Tēnā koe Gregory Soar

Thank you for your email received 7 September 2017, under the Official Information Act 1982. Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate officials at National Office to respond. You may expect a decision regarding your request to be sent to you as soon as possible.
 
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Official and Parliamentary Information team   |  Ministerial and Executive Services
Ministry of Social Development

Our Purpose:
We help New Zealanders to help themselves to be safe, strong and independent
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Dear Mr Soar 

 

It is not standard practice for Ministry staff to undertake voice
recordings of meetings involving clients. However there are two exceptions
to this. This first circumstance will be when Integrity Services staff
may, with the permission of a client, conduct a voice recording for
evidential purposes. Such circumstances, will be when the staff member has
expressed permission from the client to record the interview. The client
will be aware of their rights to stop the interview at any point. 

 

Evidential recordings are kept for a period, until such time the recording
is transcribed.  Access to voice recordings are limited to staff involved
in an investigation. A copy of the recorded interview is also given to the
client for their records. 

 

Attached to this email is the training material investigation staff will
refer to. Refer to the section about recorded statements.

 

The second exception is when recordings of conversations between clients
and staff are undertaken at the Call Centre. These types of recordings are
used for training purposes to enable staff to learn how to manage
different types of calls and to measure the quality of information
provided by staff to clients.  

 

We hope this information answers your questions.

 

If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to seek an
investigation and review by the Ombudsman. Information about how to make a
complaint is available at [1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602. 

 

Regards,

 

Official and Parliamentary Information Team

Ministry of Social Development

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References

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1. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/