Information for partner agencies
Requesting accreditation level assessment for a new or changed service
If you think a service needs to be accredited, you must contact us before you include an accreditation requirement in your contract and confirm the requirement with providers.
You should send us a request when:
- you are introducing a new service or initiative, or
- you are making significant changes to an existing service that could affect its risk level.
This helps ensure the right accreditation level is set early and avoids delays in your procurement or contracting process.
What you need to provide
You need to complete our service level request form and send it to us with relevant supporting information.
Service level request form (DOCX 173 KB)
How we will assess your request
Once we receive your request, we will:
- Review the information
We check that we have all the details we need to complete the assessment. If we don’t, we will contact you. - Assess risk and complexity
We consider who the service supports, how it is delivered, and the level of risk involved. - Assign an accreditation level
If accreditation is required we will assign the service a level within our framework (Levels 1–4). - Confirm the outcome
We will tell you the outcome of the assessment, explain the reasons for our decision, and outline any next steps.
We aim to provide an outcome within 5 working days of receiving all required information.
Subcontracting
To accredit a subcontractor, the contract must specify:
- the name of the subcontractor,
- that the subcontractor is required to be accredited, and
- the accreditation level the subcontractor must hold.
Accreditation levels are assigned to services, so if both the contract holder and subcontractor(s) are required to be accredited, they will need the same level of accreditation.
When confirming eligibility for accreditation and during review assessments, we may need to check relevant contract clauses to confirm we have the authority to assess any subcontractors. If required, we may ask you to provide relevant excerpts from the contract.
If the contract does not identify the subcontractor and their accreditation requirements, we will treat the subcontractor as a venue rather than a provider. In this situation, we do not assess the subcontractor directly. Instead, the contract holder remains responsible for demonstrating compliance with all applicable standards, including any services delivered by subcontractors on their behalf and the subcontractor will not hold accreditation.
This means the contract holder must:
- Provide all evidence needed to demonstrate compliance with the relevant standards.
- Provide evidence of the subcontractor's role in service delivery and how the subcontractor is managed and monitored.
Accessing provider and assessment information
You can access provider and assessment information through our online portal, Te Kāhui Kāhu Online, including:
- provider details,
- level and accreditation/approval status,
- assessment dates and outcomes, and
- assessment reports.
If you would like access to the portal, please contact us at accreditation@tekahuikahu.govt.nz.
FAQs
Do I, as a contract manager, need to let you know when contracts are extended or if a provider gets a new contract?
Yes, you need to tell us when a contract is extended or when a provider is awarded a new contract so we can keep our records up to date. We also confirm the services being contracted and delivered during our assessment process, so you will have another opportunity to provide this information then.
How do you check what contracts a provider has?
We initially ask the provider directly and then confirm the information with the relevant partner agencies to ensure it is accurate and complete at the time of the assessment.
How often do you complete assessments?
Most providers are reviewed every two years, but this can be less if there are risks identified at the time of the assessment. We can complete assessments outside the scheduled review period if there are complaints or serious concerns raised about the provider.
What contact do you have with providers between reviews and what ongoing monitoring do you do?
Our assessments are point-in time so we typically do not have contact with providers between reviews. However, if we receive a complaint or notification of a significant change to their organisation, we may conduct an out-of-cycle assessment. We will contact you if this happens.
What is the difference between a critical action and a required action?
A critical action is where we have identified an immediate safety risk to staff or clients and must be completed before the providers accreditation can be confirmed. A required action still indicates there is a level of risk, however providers have until their next scheduled assessment to complete this action. There is more information on assessment outcomes on our accreditation and approval overview page.
What happens if a provider does not meet their critical actions by the due date?
If a provider does not provide evidence that meets the critical action in the required timeframe, they are not meeting the accreditation standards. Providers can be granted one extension at the discretion of Te Kāhui Kāhu management. If a provider fails to comply, their accreditation/approval will be suspended and potentially removed. We will let you know about this. There is more information on the removing accreditation and approval page.