Recruitment and vetting procedure for Scotland
Make sure volunteers and enquirers in Scotland complete the right recruitment and vetting checks
Procedure last updated 15 April 2026.
See change log for recent updates to this page.
To keep everyone in Girlguiding safe, all our adult volunteers must go through our recruitment and vetting process.
This procedure explains everyone’s responsibilities under our recruitment and vetting policy.
Who’s this procedure for?
This procedure only relates to volunteers who carry out their role in Scotland. The PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) scheme is a Scottish membership system managed by Disclosure Scotland that prevents unsuitable individuals from working in "regulated roles" with children and/or protected adults. In Girlguiding all PVG memberships are for working with children.
This procedure has information for:
- Enquirers (someone who has registered their interest to volunteer with Girlguiding and is going through the recruitment and vetting process).
- Returning volunteers.
- Commissioners and other volunteers who have responsibilities throughout the process.
It includes what they need to do and what to expect. There’s also information for young members moving into an adult volunteering role.
Commissioners, other volunteers involved in recruitment, and ID verifiers need to follow this procedure to make sure we provide a safe space for our members.
We have specific guidance for ID verifiers.
Commissioners may need to provide support if we open a compliance case to address any concerns raised during the recruitment and vetting process.
Full guidance and further details will be provided in these instances.
Find more details about the timelines for completing the recruitment and vetting checks on our website.
County commissioners are ultimately responsible for making sure that counties, divisions and districts ensure all enquirers complete their recruitment and vetting. It must be completed in line with the recruitment and vetting policy and procedure within 40 days of the role being added on GO.
They also make sure that existing volunteers meet their deadlines to renew their training. This includes having the appropriate references, and where appropriate, training and criminal record disclosure checks in place and in date, in line with our recruitment and vetting policy.
You'll need to make sure that:
- Volunteers starting an additional volunteer role that requires membership of the PVG scheme, where their current role did not, complete the joining or updating process. Similarly, volunteers moving to a different disclosure area (for example moving to Scotland from England), start and complete disclosure checks appropriate for their new area.
- Young members under 18 aren’t left alone or in charge of a unit. This includes young volunteers. Find out more about working with young volunteers.
- In Scotland, enquirers aren’t actively involved in unit meetings until their PVG membership application or renewal is complete and satisfactory. This also applies to young members moving into adult volunteering roles, including those who automatically become unit helpers when they turn 18.
- Anyone currently going through the process to join the PVG scheme, or volunteers who need to renew their membership, don’t attend unit meetings, or undertake any other part of their role that involves contact with young members. They can only do so when their application to join or renewal of their membership is complete and satisfactory.
Our HQ disclosures team ([email protected]) processes PVG scheme disclosures for new and existing members, and references. If there are any concerns about someone’s suitability to volunteer, our HQ complaints and compliance team ([email protected]) will open a case and manage this process. There’s more information about the PVG scheme and references further down this page.
I’m applying to be a Girlguiding volunteer. What do I need to do?
You must complete our recruitment and vetting checks, so we can check your suitability to volunteer with us. You’ll have to:
- Provide 2 satisfactory references.
- Complete a PVG scheme disclosure, if it’s required for the role.
- As well as these checks, for most roles you must complete our safer guiding training. Safer guiding training makes sure volunteers offer girls a safe space where they can have fun, learn and grow. Find out how to use our learning platform to do the training.
You'll have 40 days to start each of these from the day your role is added on GO.
I’m coming back to Girlguiding. What do I need to do?
If you’ve previously stopped all volunteering in Girlguiding and have now returned after 12 months or more, you’ll need to renew your checks. This is to make sure there’s no reason you can’t volunteer for us again.
You’ll need to:
- Provide 2 satisfactory references.
- Complete a PVG scheme disclosure, or renew your PVG membership if it has expired, and ensure that Girlguiding remains an interested party.
- If it has been more than 3 years, or if it has expired, you’ll also need to redo safer guiding training if your role requires it.
Regardless of the length of time away from Girlguiding, you may also need to complete a new disclosure check if you have moved to an area that requires a different type of disclosure check, for example from England to Scotland.
