Plans to introduce fees for volunteers joining the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme – a legal requirement for many roles in health and care – have been met with concern across the third sector.

Disclosure Scotland is consulting on the removal of a fee waiver currently in place for all volunteers across Scotland who need a PVG.

If implemented, the proposals – out for consultation until Tuesday – would see a ‘discount’ cost of £28 for each volunteer to join the PVG scheme.

Tejesh Mistry, Chief Executive at Voluntary Health Scotland told healthandcare.scot that this would have a “profound impact” on voluntary organisations which are already experiencing financial difficulties:

“At a time when health inequalities are widening, this proposal would create a damaging financial barrier to volunteering in Scotland.

“This would have a profound impact on voluntary organisations that are already experiencing increased financial pressures with both services and organisations at risk of closure.

“Ultimately, vulnerable people and communities will suffer, and we’ll move further away from our aspirations to transition to a wellbeing economy.”

Co-conveners of Holyrood’s Cross-Party Group on Volunteering have also written a letter to express their concerns to the Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise, Natalie Don.

Foysol Choudhury MSP and Jeremey Balfour MSP write that it is vital the government does all it can to support volunteers, and the proposal could have a ‘catastrophic’ impact on organisations, who may reduce or remove their volunteer programmes.

Volunteer Scotland echoes these concerns. Members have told the organisation that the proposal marks a ‘tax on volunteering’, which will limit organisations and, if individuals are expected to cover costs, exclude those with lower incomes.

The national volunteering body says it recognises the introduction of a fee aims to support the cost of the proposed fee reductions for people in receipt of certain benefits and care experienced young people.

However, it says third sector leaders have shared that this “misses the mark” and would be a “potentially damaging move” from the government, with a new requirement for organisations to prove they qualify for a fee reduction likely to be another barrier.

Meanwhile, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland says the current fee waiver for volunteers has enabled thousands of volunteers to be recruited.

The charity said the proposal to remove the fee waiver will act as a barrier to the Scottish government’s own Volunteering Action Plan, which seeks to improve participation, develop and sustain volunteer places.

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland adds:

“The proposal to remove this fee waiver will place a huge financial burden on voluntary organisations and act as a barrier to sustaining volunteering and welcoming new volunteers. These proposals come on top of existing pressures on the voluntary sector.

“The cumulative impacts of the pandemic and cost of living crisis have led to a rapid decline in formal volunteering.

“We urge Disclosure Scotland to reconsider and encourage stakeholders across the sector to respond.”

Disclosure Scotland is also proposing a rise to fees for other groups applying to the scheme, after freezing values for more than a decade.

The organisation says that ‘work is ongoing to ensure fees are set at a level which balances affordability for customers against the cost of delivering disclosures’.

The consultation on Disclosure Scotland fees will close on Tuesday 28 May.

Read more: Care services at risk from delayed payments; Glasgow link workers protected for three more years; 20 years of Voluntary Health Scotland; Economic change key to Scotland’s health inequalities

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