21 June 2024
Sue
[FYI request #27060 email] [email address]
Kia ora Sue
Your Official Information Act request, reference: GOV-032738
Thank you for your requests of 29 May 2024 and 31 May 2024, asking for the following information under
the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
There have been new reports of acts of harassment and violence against hospital staff, in the
workplace, by patients. However, I've found no articles of acts of harassment and violence against
ACC staff, in the workplace, by claimants. Thus, I am making a request for this information.
1.
Request 1: Threats of violence and harassment by claimants For each year, since 01/01/2014, I
request the number of employees who have alleged to have been:
1) harassed or was threatened with an act of violence by a claimant;
2) harassed or was threatened with an act of violence by a claimant, which resulted in ACC and the
employee seeking assistance from the police;
3) harassed or was threatened with an act of violence by a claimant, which resulted in the Courts
issuing a restraining order against the claimant;
4) harassed or was threatened with an act of violence by a claimant, which resulted in a conviction
of the claimant of an offence in either the District or High Court.
2.
Request 2: Victim of physical violence (i.e., physical assault) by claimants For each year, since
01/01/2014, I request the number of employees who have alleged to have been a:
1) victim of physical violence (i.e., physical assault) by claimants;
2) victim of physical violence (i.e., physical assault) by claimants, which resulted in ACC and the
employee seeking assistance from the police;
3) victim of physical violence (i.e., physical assault) by claimants, which resulted in the Courts issuing
a restraining order against the claimant;
4) victim of physical violence (i.e., physical assault) by claimants, which resulted in a conviction of
the claimant of an offence in either the District or High Court.
For clarity, the employee must have been working at ACC in the capacity of their employment with
ACC, when the alleged offence occurred. That is not about domestic violence, employee-to-
employee harassment or violence, or harassment or violence that occurred while not at the work
place (e.g., the bar or beach).
For the numbers in Requests 1 & 2, please provide the total numbers, and numbers based on
gender.
3.
Request 3: Safety measures If the NZ Courts have upheld the allegations of ACC employees, that he
employee had been found by the Courts to be harassed, threatened, or assaulted by a claimant
while in the capacity of employment, please specify the changes that ACC put in place to prevent
future harm. Please provide the reports that evaluated the success of those measures taken to
prevent future harm.
GOV-032738 Page 1 of 3
To be clear, harassment and threats do not include persistent claimants who seek information, or
who are disgruntled with ACC's treatment of them and express their frustration, anger, or other
reasonable feelings, based on perceived service failures or breaches of rights.
4.
This request is related to my request on May 29, 2024, regarding "Acts of violence by claimants
against ACC employees in the work place". I am writing to request the following information, which
I request to be in the underacted form: - ACC159 Client risk profile summary - ACC2222 Remote Claims Unit referral form - ACC29 File summary and overview - ACC7408 Security guard request for ACC or a provider form (171KB). - Activate Care Indicator - Activate, review and remove a client Care Indicator - Activating the Client Care Indicator - Add a care indicator to a client's Eos record - Advise a provider that a client has a care indicator - Aggressive and threatening behaviour guidelines - Arrange and order security - Assess management plan. - Assess RCU transfer request - Assess Te Ara Tika transfer request - Complete Te Ara Tika referral form - Complete file summary and transfer ownership in Eos - Complete RCU referral form - Complete risk profile and make client management recommendation - Confirm whether to issue written warning to client - Contact client to confirm transfer. - Create a purchase order - Create or update management plan. - Criteria for activating the care indicator - Deactivate Care Indicator - Follow up overdue management plan reviews - Guidelines for making a client management recommendation. - Guidelines for when to remove a care indicator - Issuing a trespass notice - Managing care indicated clients - Managing unreasonable complainant conduct - Ordering security for staff and provider safety. - Removing a Client Care Indicator - Request information from the police or other government agency - Review identified management plan and assess Care Indicator - Reviewing the Client Care Indicator - Transfer ownership in Eos - Transferring a client with a Client Care Indicator - Transferring care indicated clients to another branch - Transferring care indicated clients to Te Ara Tika - Transferring care indicated clients to the RCU - WorkSAFE: Dealing with aggressive/dangerous clients
GOV-032738 Page 2 of 3
5.
If any of the above documents are no longer in effect then please provide me with the last version,
and specify the date that it was archived. Please then provide me with the current equivalent, even
if it is under a different name.
6.
Please provide the information in an underacted, searchable pdf format. Ideally, this information
would be provided as a list of links which are dedicated to ACC's policies, processes, forms, notices,
etc. However, if that is not possible, providing them through FYI.org.nz works.
1. ACC is required to make a decision about whether to grant or refuse your request as soon as
reasonably practicable and within 20 working days of receiving the request. ACC considers this request
is one of multiple requests made by the same requester, which may affect ACC’s decision to grant or
refuse the request.
2. In order for ACC to make a decision on this request, ACC requests that you provide:
a. Your full name and confirmation of your identity, and
b. the reasons for the request.
3. We ask that this information be provided as soon as possible to enable us to make a decision on your
requests. This may include ACC extending the timeframe for responding, charging for the request, or
refusing to grant the request because:
a. ACC has already provided this information in an earlier request; and/or
b. the information requested cannot be made available without substantial collation or
research; and/or
c. the request is frivolous or vexatious or the information requested is trivial; and/or
d. the request may relate to matters including proceedings under Part 5 of the Accident
Compensation Act 2001.
4. If you would prefer, this information can be provided confidentially to ACC at the following address:
Manager OIA Services, ACC, PO Box 242, Wellington, or by email to
[email address]. Any information/documentation provided establishing your identity will be used solely for that purpose
and destroyed after. Please reference this request when doing so:
GOV-032738.
5. We look forward to receiving the information requested at paragraph 2.
If you have any questions about this response, please get in touch
You can email me at
[email address]. If you are not happy with this letter, you can also
contact the Ombudsman
via [email address] or by phoning 0800 802 602. Information
about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz. Ngā mihi
Christopher Johnston
Manager Official Information Act Services
Government Engagement
GOV-032738 Page 3 of 3
Document Outline
