SLAB warns of PVG vetting need ahead of children's legal aid deadline

28th January 2015 | civil litigation , criminal law , family-child law , government-administration

Solicitors who wish to be on the Scottish Legal Aid Board’s 2015-16 children’s duty scheme should apply now for PVG registration to avoid missing the deadline, the Scottish Legal Aid Board has warned.

Due to the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007, from 1 June 2015 all solicitors registered for the children’s duty scheme must be PVG registered and must apply for a scheme record update to note SLAB’s interest. This will ensure that SLAB is aware of any change to the individual’s scheme record. Anyone not a member of the PVG scheme and without SLAB as a registered body on their record will not be able to be on the children’s duty scheme.

Work regulated under the Act includes being in sole charge of children and/or having unsupervised contact with children under arrangements made by a responsible person.

Applications to be on the duty scheme must be submitted by 27 March. However the timescales for being accepted as a member of the PVG Scheme mean the process must be completed well in advance.

For further information about registration requirements, see SLAB’s update of 11 December 2014.