New PVG law in Scotland

ABDO is encouraging all members practising in Scotland to be aware of new regulations coming into force around working with vulnerable children and adults.

In Scotland, from 1 April 2025, all individuals who carry out a regulated role with children, protected adults or both, must be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme to be compliant with new legal requirements. This must be renewed every five years.

What’s changing?

• The term ‘regulated work’ is being replaced with ‘regulated roles’
• Contact includes physical, visual, written or verbal communication, as well as roles with influence
• Children are anyone under 18, and protected adults are those over 18 who may need support due to disability, illness or other vulnerabilities
• Dispensing opticians and other non-clinical health staff and volunteers, whether supervised or not, will now be in regulated roles

What members needs to know

• Employers must confirm PVG membership before someone starts a regulated role
• There’s a three-month grace period (until 1 July 2025) to allow time for compliance
• After that, it’s a criminal offence for: individuals to work in a regulated role without PVG membership; employers to offer a regulated role to someone not in the scheme
• If you’re already a PVG member, you don’t need to do anything yet – but renewals will be required from April 2026 if your membership is five or more years old

Cost of compliance

• ABDO would expect employers to cover the costs for employed dispensing opticians who require PVG membership

Find out more on the Disclosure Scotland website.

UPDATE 4 April 2025: ABDO and other sector organisations are looking at whether additional guidance will be necessary and will update members accordingly.