The Scottish Government set up a Voluntary Sector Issues Group (VSIG) prior to the Act receiving Royal Assent. This group will continue to meet throughout the implementation programme.
The overall aim of the Group is to assist the Scottish Government on a wide range of issues relating to the implementation of the PVG (Sc) Act.
Objectives
The objectives of the Group are to:
Provide views on the significant secondary legislation issues - retrospective checking, determination procedures and fees;
Provide views on other regulations and powers in the Act;
Shape a business plan for the development of support to the voluntary sector (for example, in the form of training, guidance, workshop events, telephone helpline) and for different parts of the sector including practitioners, managers and countersignatories. This recognises that there will be some overlap with support to the statutory sector. It also recognises that individual recipients of any grant-assistance may or may not be members of the Issues Group;
Assist with developing the individual components of support to the voluntary sector;
Provide views on a monitoring and evaluation strategy
Membership
Membership of the Issues Group takes account of size of organisation, coverage of both children's and protected adults' interests, and coverage of various specific interests such as volunteers, sports, arts and so on. The list of voluntary sector members, as at June 2007, is:
Apex Scotland
Central Registered Body in Scotland
Church of Scotland, Safeguarding Office
Community Care Providers Scotland
CrossReach
National Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults Bishops' Conference of Scotland
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
Scottish Council of Jewish Communities
Scottish Government
Scottish Parent Teacher Council
Scottish Personal Assistant Employers Network
Scottish Scouts Association Scottish Council
Scottish Sports Association
Voluntary Arts Scotland
WRVS
Youth Scotland
Youthlink Scotland