Guidelines for record holders

People we have engaged with have told us that it would be useful to have information about the rules that record holders need to follow, and guidelines for how they should act.

People say it would be useful because:

• people requesting their records can find information about how record holders should be acting
• record holders can find resources on how to properly manage and respond to records requests.

We will be improving this section in the future with more detailed information for record holders.

Currently we are providing links to guidance that record holders should read and use when managing and responding to records requests. 

• create and keep full and accurate records
• record all incidents and the organisation’s responses to incidents (for example, grooming, inappropriate behaviour, abuse, and neglect)
• maintain records in an indexed, logical, and secure manner
• only dispose of records according to law or policy (such as records disposal schedules).
• recognise individuals’ rights to access records about them. This includes their right to records without redaction (when information is removed or hidden) except when required by law 
• provide specific explanations when you must redact information from records
• work with people to document their time in your guardianship or care. 

• help survivors obtain their records in as full a form as possible while still respecting the privacy of others 
• help survivors to understand their records 
• favour disclosure wherever possible 
• be consistent as much as possible in what they disclose, irrespective of whether in response to court discovery rules or survivor requests 
• give specific explanations of the privacy reasons they use to justify withholding information 
• have the necessary resources to respond in an appropriate and timely way 
• consider seeking the consent of other individuals before making redactions that would withhold a significant amount of information to protect their privacy.

• develop guidelines for all institutions on the above points, in partnership with Māori and with the involvement of survivors and institutions
• complete its work on a policy to streamline the way agencies handle survivor records within six months and this policy should also deal with the preservation of records and the advantages and disadvantages of centralising records
• urgently review disposal authorities relevant to care records and consider whether to prohibit the disposal of care records until at least the completion of its work on records
• review care providers’ record-keeping practices, consider whether to set a standard governing what records providers should create and keep, and consider whether those keeping records for care providers should receive training
• decide whether Aotearoa New Zealand should have a service similar to Find and Connect.