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Disclosure Scotland To End COVID-19 Emergency Checks: Everything You Need To Know

Disclosure Scotland To End COVID-19 Emergency Checks

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Disclosure Scotland has been waiving their fee for Criminal Record Checks for coronavirus response workers in Scotland. 

However, this is coming to an end at midnight on Friday 24 June 2022. Here’s everything you need to know about the change.

What are COVID-19 emergency checks?

Since March 2020, some workers in Scotland – both paid and unpaid – have been considered coronavirus response workers. 

Workers who met all the criteria to be a Scottish coronavirus response worker were eligible for a reduced cost Disclosure Check.

To be eligible for this COVID-19 Emergency Check, workers had to meet the following criteria:

  • They must only need a disclosure because of their coronavirus work
  • Their role must only exist in response to coronavirus
  • They must be working in a qualifying sector
  • They are carrying out work in Scotland

Workers who needed a Criminal Record Check anyway for work that was not usually related to coronavirus were not eligible for a reduced cost check, even if they worked in a qualifying sector.

Some of these qualifying sectors include:

  • Healthcare (including dental care)
  • Childcare
  • Social work and social care
  • Education (early years, primary and secondary)
  • Emergency services
  • Local and central government public services

What’s changing with COVID-19 Emergency Checks in Scotland?

At midnight on Friday 24 June 2022, Disclosure Scotland will no longer be offering this reduced rate and their fee will no longer be removed for Criminal Record Checks for coronavirus response workers.

Workers in Scotland can have either a Basic, Standard, Enhanced or Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Check. You can find out more about the different types of checks available here. Please note uCheck can process Basic and PVG applications.

What about workers in England and Wales?

For workers in England and Wales, employers will need to apply for checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) or a DBS umbrella body such as uCheck

They can have either a Basic, Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List Check. You can find out more about the different types of DBS Check by reading our blog. 

If you’d like to know more, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, or start applying for checks here

Our blogs are advisory in nature and reflect uCheck Limited’s current thinking about best and common practice in the subjects discussed.

The information contained in our blogs have been provided for information purposes only. This information does not constitute legal, professional, or commercial advice. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the content is up to date, useful and accurate, uCheck gives no guarantees, undertakings, or warranties in this regard, or, for any loss or damage caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with reliance on the use of such information.

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