Refreshed guidance | Te Kāhui Kāhu

Background

We last fully updated the standards in 2016. Since then, we have made minor adjustments in response to new legislation and government direction. However, providers told us that the guidance in our standards was sometimes confusing, difficult to navigate, and did not always reflect the cultural diversity of the sector.

This guidance refresh is part of our commitment to better support and assess providers and to align the guidance with our updated vision, mission, and purpose, which place people who use services at the centre of our work. It also begins to embed relevant recommendations from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, strengthening our shared focus on preventing harm and promoting safe, high-quality services across Aotearoa.

We worked with a Provider Reference Group to make sure the guidance is clear, practical, and easy to use. They helped us to shape the refreshed guidance and explained what would be most helpful. As a result, the refreshed guidance uses plain language, clearly explains requirements, includes examples and checklists, better reflects the diversity of providers, and is available in either full or condensed versions. It also explains key terms and links to helpful resources.

A word from our General Manager

Video transcript

Kia ora, I'm Nicky Smith, General Manager of Te Kāhui Kāhu.

We're excited to introduce our refreshed guidance which aims to make it easier for you to meet our standards. The standards themselves have not changed, but how you meet them has been made clearer. You'll also notice that some of the ways you meet the standards require different evidence than what you have provided before, because for example, legislation has been updated.

I would also like to acknowledge the Provider Reference Group who've helped us develop the new guidance. We refreshed the guidance because we want to help providers demonstrate that the services they provide are safe for New Zealanders to use. We want to reflect best practice, now and into the future. We sincerely hope you'll find use in the suite of resources we've provided as part of the guidance refresh.

We welcome any feedback or suggestions on the guidance. Details on how to do this are available on our website. Kia ora.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the guidance in the standards being refreshed?

We are refreshing our guidance to make it clearer and easier for you to understand how to meet our standards.

Are the standards or criteria changing?

No. The standards and criteria themselves have not changed. What and how you demonstrate that you meet the standards is different.

When do the refreshed guidance changes start?

We will begin using the refreshed guidance from 23 February 2026.

I started my assessment before 23 February but I have not yet submitted it. Will my application be affected?

No. If you have already started your assessment you can continue using the existing guidance.

Will the online portal change too?

Yes. From 23 February 2026, the online portal will be updated to align with the refreshed guidance. When you log in or submit an application, things may look different.

What will be different about what we need to provide?

We will ask for more information upfront. What you provide, and how you provide it, may be a little different from before.

We’ll now ask you to ‘Show us’ when we want a document (for example, a policy, procedure, process, or record). We’ll ask you to ‘Share with us’ when you need to talk us through how something works in your organisation, such as your approach, rationale or decisions.

Are there any new evidence requirements?

In some criteria, we are asking for information we have not previously required. This reflects recommendations from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.

Got any questions?

Get in touch with us at accreditation@tekahuikahu.govt.nz.

Please note the FAQs will be updated regularly as we receive questions.