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Disclosure and barring service and PVG scheme

People who work with children and adults in certain circumstances, or who may be vulnerable, fall within the remit of the Disclosure and Barring Service in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; or the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme in Scotland.

Disclosure and Barring Service

Osteopaths may be asked by their employer or health insurance providers to provide an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate. The GOsC can arrange these checks on behalf of osteopaths. For support with a DBS check, please contact the Registration team at registration@osteopathy.org.uk

Members of the professional membership body, the Institute of Osteopathy (iO), can instead contact the iO for support to complete a DBS check.

Please remember, it is not necessary for all osteopaths practising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to be registered with the DBS.

Osteopathy students are required to complete an enhanced DBS check as part of their application to join the Register. This means all osteopaths on the Register will have had at least one check. More information on completing your DBS check as an osteopathy student can be found on the Student Zone.

Further information about DBS is available on the Government’s website.

Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme in Scotland

The Scottish Government’s Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme is managed and delivered by Disclosure Scotland which, as an agency of the Scottish Government, makes decisions about who should be barred from working with vulnerable groups.

Osteopaths in Scotland need to apply to be a member of the PVG scheme if they work or plan to work with:

  • protected adults (an individual aged 18 or over who is provided with a type of care as part of a healthcare service)
  • a child (an individual aged under 18 years).

From 1 April 2025 it is a legal requirement for osteopaths in Scotland working with children and/or vulnerable adults to have membership of the PVG scheme. 

If you are working as an osteopath in Scotland, you must submit your application to the scheme no later than 30 June 2025, unless you are already a member of the scheme, in which case there is no need to make a new application.

Membership of the scheme became a legal requirement from 1 April 2025. However,there is a grace period until 1 July 2025, which means as long as you have submitted your application to the scheme before this date you will be allowed to continue practising.We recommend that you submit your application to Disclosure Scotland without delay. (See the Disclosure Scotland website).

Self-employed or sole practitioners

Self-employed osteopaths working on their own must apply for Confirmation of Scheme Membership. If you are self-employed and not currently a member of the PVG scheme, you’ll need to apply to the PVG scheme using the form which can be downloaded from Scottish Government’s website. This is currently an offline paper application, which means you’ll need to print the form out and send it to Disclosure Scotland by email or post. However, Disclosure Scotland have advised that an online application process will be introduced in the future.

If you work for an organisation or in a practice where you are recruited either as an employee or self-employed associate, then it is the responsibility of that organisation or practice Principal to make sure you are a member of the PVG scheme and that the application has been submitted. Both you and your employer will need to review and counter-sign your application.

If you’re joining the PVG scheme for the first time you’ll need to pay £59. If you are already a PVG scheme member, but planning to carry out a new role in a different organisation, the cost of a further application is £18.

Guidance for self-employed osteopaths looking to apply to the scheme is available from the Scottish Government’s website.

Osteopaths working some days on their own and some days in a practice

Any organisation that employs an osteopath needs to make sure that the osteopath is a member of the PVG scheme. This is because the organisation’s interest must be registered. Osteopaths who are already PVG members because of their work as an employee or associate do not need to apply for an additional membership to cover the work they carry out on their own.

If you are self-employed and a member of the PVG scheme on a self-employed basis, then go on to work in a practice, then your employer or principal will need to make sure you are a member of the PVG scheme by reviewing and counter-signing your application. You will need to liaise with your employer to complete an application called PVG Scheme Disclosure ‘Existing’ – more information about application types can be found on Disclosure Scotland’s website.

Support for osteopaths and employers

Guidance is available for individuals and employers. This includes an online guidance tool and a short video.

If you’re unsure about the process, please email: DisclosureAct@disclosurescotland.gov.scot

The GOsC does not control or oversee this process, so please contact Disclosure Scotland directly for any further support or guidance on this issue.

Further information is available on the Disclosure Scotland website.