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Make a complaint about the AOD Report Writers Service
Make a complaint about the AOD Report Writers Service
You can make a complaint if you have concerns about the standard of service, or the report writer’s behaviour or conduct. These examples are not exhaustive.
This complaints process does not cover complaints about the outcome of a defendant or offenders’ case or any other matters relating to their case.
All approved AOD report writers on the panel have agreed to comply with the Ministry of Justice’s standard terms and conditions. The standard terms and conditions are available here: How to apply to join the approved AOD report writer panel
All approved AOD report writers on the panel have agreed to act in good faith and demonstrate honesty, integrity, impartiality, fairness, and accountability while writing AOD reports as an approved AOD report writer.
Panel report writers must comply with the $900 fixed fee and supply their report to the court at least 13 working days before the offender’s sentencing date.
Report writers should not place pressure on individuals to engage them to prepare a report.
To help resolve your concerns, we recommend working through the following options in order.
1) Tell your lawyer or the report writer about your concerns
Contact your lawyer If you are an offender (the report is about you), contact your lawyer first (if you have one) to tell them about your concerns and try to resolve them.
Contact the report writer or their organisation Some report writers work for an organisation, while others are self-employed. Contact the report writer or their organisation to tell them about your concerns and try to resolve them. This is usually the quickest way to clarify or correct issues.
2) Contact the report writer's registration body
All approved AOD report writers must be registered with an organisation listed in Table 1 below. These registration bodies are responsible for maintaining professional, ethical and competency standards of their members.
If you think that the report writer has behaved unprofessionally or unethically, you can contact the report writer’s registration body to raise your concerns or make a complaint.
The AOD report will state which organisation the report writer is registered with.
Each organisation’s complaints process outlines the types of complaints they will consider.
Registration bodies cannot change or reassess the content of a report once it has been submitted. They can consider whether the report writer met appropriate professional standards.
Table 1: AOD report writer registration bodies
Registration body
Complaints process
Email address
Addiction Practitioners’ Association Aotearoa New Zealand (DAPAANZ)
Contact the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) to make a complaint if you believe your rights under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights have not been met.
If you have raised your concerns with the report writer directly, or with their registration body (as applicable), and are not satisfied that the concern has been resolved, you can make a complaint to the Ministry.
Complaints are treated confidentially and respectfully through a fair and transparent process.
Include the following information in the complaint: • your first and last name • your contact details, including email, phone number and postal address • the name of the report writer the complaint is about • the case number (CRI number) • the details of the complaint including an account of what happened, why you are dissatisfied and any other relevant information • whether or not you consent to sharing the details of the complaint with the report writer.
Timeframes
Complaints should be submitted within 28 days of the occurrence that caused dissatisfaction.
Sharing your complaint details
To help resolve the complaint, we may need to share details of the complaint with the report writer to allow them to have an opportunity to respond. This is important so that we can carry out a fair process.
When the complaint is made, you should confirm if they consent to sharing the details of the complaint, including their name, with the report writer.
What happens next
Acknowledge
We will send you an acknowledgement within five working days of receiving the complaint.
Assessment and resolution
To resolve the complaint, we will:
consider whether it’s possible to resolve the matter with the complainant straight away - if this isn’t possible, we will investigate the complaint and contact the complainant if more information is needed
confirm the details of the complaint to verify the circumstances (for example, case parties and report writer’s name)
contact the report writer to share the details and offer an opportunity for them to provide their view
review the information to resolve the complaint and take any further action if required.
If we need technical support to resolve the complaint, we may contact DAPAANZ or another registration body for advice.
Complaint outcome
We will send the final decision about the complaint to the parties involved.
Make a complaint to the Ombudsman
If you’re unhappy with the decision regarding your complaint, you have the right to raise your concerns with the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman may consider complaints about the administrative acts and decisions of state sector agencies. The Ombudsman will ask you if you have first tried to resolve the matter with us directly and will consider whether you have any other remedy available.
The Ombudsman may consider your complaint and make a recommendation to us about the concern(s) you’ve raised.