Trying out units before checks
To give you a chance to try out your new role and make sure it’s right for you, you can visit a unit up to 4 times under supervision before you start your checks. But only under the following conditions:
- You’ve read and agreed to follow our unit safeguarding guidelines.
- In Scotland, you can attend up to 4 unit meetings as an observer to find out what guiding is all about and find the right unit and role for you. Observing a unit meeting means you can watch the sessions to see what goes on during a usual unit meeting, and what the girls and volunteers get up to.
Attending units once you’ve started recruitment and vetting checks
In Scotland once you've started the recruitment and vetting checks you cannot attend unit meetings, until all relevant checks are complete and satisfactory.
What’s the reference process?
All enquirers and volunteers returning to Girlguiding after more than 12 months need 2 suitable character references.
A character reference is about whether the person has the qualities we look for in our volunteers. It’s different to an employment reference, which confirms where someone worked and for how long. A character reference could be provided by an employer or colleague, or a neighbour or friend, as long as they know the person well enough to comment on their qualities.
The person who gives the reference is called a referee.
An enquirer or volunteer going through the recruitment and vetting process must make sure:
- Their referees understand what they need to do.
- Their referees are aged 18 or over.
- Their referees have known them for at least 1 year.
- Their referees can’t be a relative or partner. This includes being related to someone through a spouse or partner.
- The enquirer or volunteer should have their referees’ permission to give their contact details to Girlguiding.
- Only 1 of the 2 referees can know the enquirer or volunteer through Girlguiding.
The enquirer or volunteer will receive an email asking them to add their referees' details through GO. There’s a help file available on the page and you can find more information on how to use GO on our website. Once they’ve done this, their referees will be sent the reference request.
They’ll have 40 days to add the details of 2 referees, and the referees will have 40 days to submit their reference. If any of the references are unsuitable or referees don’t respond to the reference request, the enquirer or volunteer will have another 40 days to add another referee.
Girlguiding HQ will send the referees a questionnaire by email for them to fill in. We can also send it by post if the enquirer or volunteer doesn’t know their referee’s email address. Referees must respond using the questionnaire. If this is a problem for a referee we can look at other options.
The referee must:
- Answer every question in the questionnaire.
- Return the questionnaire within 40 days of Girlguiding HQ sending it. If not, the reference will be declined. We’ll send a reminder after 20 days if we haven’t had a response. An enquirer or volunteer can resend the reference request before this through GO.
If the referee doesn’t receive their questionnaire, it may be in their email junk folder. This is more likely to be an issue with work email accounts. An enquirer or volunteer can update the email address for the referee through GO, or change it to a postal address.
The questionnaire will ask the referee:
- How well they know the enquirer or volunteer.
- If they're responsible, honest, respectful of others and able to work as part of a team.
- If they’re suitable to work with young people.
- If they’re suitable to handle finances and money.
- If there’s any reason why Girlguiding shouldn’t allow them to volunteer with us.
- To confirm that the information they’ve given is true to the best of their knowledge.
Our HQ complaints and compliance team may contact a referee if we need more details from them about their answers.
What happens if a reference isn’t accepted?
Sometimes references aren’t accepted. This might be because the referee didn’t meet the requirements listed above, or they didn’t respond within 40 days. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we won’t allow the enquirer to join Girlguiding.
If a reference is marked as unsuitable because it didn’t meet the reference criteria, the enquirer or volunteer will be given the opportunity to add another referee and the process will begin again.
If a reference we receive contains information we need to look into, then our complaints and compliance team will contact the referee to gather more information. If the enquirer or volunteer receives 3 or more unsuitable references, the HQ complaints and compliance team will contact them.
For young leaders or young external volunteers, the referencing process is slightly different to adult enquirers joining Girlguiding. The day after they turn 18 they’ll automatically be moved into a unit helper role and the leader of the unit they volunteer with will get a request to provide a reference for them.
For Rangers interested in becoming an adult volunteer, after they turn 18 they can ask their local commissioner to add their new adult role, or they can apply to volunteer through GO.
If they don’t have their commissioner’s contact details, they can contact them through GO or ask their unit leader to put them in touch.
If they’ve never logged into GO before, they’ll need to set up a login first.
Once the volunteer role has been added and confirmed, the ranger or their commissioner can email Girlguiding HQ to ask that the reference request is sent to their Ranger unit leader. They can do this by emailing [email protected] with the subject line ‘Reference request for former Ranger’, and sharing the ranger’s name and membership number.
