Understanding the Disclosure Scotland updates: April 2025 – Certn

Notice effective: April 1, 2025

As part of the continuous efforts to improve the disclosure process, important changes have been made to the Disclosure Scotland checks. These updates arise from the Disclosure Act 2020, reflecting modernised naming conventions, altered eligibility criteria, and changes in certificate handling. While no action is required on your part, you may notice some differences in how these checks appear on the Client Portal.

When will these changes take effect?

These updates came into effect on April 1, 2025.

What are the changes?

Naming conventions

Disclosure Scotland has updated the names of check types as part of its modernisation efforts. Review the table below to familiarize yourself with the changes.

Previous Name	Updated Name
Basic	Level 1
Standard	Level 2
Enhanced	Level 2 with Barred Lists
PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups)	PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups)

These updates will be reflected in our system, including changes to Screening Level names where applicable.

Eligibility and PVG membership

Membership in the PVG scheme is now a legal requirement for individuals in regulated roles. Disclosure Scotland has clarified eligibility criteria, which may impact certain applications.

More details are available in their Regulated Roles Guidance and eligibility checking tool (see links below).

Useful resources:

Paper certificates discontinued

Disclosure Scotland intends to discontinue sending paper certificates later this year. Disclosure Scotland has confirmed that they are still issuing paper certificates for Level 1 checks (previously known as Basic Disclosures) as they develop their new online portal. This means candidates will continue to receive a physical certificate by mail for Level 1 checks in the interim.

At this time, only Level 2, Level 2 with Barred Lists, and PVG checks have fully transitioned to digital processing through a ScotAccount, with no paper certificates issued.

Applicant submission and result sharing

Note: These changes are only for all Level 2, Level 2 with Barred Lists, and PVG checks. The submission and sharing process for Level 1 checks has not changed.

Disclosure Scotland is moving away from paper application forms. All Level 2, Level 2 with Barred Lists, and PVG checks must now be processed directly with Disclosure Scotland, requiring candidates to log into or create a ScotAccount.

Candidates must also actively consent to share their disclosure result with us or notify Disclosure Scotland if they wish to request a review.

They have 14 days from completion to take action.
Reminder emails will be sent at 5 and 12 days after the result is ready.
If they do not share their results or respond, the check will still be considered complete, and charges will apply.

We recommend informing candidates of this change and encouraging them to act promptly. We will also reinforce this in our communications with them at the time of submission.

Still have questions?

If you have any further questions or concerns about these changes, please don't hesitate to contact our customer support team.