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Complaints Process

The following is an outline of the process that applies to complaints received by the Survivor Experiences Service from survivors about our service, and how we have engaged with you.

If you have any questions, please contact our Contact Centre on (0800) 456 090, or email contact@survivorexperiences.govt.nz.

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.

We can assist you with literacy support if required, please ring our Contact Centre on (0800) 456 090 to discuss this.

Our commitment:

We will:

  • Ensure that all members of the public find it easy to make a complaint.
  • Deal with all complaints, fairly, confidentially and with sensitivity
  • Inform you if your complaint has been upheld, either wholly or in part, or is 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 Service, investigated by a senior manager.
  • Stage 2 – Complaint escalated to the Executive Director
  • Stage 3 – Complaint escalated to the Chair of the Board

Early Resolution – initial and informal resolution

  • 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, (0800) 456 090 or email: contact@survivorexperiences.govt.nz.
  • If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may wish to pursue the complaints process as follows:

Information we need

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 member of staff who assisted you.

Making a formal written complaint

Making a formal written complaint – Stage 1

At stage 1, your complaint will be investigated by a senior manager from the Survivor Experiences Service. Please send your complaint in writing to:

Complaints,
Survivor Experiences Service
PO Box 805,
Wellington 6140

Or by email to complaints@survivorexperiences.govt.nz.

Making a formal written complaint – Stage 2

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

Complaints,
Executive Director, Survivor Experiences Service,
PO Box 805,
Wellington 6140

Or by email to complaints@survivorexperiences.govt.nz. Please add 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 Service. The Chair is the final point of appeal for complaints. You should provide details of why you are dissatisfied.

Complaints,
Chair, Survivor Experiences Service
PO Box 805,
Wellington 6140

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

When will I receive a response to my complaint?

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.