Wellbeing and Protection

PVG and Safesport

The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) membership scheme helps ensure that people who are unsuitable to work with children and protected adults cannot do regulated work with these vulnerable groups.

PVG’s are Mandatory

From 1st April 2025, it is a criminal offence to start a regulated role without a PVG. The responsibility lies with the individual and the club jointly to comply.

Clubs must ensure no member begins a regulated role before their PVG is confirmed by Scottish Cycling and all club checks are complete.

To apply for PVG, the applicant must complete a PVG Application Form online, details below. Concurrently, the club ID Checker should complete an ID Checker Verification Form. Both forms should be submitted online, the links to these forms are below.

Who Needs a PVG?

Those who are applying for a Regulated Role in your club/group/association require a PVG check before starting in the role.

If they are PVG member through another organisation, eg work, another sport, then they will require to complete  PVG application through us.

If they are a PVG member with another Scottish Cycling club, then they will require to apply to us through the PVG Application form, we will then add the new club to their profile. You are not permitted to undertake regulated work for other Scottish Cycling clubs without informing us.

The Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 introduced new assessment criteria for regulated roles. As a result, some Scottish Cycling roles that were previously non-regulated will now be classified as regulated.

Regulated Roles

Club Committee – this section relates to committee’s of clubs with Under-18s or Protected Adults as members.
Role PVG Required
A general committee that makes decisions on behalf of the entire club/group/association; both youth and adult sections. Yes
The youth sub-group of a committee who make strategic and operational decision that affect children/protected adults. Yes
The committee are a part of a club/group/association which has a youth and adult section. The committee do not make strategic or operational decisions that affect children or protected adults, they simply ratify decisions taken by the youth sub-group/committee. No
* Committees in clubs that do not have children or Protected Adult members do not require PVG.

 

Role PVG Required?
Coach/MTB Leader/Ride Leader delivering activity for children or protected adults Yes
Activity Helper for children or protected adults Yes
Youth activity coordinator/Head Coach Yes
Commissaire No
Event Organiser for events that include children or protected adult No
Youth Event Photographer No
Race Mechanic during youth race No
Event Marshal No
Event registration No
Trail Therapy Volunteer Yes

 

If you have other roles not on this list please contact the Scottish Cycling Safeguarding team: [email protected]

PVG Check Process

In order for clubs to apply for PVG through Scottish CYlcing, they must first:

  • Adopt, sign and return the PVG Processing Contract
  • Sign and return the ID Checker Agreement

The process for PVG applications is as follows:

  1. Club completes recruitment process for a regulated role (ie application, interview (formal or informal), References) and decides to employ an individual.
  2. WPO sends applicant link to the PVG application form.
  3. Applicant completes online form and clicks ‘Submit’ in the form.
  4. WPO completes ID verification form, after verifying applicants ID, and clicks ‘Submit’ in the form.
  5. We receive both forms, confirm details and submit application to Disclosure Scotland (DS).
  6. Applicant receives PVG cert up to 2 weeks before we are notified (usually just a few days). This allows applicant time to check details and update DS if anything is incorrect.
  7. We receive the PVG and make a suitability decision for their employment with club (we may involve the club in this step depending on the information received).
  8. Club employs or is not allowed to employ individual.

Leaving a Regulated Role

If you are leaving a regulated role, or one of your members is, then please inform the Scottish Cycling Safeguarding team. We will then de-link them from Scottish Cycling, which will prevent any future data breaches should that individual commit an offence that requires ‘employers’ to be informed.

PVG Resources

Club/Group/Organisation Contracts and Agreements

PVG Processing Contract

ID Checker Agreement

Application Forms

PVG Application Form

ID Verification Application Form

 

Policy and Procedure

PVG and Suitability Decision Maker Policy and Procedure

PVG Referrals Policy

Secure Data Handling Policy

Safe Recruitment Process – see appendix 3

Recruiting People with Convictions Policy – see appendix 3a

Disclosure Scotland Code of Practice – Disclosure Scotland’s Code of Practice – mygov.scot

Other Forms

Club/Group/Association Reference Form – we do not require copies of completed references, this template is to help with adhering to the Safe Recruitment Procedure