Your duties after receiving someone's disclosure certificate

A disclosure certificate contains personal information. If you receive someone's disclosure certificate, you need to make sure you handle it in the correct way.

You can do this by making sure it's:

• kept in a safe, secure place
• only shared with people allowed to see it

When disclosure information can be shared

Because a disclosure certificate contains someone's private details, you can only show it to certain people and for work purposes only.

You can share the information with:

• someone you work with who has the right to see disclosure information to do their job
• if you signed the application for another organisation, someone within that organisation, but for work purposes only
• a government department investigating a crime
• a person holding statutory office - this means someone in a job that's been set up by law, such as someone who is appointed by the King or a board member of a public body
• anyone you're required by law to share the disclosure certificate with
• anyone who has the consent of the person named in the disclosure certificate to see the information

These duties apply to all people who see the disclosure certificate.

If you're registered with Disclosure Scotland

A registered body can sign applications from bodies that are not registered with Disclosure Scotland. This is to approve the application before it's sent.

In these cases, the disclosure certificate will be sent to the registered body. After the certificate is received, it's the duty of both the registered body and the other organisation to handle the certificate in the right way.

Find out more about PVG for employers, registered bodies and the duties of a registered body.

Further help

If you've signed someone's disclosure application form and need help or advice you can contact Disclosure Scotland by email: response@disclosurescotland.gov.scot

Phone: 0300 020 0040
Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm
Friday 9am to 3:30pm
Find out about call charges