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Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007

Section 9.  Failure to refer: offence

27.Organisations, employment agencies, nurse agencies and employment businesses commit an offence if they fail to discharge their duty to refer within 3 months from the date that the duty arose. This offence attracts a penalty of up to 12 months imprisonment and /or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum on summary conviction. On conviction on indictment, the penalty is up to 5 years imprisonment and / or an unlimited fine. The severity of the penalty reflects the fact that this offence has potentially very serious consequences: a failure to refer means that an individual, who might have been barred had their case been considered, can continue to undertake regulated work with children and/or protected adults.

28.Section 89 of the Act makes provision for particular individuals to be held accountable where an offence is committed by an organisation.

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Text created by the Scottish Government to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Acts of the Scottish Parliament except those which result from Budget Bills.

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