Why Should a Hypnotherapist Be P.V.G. Registered?
IN September 2021 the Disclosure (Scotland) 2020 Act will come into force and its provisions will be applied to the relevant occupations.
This act provides the legislative structure to modernise, improve and upgrade the Disclosure System in Scotland. Its primary focus is on the safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults, while balancing the needs and rights of people who are moving on from past convictions and unlawful behaviour.
It builds on the past practice of providing a multi-layered service that supports the needs of care providers, employers and professionals.
The first level is the basic Mot like CRO check that gives a one-time snapshot of the subject’s “criminal convictions history”. This part is intended to assist employers to select candidates that are suitable for particular roles, that may be sensitive.
The second level is the ‘Enhanced Check’. As with the first level this is a snapshot of Police Records, but this time it is not limited to ‘criminal convictions’ but may also include incomplete Court Process and other pertinent ‘intelligence type reports’. Because of the highly sensitive nature of much of this information, not being ‘Public Domain’ in nature, the sharing of information is limited. This service is primarily used for Fostering and Adoption Services.
The Third level is the Protection of Vulnerable Groups register. This level is very different to the preceding levels. It is not simply a one time check of records but an ongoing monitoring of the individual registrant! In this process the individual to be checked may be sponsored again by a prospective employer or Voluntary Service organisation or an independent Service Professional. The individual is put through a checking procedure similar to level 2 but sometimes even more extensive. If there is any question as to the relevance of any potentially barring information the subject will, in most cases, be given the opportunity to comment. If the check results in the Disclosure Service deciding to bar the individual, then the process will cease immediately and the individual will be placed on the Barred List.
These decisions are subject to appeal procedures. If the individual passes the checking procedure they will be listed as ‘registered to work with Children and/or Vulnerable Adults’. In the past this registration was permanent, unless they received a conviction or there was intelligence that would result in a barring or they notified that they no longer worked with the group in question. Under the new act this has changed to include a 5-year renewal span.
So why does this apply to Hypnotherapy? The key to this is the criteria that defines “regulated roles/work/occupations”. The significant factor to be applied here is: Vulnerability. The one thing all Professional Ethical Hypnotherapists are aware of is the vulnerability of the client/patient while affected by their condition and potential mental state. The whole question of ‘informed consent’ is pivotal in this situation. So Hypnotherapy, along with Psychotherapy and Counselling, can fall into the definition of a regulated occupation.
It is important to make clear at this point that it will not be illegal to practice Hypnotherapy, in Scotland, without P.V.G. registration.