For young leaders, young external volunteers and Rangers, if the reference from their unit leader is marked as satisfactory, they won’t need to do anything. But if the reference is marked as unsuitable, they’ll need to find someone outside of Girlguiding to provide a reference. References can be marked as unsuitable for lots of reasons, such as the referee hasn’t known them for at least a year, or is a relative.
What’s the process for criminal record disclosure checks?
Girlguiding’s disclosure check process is triggered when a role requiring membership of the PVG scheme is added to an enquirer or volunteer’s record on GO, unless they already have a valid check for the relevant area.
If your role requires a disclosure check you must let the Girlguiding HQ complaints and compliance team know about all spent and unspent convictions and cautions.
It’s important to make a start as soon as possible, as there can be delays while Disclosure Scotland process your PVG scheme disclosure application. The process must be started within 40 days of the volunteer role being added to GO.
Part of the process is verifying the enquirer or volunteer’s identity. This is done by meeting with an ID verifier in person. , who'll check their identity documents.
ID verifiers must check our guidance for ID verifiers, including what documents can be accepted. Contact our HQ disclosures team ([email protected]) for advice if someone is having difficulty providing identity documents.
Timeline for disclosure checks
If an enquirer or volunteer needs a PVG scheme disclosure they’ll receive communications to inform and remind them to complete this.
New enquirers must start this within 40 days.
Commissioners will receive messages from GO asking them to support the disclosure check process. District, division and county users with commissioner or level support access on GO can see a list of all the disclosure checks which need to be started. A volunteer should contact their commissioner if they need extra time to complete the check.
Disclosure re-checks
The PVG scheme automatically updates Girlguiding with new information, unless a volunteer leaves guiding and removes Girlguiding as an interested party from their PVG scheme membership, or if their PVG membership expires. Adult volunteers in Scotland who are members of the PVG scheme for their role with Girlguiding will need to renew their PVG membership every 5 years, and ensure that Girlguiding remains an interested party. Volunteers must keep Disclosure Scotland updated about changes in circumstances. This includes no longer volunteering for Girlguiding, or any changes of name or address. A volunteer may be breaking the law if they don’t do this. Find out more on the mygov.scot website.
What happens when a disclosure check is complete?
Girlguiding doesn’t receive the result of a PVG scheme disclosure until the enquirer or volunteer gives their consent for Disclosure Scotland to share the result with us. They must give this consent within 14 days of receiving the result. Satisfactory results will be updated to the volunteer’s GO record. Where a result needs to be reviewed the Girlguiding HQ compliance team will contact the volunteer.
We’ll either accept the enquirer or volunteer, or refuse or withdraw their role.
Having information on their disclosure result doesn’t necessarily mean an enquirer or volunteer can’t volunteer with Girlguiding, unless they’re barred from working with children.
If there’s information on their disclosure result, our HQ complaints and compliance team carry out a risk assessment.
In Scotland, enquirers and volunteers must not be actively involved in unit meetings or other aspects of the role until HQ confirms their vetting process is complete and satisfactory.
Failure to comply may lead to the application being refused or their membership being withdrawn. Our HQ complaints and compliance team will inform the county commissioner and chief commissioner before taking this action.
The risk assessment
Our HQ complaints and compliance team will do a risk assessment, which may include a phone interview. If the caution or conviction disclosure relates to harm to children or adults, we’ll look at this in line with our safeguarding policy.
Following the risk assessment, we may decide to:
- Take no further action.
- Allow them to become a volunteer, but with some restrictions to their role.
- Refuse or withdraw their membership.
Restrictions
Restrictions can include, but aren’t limited to:
- Not handling finances.
- Not driving a vehicle to transport young members.
- Not holding specific leadership roles.
Our complaints and compliance team will write to the enquirer or volunteer about the restriction and its terms. We’ll also make their county commissioner aware of the restriction, so they can make sure it’s followed locally. But we won’t tell them about the information from the disclosure
For more information, take a look at our managing concerns about adult volunteers policy and procedure.
Disclosure checks and training
If a young member’s new adult volunteering role requires a disclosure check, GO will automatically trigger this request when the adult role is added to their record.
