Disclosure Scotland

Check up on Santa.

Disclosure Scotland is advising organisations planning Christmas events to check their list twice.

Make sure Santa, elves and other children's entertainers have the correct Protecting Vulnerable Groups, PVG, membership in place.

It is a legal requirement in Scotland for anyone carrying out a regulated role with children or protected adults, whether paid or voluntary, to hold PVG scheme membership.

Whether a Santa, elf or entertainer role is considered a regulated role depends on the specific activities involved.

Disclosure Scotland has a free online checker tool and supporting guidance to help determine whether a role requires PVG scheme membership.

Self-employed professional Santas, elves and children's party entertainers who are working in a regulated role with children under 18 must join the PVG scheme for children Applications for PVG scheme membership can be made online at www.disclosure.gov.scot The author of that article was unattributed.

It was read by Ian.

Yeah, we can blame the fraudsters and it's easy to blame the industry, but people need to look in the mirror and say, listen, I didn't do any homework on this.

I mean, you'll have seen the Disclosure Scotland programme and you think, you know, how did these people get duped into this? Surely they should have done a bit more digging before.

Yeah, and you

know what? I can actually answer that question, John, because I got duped.

It has now emerged the coach responsible for the shocking assault was not in possession of the grassroots football PVG certificate which he was legally required to hold.

The updated Disclosure Scotland Act 2020, which came into force in July last year, closed historical loopholes and strengthened child protection in this country by making it a criminal offence to hold a regulated role with minors without being a member of the PVG scheme.

But Rosalind Davidson, the secretary of the East Renfrewshire Soccer Development Association, the ERSDA, is unsurprised unvetted coaches are still taking charge of youth football teams because of the reckless attitude of numerous clubs to the new law and concerned about the serious implications the dangerous practice could have for kids.

And she said, it is a criminal offence to work with children in football without a PVG.

That could have all kinds of implications for them.

The SYFA have reported one coach to Police Scotland.

But we are well aware that it is something that goes on and have spoken to both Disclosure Scotland and the SFA about ways which this issue can be addressed and the system made even more robust than it is at the moment.

It is important to point out that a coach needs to do far more than just obtain a PVG to work with children.