7. The PVG Act defines a child as an individual under the age of 18 and protected adult as an individual aged 16 or over. Does this mean that a person who is aged 16 or 17 and in receipt of services is a child or a protected adult?
The majority of people who are protected adults will be over the age of 18. However, there will be circumstances where a 16 or 17 year old is in receipt of care services and is therefore both a child and a protected adult. This does not create any particular difficulty. It means that an employee who works with a person who falls into both categories may need to be a member of the scheme in respect of both types of regulated work. It is intended that this can be achieved through a single application to join the scheme (the applicant will simply tick both boxes for work with children and protected adults) and it is not proposed to charge a higher fee for applications to join both workforces.