They’ll also need to complete the correct level of safer guiding training for their new role to learn how we make guiding a safe space for everyone. This is different to the a safe space training they may have done as a young leader or young external volunteer. Once they turn 18, they must complete safer guiding training.
Young members in Scotland who’ve decided they want to continue as adult volunteers after they turn 18 can start the disclosure check early, to try and avoid needing to take a break in between their young member and adult volunteer role. But, they must not be actively involved in unit meetings or other aspects of the role until HQ confirms their vetting process is complete and satisfactory. There’s more information below.
Do I need to apply for a disclosure check before I turn 18?
If a young member will be turning 18 just before going on a residential event as a volunteer, or they’ll turn 18 during the trip, they’ll need to start the PVG scheme disclosure process early. There’s no need to do this more than three months in advance of turning 18.
When the event organiser completes part 1 of our residential event notification (REN) form, they must add details of volunteers. The young member will be sent a link inviting them to sign up to the event.
To request the check before a young member turns 18, the event organiser or commissioner needs to:
- Check they’ve been added to the event on GO.
- Email [email protected] with the subject line ‘Under 18 Disclosure check’, to ask Girlguiding HQ to trigger it manually.
If a young member is in Scotland they can start the disclosure check process 3 months before they turn 18. This is so that they don't have to take a break while their disclosure check is being processed. Once they’ve decided they want to become an adult volunteer, they should speak to their leader or commissioner.
To request the check before a young member in Scotland turns 18, the leader or commissioner needs to:
- Email [email protected] with the subject line ‘Under 18 disclosure check - Scotland’, to ask Girlguiding HQ to trigger it manually. There’s no need to do this more than 3 months in advance.
- Add their volunteering role on GO.
When recruitment and vetting checks are complete
Becoming a Girlguiding volunteer
When an enquirer or volunteer’s relevant checks are complete, Girlguiding HQ will confirm their role is active. On GO their role will change from active-pending to active, they can then access role relevant areas of Girlguiding’s membership systems and receive role relevant newsletters. They’ll now be able to fully start their volunteering role, take part in meetings, and attend residentials.
What happens if you don’t complete the recruitment and vetting process
If the recruitment and vetting process isn’t completed, or checks aren’t satisfactory, our HQ complaints and compliance team will let the enquirer or volunteer know in writing that their application to become a Girlguiding volunteer has been refused.
If they’re already a volunteer, their role will be withdrawn. The letter or email will explain the reasons for this, and the team will let their county commissioner know. The country or region chief commissioner will also check and approve any decision to withdraw an existing volunteer.
Other types of involvement
Helpers at residentials
Any adult volunteer staying overnight with young members must be in a role requiring a disclosure check and have completed the recruitment and vetting process. They can be registered on GO as a unit, district, division or county helper.
In exceptional circumstances, the chief commissioner and HQ complaints and compliance team may allow a volunteer to attend a residential event without having a current Girlguiding disclosure check. For further information please contact [email protected].
Volunteers under 18
Volunteers under the age of 18, like young leaders and young external volunteers, don’t need to have references or a disclosure check. This is because they’re still young members.
But young volunteers do need to be registered as volunteers on GO. And young volunteers should complete the a safe space training for their age group as part of their induction to volunteering. Find out more about our a safe space training for under 18s and working with young volunteers.
Working with other organisations
Organisations we work with may have different approaches to recruitment and vetting. When working with other organisations, like the Trefoil Guild, or hiring external activity providers, you must make sure their vetting processes are in line with Girlguiding’s.
If you have any concerns, speak to your commissioner or contact our HQ complaints and compliance team ([email protected]). And don’t forget to follow our guidance on visitors at unit meetings and events.
Visitors to your meetings
For information on external visitors to your meeting, see our visitors to your meetings page.
Parent and carer helpers
For information on including parents and carers as helpers in the unit, see our involving parents page.
External carers
For information on external carers (for example an allocated support worker or carer for a young member residing in a residential care home), see our how we keep your child safe page.
Change log
- April 2026 - information on Scottish PVG scheme updated to include new 5 year renewal requirement.
- January 2026 – new version of the recruitment and vetting procedure published for volunteers who carry out their role in Scotland.
