PVG fee waiver for childcare professionals: letter from Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise

To all childcare services

Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) membership costs waived for childcare profession until 31 March 2024

Dear colleague

I want to make you aware that the Scottish Government is providing the childcare profession with cost of living support by covering the cost of PVG checks for anyone starting a new childcare role from 1 August 2023 – 31 March 2024.      

Overview

Anyone starting a new role in childcare, including childminders are eligible to have their applications for the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme paid by the Scottish Government if you apply between 1 August 2023 and 31 March 2024.

The Scottish Government has introduced these measures to support individuals through the cost of living challenges and to remove any barriers to people joining the sector. We will cover the cost of Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) checks for people in eligible roles, which are set out below.

PVG checks cost between £18 and £59. You can find out more about fees for PVG checks on the Disclosure Scotland website. 

Eligibility

To qualify for PVG fees to be waived, the person applying for the role must:

• be starting a new job or taking up a new position with your existing employer in an eligible role (see below), AND
• apply for a PVG check between 1 August 2023 and no later than 31 March 2024 - any applications outside these dates will not be eligible. All applications must be received by 31 March 2024.

In all other cases, for example if you have a policy of periodically re-checking your existing staff, the PVG costs must be paid as normal.

Eligible roles

To be eligible for this fee waiver, you must be working in a role that requires registration with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) under the Day Care of Children category, or register as a childminder or childminding assistant with the Care Inspectorate (CI).

Any childcare roles that do not require registration with CI or SSSC, including auxiliary or administrative roles in childcare services, are not eligible for this fee waiver. These roles are not eligible because the focus of these measures are on professional childcare roles.

How to apply

If your role is eligible, you should apply for PVG through the Disclosure Scotland website. Childminders and their assistants should apply for PVG through the Care Inspectorate as normal. 

Within the ‘position applied for’ field, you must type in “FCC” followed by the name of the actual position. Disclosure Scotland will use this to ensure you are not charged for your application.

When asked to enter a payment method, you should select ‘registered body invoice’ even if you usually ask your employees to pay for their own PVG checks by card payment. This is for administrative purposes only. You will not be charged for the application.  

Organisations who apply for paid childcare roles through Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services can find out more about how to apply for this fee waiver on the Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services website.  

Contact

If you have any questions about this fee waiver, email: ELCworkforce@gov.scot

You can also contact Disclosure Scotland’s operations management team via dsoperations@disclosurescotland.gov.scot or by calling their helpline on 0300 020 0040 Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm or Friday 9am to 3:30pm

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the childcare sector for your continued support for the children and families you work with. It is my privilege to take on the role of Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise. Since doing so, I have gained an even greater appreciation for your professionalism and dedication to giving children the best possible start in life. On behalf of the Scottish Government and, I’m sure, the children and families you serve, thank you for all that you do.

Natalie Don

Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise