Early learning and childcare: national induction resource

Professional Regulation Of Early Learning and Childcare

Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme

As part of your recruitment process for your role in ELC, you will undergo a Disclosure Scotland criminal record check and will have to be a registered member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. When someone applies to join the PVG Scheme, Disclosure Scotland carries out criminal record checks and shares the results with individuals and their employers.

The checks will highlight:

• whether you are barred from regulated work in the role you have applied for
• whether you are under consideration for listing for that type of regulated work
• unspent convictions
• spent convictions for certain offences
• unspent cautions
• if you are on the sex offenders register
• relevant information from the police
• prescribed civil orders

A PVG scheme membership lasts forever and is continuously checked unless you decide to leave the scheme (for example, if you stop doing “regulated work”). You should keep your record up to date if for example, you change jobs or move house. This means that Disclosure Scotland can contact you quickly if needed and information is sent to the right place. You can find out how to manage your PVG membership details on the Disclosure Scotland website.

If Disclosure Scotland are advised of new information which means you might have become unsuitable to work with children or protected adults, they will tell your employer. More information on the PVG scheme can be found here.

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. 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). You can find out more about this fee waiver initiative on the Scottish Government website.

You can follow Disclosure Scotland on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and sign up to our quarterly e-bulletin, to stay up to date with what’s happening in Disclosure Scotland.

Registering with the Scottish Social Services Council

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) is the regulatory body for social service workers, this includes those working in the ELC profession in day care of children service settings (other than teachers). Those working in childminding services are not required to register with the SSSC but are regulated by the Care Inspectorate. Teachers are registered and regulated by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).

The following information relates to existing SSSC requirements, however this is subject to change from 2024 following the SSSC’s review of the register, qualifications and skills, and Code of Practice. Further information can be found on their Future Proofing Programme FAQ. Currently, you must register with the SSSC once you have started in your ELC role. Your registration category will reflect the position (role and responsibilities) to which you have been appointed. You will register in one of the following SSSC categories:

• Support worker in a day care of children service
• Practitioner in a day care of children service
• Lead Practitioner/ manager in a day care of children service

The term ‘day care of children service’ is the collective name for services where support is provided to children during the day. It includes out of school care but does not include residential care.

To apply for registration you need to complete an application online through MySSSC. In most cases, once you start a role, you have up to 6 months to register. If your application isn’t approved within the time limit it could affect your ability to work. There is an annual fee for registering with the SSSC and registration lasts for five years. You may wish to check with your employer if there are any local arrangements in place which provide financial support towards paying this fee. Before your period of registration expires the SSSC will contact you with information on how to renew your registration. It is important that you renew your registration in order to remain eligible to undertake your role.

It can take up to 3 months for SSSC to process and approve your application and to add your name to the Register. The annual fees for registering with the SSSC can be accessed online.

As part of the registration process, the SSSC check that applicants are of ‘good character’ by assessing the information you provide within your application for registration and the PVG scheme. When establishing ‘good character’ the SSSC take into account a range of matters including any current or previous convictions or police charges as well as disciplinary processes, dismissals, resignations etc. More information about the conditions for registration are available on the SSSC website.

SSSC Codes of Practice

The SSSC have developed the ‘Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers’ (the Codes of Practice) which set out clear standards for professional conduct and practice that social service workers, including early years workers, must meet in their everyday work.

When you register with the SSSC you must agree to follow the SSSC Codes of Practice for Workers (subject to change from 2024). You are responsible for making sure that your professional practice meets all of the required standards. This includes your practice within work as well as your conduct outside of your work. You should familiarise yourself with the Codes of Practice as soon as possible. SSSC may take action against registered workers if they fail to meet the standards of character, conduct and competence necessary for them to do their job safely and effectively as set out in the Codes of Practice.

The Codes of Practice are part of the wider package of legislation, practice standards and employers’ policies and procedures that social service workers must meet.