Claims Disclosure Scotland is in 'turmoil' as £100 million temp staff bill revealed

Since 2012, more than £100 million has been spent on agency and contractor staff, while the processing time for a disclosure check on criminal records for people undertaking activities such as volunteering or working with children, has gone up by nearly 50 per cent.

Disclosure Scotland is the Scottish Government agency responsible for processing criminal record checks, which help employers assess job applicants’ suitability.

The scheme also helps ensure unsuitable applicants do not end up working with vulnerable groups like children or protected adults.

However, Scottish Labour says Disclosure Scotland is relying on expensive agency staff to “paper over the cracks” of the SNP’s mismanagement of the organisation, warning there could be dire consequences.

In 2012, temporary staff cost the organisation £1,942,000 - but by 2018 this soared to £16,605,000.

Between 2018 and 2020, the agency spent more than £10m a year on temporary staff.

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In the first nine months of 2024, Disclosure Scotland had spent £7,504,000 on temporary staff.

In fact in eight of the last 13 years, there has been an increase in temporary staff costs.

However between 2016 and 2023, the number of days it takes to process a basic disclosure check rose by 48 per cent from four days to 5.9 days.

The processing time for a PVG scheme record rose by 65 per cent (5.1 days to 8.4 days), while PVG record updates increased by a whopping 215 per cent (2.7 days to 8.5 days).

Overall, it takes on average 83 per cent longer to process applications to Disclosure Scotland in 2023 than it did in 2016.

Martin Whitfield MSP, Scottish Labour’s children and young people spokesman, said: “The SNP’s disastrous mismanagement of Disclosure Scotland has left taxpayers footing a £100m temp bill while waits rise.

“Years of SNP failure has left Disclosure Scotland in chaos, relying on expensive temporary staff to paper over the cracks.

“The safety of our schools and our public services is being put at risk by this turmoil.

“This is costing taxpayers millions of pounds at a time when public finances are stretched to breaking point and leaving workers in limbo while they wait for their applications to be dealt with.

“A well-functioning disclosure system is a matter of public safety - the SNP must hire the staff needed to carry out robust and speedy checks.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government added: “While staffing and recruitment are matters for Disclosure Scotland, as with all executive agencies, the Scottish Government regularly engages with them on these issues to ensure there is no disruption to services.

“In 2025/26 we will continue to ensure Disclosure Scotland is fully funded to meet its statutory commitments.”