Kāinga Ora social media guidance
Social media is one of the various ways we can tell the story of Kāinga Ora and our public housing
customers. It’s also another channel for our customers and the general public to contact and
connect with us.
We want to promote positive discussion about our people, our public housing customers and the
work we do. However, as an employee of a Crown Entity and as a public channel that can be viewed
by anyone, there are a few things our people need to keep in mind when posting anything online.
Code of Integrity and Conduct
We must remember to abide b
y Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission Standards of Integrity
and Conduct. The policy outlines expected standards of professional behaviour for all Kāinga Ora
employees to build and maintain the trust and confidence of al stakeholders including our people,
customers, and the communities we serve.
When it comes to our social media obligations, we must ensure that we:
• Avoid doing anything that could harm the reputation of Kāinga Ora
• Do not share any internal documents or messages from Kāinga Ora without checking with
the author or Social Media Advisor first
• If you are making a post in your own time that could be misinterpreted and representative
of Kāinga Ora, provide a disclaimer. This can typically go in your profile description, or in the
post. For example:
“Any views expressed are my own and do not represent those of my employer/Kāinga Ora”
• Always seek the permission of colleagues, and official written consent from public housing
customers or contractors before posting anything about them. You must fil out
a Talent
Release form.
• Maintain the position of Kāinga Ora as a politically neutral Crown Agency and avoid making
comments that support or oppose the Government, Minister, Opposition or any other
political commentary to protect the integrity of our organisation and our people
• Do not share private information without asking permission first. Under the Privacy Act,
we are not al owed to use or disclose personal information, and discussing personal or
financial information can put our public housing customers, people, and other parties at
risk
• Do not make derogatory comments about our people, public housing customers, and other
parties. This could affect your employment at Kāinga Ora
• Do not respond to questions or negative comments on official Kāinga Ora social media
accounts. If you want to provide answers or clarity around a discussion, please contact our
Social Media Advisor or someone authorised on their behalf, to post, comment or respond
on these official accounts
Context is everything. So, if you’re unsure about what you can say on social media, please
carefully read through our Kāinga Ora Social Media Guidance or email ou
r Social Media Advisor.
Keeping yourself safe online
Social media makes it easy for people we work with to freely express their opinion and engage in
robust discussions. We welcome feedback and the opportunity to improve our services. However,
sometimes this content can become harmful to you or your family members and
friends. Please follow the
Social Media Safety and Reporting Harmful Content Guidelines to assist
you as an individual in helping to keep yourself safe online.
Facebook groups
Groups are a place to connect, learn and share with people who have similar interests. Public groups
and their content are viewable to al Facebook users. Private groups are viewable by the members
of the group only.
Kāinga Ora does not engage with private customer Facebook groups. We have made that decision
for a number of reasons:
• These groups were created as a private outlet for our customers, and we respect their right
to privacy
• As a government entity, it is against policy to be monitoring private groups. Our
engagement with our customers and the public needs to be open and accountable, and that
is not possible with private Facebook groups
• When “listening” on social media, we are only allowed to monitor publically available
information
Working for Kāinga Ora and engaging with Facebook groups in your capacity as a Kāinga Ora
employee means your participation is considered official Kāinga Ora participation. Regardless of
intent, your comments can pose risks:
• They could be taken out of context and sent to the media
• They could harm our working relationships with customers
• They’re bypassing the formal customer channels, processes and teams
• Misspeaking could bring our organisation into disrepute.
Representing Kāinga Ora
The same standards of integrity and conduct apply when representing Kāinga Ora in an official
capacity. Any comments made in an official capacity when talking to the media, speaking at a
conference, or using social media are permanent, and have the potential to be reproduced in other
media. You should only share information and make commitments, or engage in activities when you
are authorised to do so.
Rules around endorsing suppliers
From time to time, suppliers may request that Kāinga Ora endorse the products or services they
supply, in written form or verbally.
If we receive requests for written references, endorsements, or other forms of reference that are
enduring in nature, such as quotes for promotional material, we must consider the potential impact
of this on Kāinga Ora, as it could lead to negative outcomes such as adverse public reaction or
supplier performance to decline over time.
As a general rule of thumb, any requests to endorse Kāinga Ora suppliers should be declined.
However, there are exceptions to this, so please ensure that you consult our Procurement
Excellence Manager to discuss and approve any requests you receive.
If an endorsement is provided, it must be accurate, truthful, fair, complete and balanced.
Endorsements must represent the view of Kāinga Ora, and must not compromise our objectivity.
Our Values
• Manaakitanga – people at the heart
• Mahi tahi – better together
• Whanake – be bold
By living our values, Kāinga Ora can build and maintain the trust and confidence of all stakeholders
including our people, customers and the communities we serve. Our values also express the way we
work and our commitment to each other, our public housing customers, and the wider New Zealand
public.
For more information on the standards of integrity and conduct, please vis
it Te Kawa Mataaho Public
Service Commission website.
Document Outline
