Our commitment:

We will:

  • ensure that all members of the public find it easy to make a complaint
  • deal with all complaints sensitively, fairly and confidentially
  • inform you if your complaint has been upheld, either wholly or in part, or not upheld
  • if your complaint is justified we will apologise, try wherever possible to put the matter right and take steps to ensure that it does not happen again
  • ensure we are continuously learning from complaints to improve what we do

Stages of the Complaints Process

  • Early Resolution – initial and informal resolution
  • Stage 1 – Complaint lodged in writing to the Commission, investigated by a senior manager
  • Stage 2 – Complaint escalated to the Executive Director
  • Stage 3 – Complaint escalated to the Chair

The initial step is to contact the person you have dealt with and ask them to resolve your concern(s) informally. You are welcome to contact our team in our Contact and Support Centre by telephone or email:
0800 222 727
contact@abuseincare.org.nz
If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may wish to pursue the complaints process.

To ensure your complaint can be dealt with quickly and efficiently please provide the following information:
● Full name
● Postal and email address
● Contact telephone number
● Other relevant contact details (e.g. the details for your representative, where you wish to use one)
● Full details of the complaint - what happened, dates and any relevant supporting documents (e.g. emails)
● The outcome you are seeking
● Preferred method of contact (letter, email, phone)
If you have already tried to resolve your concerns informally, you should also provide details of the Inquiry member of staff who assisted you.

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 3 business days.
We will respond to your complaint within 15 business days of receipt.
If it is not possible to provide a response within this timeframe, we will explain the reason for the delay and an expected response timeframe.


Stage 1
At stage 1, your complaint will be investigated by a senior manager. Please send your complaint in writing to:

Complaints
PO Box 10071
The Terrace
Wellington 6011
Or by email complaints@abuseincare.org.nz

Stage 2
If you are dissatisfied with the response received at Stage 1, you may refer your complaint to the Executive Director of the Commission. You should provide details of why you are dissatisfied.


Executive Director
Complaints
PO Box 10071
The Terrace
Wellington 6011


Or by email complaints@abuseincare.org.nz
Please add in the subject line: Complaint attention Executive Director

Stage 3 Final stage
If you are not happy with the response received from the Executive Director and still feel that your complaint has not been adequately dealt with, you can contact the Chair of the Commission. The Chair is the final point of appeal for complaints. You should provide details of why you are dissatisfied.


Chair
Complaints
PO Box 10071
The Terrace
Wellington 6011


Or by email complaints@abuseincare.org.nz
Please add in the subject line: Complaint attention of the Chair 
If your complaint is about the Chair, please direct it to the Executive Director who will investigate and respond.

There is no timeframe in which you need to lodge your complaint. We encourage you to submit this as soon as possible after the issue or matter of concern has occurred, so we can investigate and respond in a timely manner.

Please contact our Contact and Support Centre on 0800 222 727 or email contact@abuseincare.org.nz
They may refer your question on to the Complaints team.