Home > The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) PVG Scheme for Community Pharmacy
Community Pharmacy Scotland countersigns Protecting Vulnerable Groups applications on behalf of contractor members, free of charge. Tell us what best describes you and we will show you the steps that apply to your role.
Step 1
What best describes you?
Select your role and we will show you the guidance that applies to you.
Apply for your PVG
The CPS application form contains everything we need to countersign on your behalf. We then submit it to Disclosure Scotland for you.
Start your applicationFees and how to pay
Pay by BACSSort code 80-31-20 · Account 06005432
Use the applicant's name as the reference.
Pay by invoiceEmail pvg.enquiries@cps.scot to arrange this.
Non-members pay an additional administration fee. Coastlocum applicants, see the locum guidance below.
Your guidance
Step-by-step guide for pharmacy owners
Our service
As a contractor owner member, you have access to a free administrative service to help you have your pharmacists disclosed as part of the PVG Scheme.
All you need to do is direct your employees to this page and ask them to follow the guidance for their role. We need two things from you: payment, if you are covering the cost of your employee's application, and an email address so that Disclosure Scotland can tell you when the certificate has been issued.
You can pay for your employees, or ask them to pay
Fees and bank details are in the payment panel above. If you are funding applications, tell us whether you would prefer BACS or invoice when you email pvg.enquiries@cps.scot, and give us the email address that should be notified when certificates are returned.
The first time someone applies for a PVG they complete a PVG Scheme (Join) application. This gives them a five year PVG membership and links them to their first employer. Each time an applicant starts work somewhere else, they should complete a PVG Scheme (Existing) to link them to their new employer. Once an applicant is linked to your business, you will be notified if that person receives any barring convictions.
This also applies to self employed locum pharmacists, as they need to specify an employer when completing their application, unless they are already employed by an agency, in which case the agency acts as their employer.
It is a legal requirement for you as an employer to have your pharmacists and pharmacy technicians registered as PVG Scheme members.
Email us at pvg.enquiries@cps.scot and we will take a few details about payment and who you would like notified when certificates are returned.
Once that is set up, direct your employees to the guidance for their role: pharmacists, foundation trainee pharmacists and technicians, or locum pharmacists.
Your employees carry out regulated roles, providing healthcare services to vulnerable groups. Because of this you have a duty of care to report any harmful behaviour that might affect whether a person is allowed to work with children or protected adults. This applies whether or not the person is a member of the PVG Scheme, and is known as your Duty to Refer.
If you do need to make a report, you must refer to Disclosure Scotland explaining what has happened. This only has to be done if the harmful behaviour resulted in the person being dismissed, including where they would have been dismissed but left first, or being permanently transferred away from work with children or protected adults.
Delivery drivers need a level one disclosure rather than a PVG. These do not need to be sent to us to countersign. See the delivery driver guidance for the details.
Your guidance
Applying for your PVG
What we need before we can countersign
- The name of the employer or organisation you will be working for. Without this we cannot proceed with the application.
- Your current PVG position: do you hold a PVG scheme membership, and if so, have you previously been disclosed for both adults and children?
- If you are changing employer and will still be working with the same group as previously disclosed, children and adults, you will need a PVG Scheme (Existing) application to reflect your new employer.
- If you are paying for your own application, use the fees and bank details in the payment panel above.
CPS cannot countersign for Boots UK Ltd
Boots UK Ltd carries out its own PVG process, so we are unable to countersign applications where you will be working for them.
If you are unsure whether you have held a PVG, or you have lost your current certificate, please contact Disclosure Scotland yourself. Under GDPR, Community Pharmacy Scotland cannot do this on your behalf. This applies to Scotland only.
Telephone: 0300 020 0040
Email: response@disclosurescotland.gov.scot
- Complete the CPS application form. It has been adapted by CPS and contains everything we need from you.
- CPS processes your application and submits it to Disclosure Scotland.
- Disclosure Scotland emails you a link to register for a Scot Account, where you can view your certificate and result. Check your junk folder if it does not arrive.
