Disclosure Scotland inspectors and inspection processes: FOI release

Information requested

1. What inspections activities does Disclosure Scotland perform?

2. How many inspections (of each type if possible) were performed in 2019/20?

3. How many inspectors do you employ, and what was the annual cost of these inspectors in 2019/20?

4. Do you use third parties to perform these inspections? If so, who did you use, and what was the annual spend in 2019/20?

5. What information management system, if any, do you use to manage the inspections, and what was the annual spend on this in 2019/20? 

For avoidance of doubt, by ‘inspections’ I mean ‘activities that are carried out to ensure the inspected entity meets legislative requirements for their role or function or condition, delivers on their duty of care for individuals or the public and/or adheres to any rules set by government on use of government funds’.

Response

I enclose a copy of all of the information you requested below.

1. What inspections activities does Disclosure Scotland perform?

Disclosure Scotland performs the following inspection activities:

• audits of organisations who submit disclosure applications for Standard Disclosure, Enhanced Disclosure or PVG to ensure that they fulfil their requirements under the Code of Practice for Registered Persons

• audits of organisations who solely submit Basic Disclosure checks to ensure that, in doing so, they fulfil their requirements under their operational processing agreement with Disclosure Scotland

• sample review of applications for Standard Disclosure, Enhanced Disclosure and PVG level checks to ensure the legislative eligibility is correctly applied by organisations registered with Disclosure Scotland to countersign higher level disclosure checks

2. How many inspections (of each type if possible) were performed in 2019/20? In 2019/20:

• two audits were completed of organisations to ensure that they fulfil their requirements under the Code of Practice for Registered Persons

• five audits were completed of organisations to ensure they fulfil their requirements under their operational processing agreement with Disclosure Scotland

• 211,756 applications were sampled to ensure legislative eligibility was correctly applied by organisations

3. How many inspectors do you employ, and what was the annual cost of these inspectors in 2019/20?

We do not employ inspectors specifically for this purpose. Inspections are carried out by Disclosure Scotland staff who are employed to carry out a range of duties, including the inspections activities described. Therefore, we do not hold specific information on the annual costs.

4. Do you use third parties to perform these inspections? If so, who did you use, and what was the annual spend in 2019/20?

We do not use third parties to perform these inspections.

5. What information management system, if any, do you use to manage the inspections, and what was the annual spend on this in 2019/20?

We do not use a specific information management system to manage our inspections. Therefore, we do not hold information on our annual spend.

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