Following engagement with our members at our recent Members Meet-Up on 21 May 2024, Voluntary Health Scotland has submitted a response to the Disclosure Scotland fees consultation.
In our response, we have stated that we do not agree with this proposal. Currently, Disclosure Scotland waives fees for any applications to join the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme and all subsequent disclosure records when people are doing regulated work in a voluntary and unpaid capacity for a Qualifying Voluntary Organisation (QVO).
Replacing the current fee waiver for volunteers with a 60% fee discount would have a profound impact on Voluntary Health’s Scotland’s members, as well as the people that they support.
If individuals were to meet this cost, we are concerned that this could deter volunteers at a time that volunteer numbers are already falling across Scotland.
Alternatively, if organisations were to meet this cost, we are concerned that this could apply additional financial pressure at a time that funding is being reduced across the sector. This would severely impact upon organisations’ ability to recruit, retain and train their volunteers, as well as the quality and safety of volunteer-led services.
When reviewing this proposal, Voluntary Health Scotland has urged for far greater consideration to be given to the positive impact of volunteering on individuals, communities, the economy and workforce development in Scotland. It is our view that the relatively modest financial benefit of introducing this additional fee is not worth the risk to the benefits that volunteering brings.
In 2022/2023, the value of non-chargeable disclosures provided to volunteers amounted to £2.318 million. Additionally, it is estimated that replacing the current fee waiver for volunteers with a 60% fee discount would save Disclosure Scotland £869,988 a year.
Given the annual value of volunteering in Scotland is estimated to be £2.26 billion, serious consideration should be given to the financial merit of this proposal, as this saving would be vastly outweighed by the value provided by volunteers in Scotland.
As a result, we have strongly recommended that the current fee waiver for volunteers is kept in place.
For further information, please contact Matthew James, Policy Engagement Lead at Voluntary Health Scotland: matthew.james@vhscotland.org.uk
Click here to read the response in full.
