Disclosure and barring service
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, those (including osteopaths) who work with children and vulnerable adults, are covered by the Disclosure and Barring Service; in Scotland, it is the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme.
Disclosure and Barring Service
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) has been created to prevent unsuitable people working with children and vulnerable adults. The DBS covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It replaces the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).
Implications for osteopaths
It is not necessary for osteopaths practising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to be registered with the DBS.
Further information
Further information is available here.
Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme
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.
Implications for osteopaths
As an osteopath, you are likely to be in 'regulated work with vulnerable groups', so you will need to apply for membership of the PVG scheme. It is an offence for an individual to seek, do or agree to do regulated work if they are barred from the scheme. It is also an offence for an employer to knowlingly recruit an individual who is barred from the scheme to do regulated work.
'Regulated work' includes paid or unpaid work. 'Vulnerable group' includes:
- protected adults (an individual aged 16 or over who is provided with a type of care, support or welfare service);
- a child (an individual aged under 18 years).
Further information
More information on the scheme and the application process is available on Disclosure Scotland’s website.
