Assessment of Criminal Convictions
If you have a criminal conviction or any relevant live criminal procedures (charges), you should have declared this on your application form. For undergraduate applicants applying via UCAS, you will only be asked to declare if you are applying for certain programmes. If you have applied for a programme where you are not asked to declare, if you are successful in receiving an offer to study at Queen Margaret University, you will be asked to contact disclosure@qmu.ac.uk to declare. If a declaration has been made, the nature of the conviction/criminal procedures (charges) will need to be investigated and a decision made on whether or not you may be admitted to the programme.
We would like to emphasise that a criminal record does not automatically prevent you from joining a programme. However, failure to disclose a relevant unspent criminal conviction or relevant live criminal procedures (charges) is a disciplinary offence. Failure to declare on your application form and/or providing misleading information will result in your being asked to withdraw from your programme.
Disclosure Scotland
Students of certain programmes at QMU are required to complete a clinical placement. Duties on these placements may involve caring for children and certain vulnerable adults.
In line with NHS policy and Scottish Government regulations, students will not be allowed to undertake clinical placement until the appropriate criminal record checks have been made.
Below is a list of the specific programmes this covers at QMU:
- BA (Hons) Education Studies (Primary)
- PGDE Secondary (all programmes)
- BSc Paramedic Science
- Master of Physiotherapy
- Master of Podiatry
- Master of Radiography: Diagnostic
- Master of Radiography: Therapeutic
- Master of Occupational Therapy
- Master of Speech and Language Therapy
- Master of Dietetics
- Master of Nursing
- BSc (Hons) Nursing
- MSc Dietetics (Pre-registration)
- MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration)
- MSc Physiotherapy (Pre-registration)
- MSc Speech and Language Therapy (Pre-registration)
- MSc Audiology (Pre-registration)
- MSc Diagnostic Radiography (Pre-registration)
- MSc Therapeutic Radiography (Pre-Registration)
- MSc Podiatry (Pre-Registration)
- MSc Art Psychotherapy
- MSc Dramatherapy
- MSc Music Therapy
There are also programmes that will require a PVG check from your current employer such as the DipHE Hearing Aid Audiology and certain PgDip Person Centred programmes. We would contact you directly to inform you if this is required.
Other courses including, but not limited to, BA (Hons) Drama, BA (Hons) Theatre and Film and BA (Hons) Education Studies, may also require a relevant PVG Scheme Record for working with children, depending on their module selection or specialism/dissertation projects. We also undertake relevant checks for the PhD candidates depending on their research area(s).
Applicants who have received an offer for one of the programmes in the list above who have lived outside the UK will be required to provide a Criminal Record Check from all countries outside the UK where they have been resident for a single period of more than three months, since the age of 16, in addition to joining the PVG scheme. Please note this needs to be provided before you can matriculate onto the programme.
Once you have matriculated, the school will provide you with a PVG application pack and aid you through the PVG application process. For International or European applicants, this is in addition to a comparable check from the police in your home country.
