member applies for an additional role which would previously have required a second disclosure, the process instead is for the second organisation to apply for a “Scheme Record Update”. This should be a shorter process than applying for membership in the first place. The same process is followed when the person requires a “renewal”.

For volunteers, there is no charge for scheme membership or for obtaining scheme records or updates.

Job descriptions form a key part of arrangements; these guide post-holders and make it clear whether the role includes “regulated work” or not. Coaching children is automatically "regulated work". If your role (as per the job description) does not normally include substantial lone contact with children, you do not need to join the scheme; if something exceptional happens that requires you to take charge of a group of children, this is “incidental” to your main role and you can do it, whether or not you are a scheme member.

Job descriptions should be based on the SOA templates.

Orienteering-related examples – who needs to join the scheme?

Teaching, instructing, training or supervising children are regulated work. People who regularly coach children must therefore be scheme members. (Disclosure/PVG Scheme membership is no longer a pre-requisite for a coach to be licensed. It is up to the club or squad to ensure that each coach has an appropriate job description and is appropriately deployed. If you only normally coach adults, you do not need to join the PVG scheme.)

Non-coaching roles at events do not entail regulated work, as should be clear from the job description.

If a coach of adults has a 16/17-year-old assistant, this assistant's work does not comprise regulated work.

If a club arranges transport for a group of juniors, adults appointed to be in charge of the group must be scheme members; if the parents make such arrangements amongst themselves, they don’t.

If you ask a friend to coach your child, the law does not require that friend to be a scheme member, but of course a club offering coaching specifically for children must ensure that all involved who are doing regulated work are scheme members.

If your club organises a session primarily intended to introduce blind people to orienteering, the people providing coaching and/or guidance are deemed to be providing a “welfare service” to vulnerable adults, so this constitutes regulated work and they must be scheme members. If a blind person turns up at a general session advertised for adults, this is incidental to the main purpose of the session so the coach does not need to be a scheme member.

If you have any questions about this, please contact Hilary Quick or CRBS.

Photo of author Posted on 19th Mar 12
by Hilary Quick - Development Officer