- The link is valid for 14 days only. If you do not complete your part within that time it will expire and we will need to submit our countersignature again.
Your guidance
Applying for your PVG as a locum
What we need before we can countersign
- The name of the employer or organisation you will be working for, even if you are self employed. Without this we cannot proceed with the application.
- If you are employed by an agency, you will need to complete a new PVG Scheme (Existing) application for each employer who asks you to.
- Do you hold a PVG Scheme membership, and if so, have you previously been disclosed for both adults and children?
- If you are paying for your own application, use the fees and bank details in the payment panel above.
CPS cannot countersign for Boots UK Ltd or Locate-A-Locum
Both carry out their own PVG process, so we are unable to countersign applications where you will be working through them.
Fees for Coastlocum applicants
If you are applying to work with Coastlocum, an administration fee applies in addition to the Disclosure Scotland fee.
| Application type | Disclosure Scotland | Admin fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheme record (application to join) | £59 | £21 | £80 |
| Scheme record update | £18 | £12 | £30 |
If you are unsure whether you have held a PVG, or you have lost your current certificate, please contact Disclosure Scotland yourself. Under GDPR, Community Pharmacy Scotland cannot do this on your behalf. This applies to Scotland only.
Telephone: 0300 020 0040
Email: response@disclosurescotland.gov.scot
- Complete the CPS application form. It has been adapted by CPS and contains everything we need from you.
- CPS processes your application and submits it to Disclosure Scotland.
- Disclosure Scotland emails you a link to complete your application. Keep an eye on your junk mail folder.
- The link is valid for 14 days only. If you do not complete your application within that time it will expire and we will need to submit our countersignatory part again.
Your guidance
Level 1 disclosure for delivery drivers
You do not need a PVG
Delivery driving is not a regulated role under the PVG Scheme, so drivers apply for a level one disclosure instead of joining the Scheme. The CPS application form and fees above do not apply to you.
- Apply online through Disclosure Scotland using the level 1 disclosure application on mygov.scot.
- These applications do not need to be sent to CPS to countersign.
- Payment is made directly to Disclosure Scotland, not to CPS.
Arranging disclosures for your drivers
If you are a pharmacy owner arranging this for your team, the individual driver completes the application themselves. Your owner guidance covers everything else, including PVG applications for pharmacists and technicians.
Background
About the PVG Scheme
The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) (Scotland) Act 2007 came into being as a response to the Bichard Inquiry report, which called for a registration scheme covering everyone who works with children and protected adults.
The Scheme covers all regulated roles, including all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians currently working in a pharmacy. It is a legal requirement for employers to have their pharmacists and pharmacy technicians registered as scheme members.
Once someone is disclosed, the company name is listed as an interested party on that person's Disclosure Scotland file. If the applicant's status changes, we will inform the interested party.
Five year membership has replaced lifetime membership
From 1 April 2026, scheme membership lasts for five years from the date you join. If you are an existing member and you make a new PVG scheme application, your membership automatically moves to a five year membership, ending your lifetime membership.
Disclosure Scotland is moving current members across in stages, starting with those who joined in 2011 and working forward to the most recent joiners. Members will be contacted directly and asked whether they are still doing regulated work. No action is required unless you are actively applying for a PVG.
This change does not affect the application process on this page. CPS will continue to countersign and process applications in the usual way.
Reference
Guide to Terminology
The PVG process is fully online. Knowing which application type you need saves time, so check the definitions below before you begin.
PVG Scheme (Join)
Your first application if you have never held a PVG. Also called an Application to Join.
PVG Scheme (Existing)
Use this when you change employer and will still be working with the same group, that is adults and children.
Scheme Record Statement
This type of certificate cannot be updated, so you will need to apply for a PVG Scheme (Join) instead.
Disclosed for one group only
If your PVG Scheme (Existing) certificate covers adults or children only, complete a PVG Scheme (Join) to cover both.
DBS certificate
Issued in England. Holders still need to apply to join the PVG Scheme in Scotland, which is an Application to Join.