Changes to disciplinary and competence processes

In our August  2022 newsletter we told you about the pending legislation changes to some of our disciplinary processes which take effect from late July 2023. 

We held a series of hui with key stakeholders during October and November last year to design how the new legislation could work in practice. These discussions are valuable as they identify issues, potential changes, and provide suggestions about how we can go about this area of our business in ways that align with our, and the profession’s, values. The feedback has also highlighted the need for us to better communicate our responsibilities and raise awareness within the profession and the public about the purpose of the conduct and competence processes and how they work. 

Our goals are to:

• Implement the new legislation
• integrate the values of the profession
• protect the mana of all involved in our processes
• embed tikanga Māori approaches
• enhance natural justice, reducing the overall time to resolve matters.

We will be working with our Kaupapa Māori medium sectors to create a vision paper to guide discussion about what a specific conduct and competence pathway for Kaupapa Māori medium settings could look like. We have also made a commitment to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care to review how we ensure special protection for certain witnesses and vulnerable people, and how we can improve the diversity and cultural awareness of our decision-making panels.

A consultation document about the changes and draft new Rules has been shared with the profession and key stakeholders, with submissions and survey responses closing at 5pm on Friday 14 April 2023. More information can be found here.