Pastoral Care Code 2021 — Clause 17
Critical incidents — tertiary provider obligations
Every tertiary provider must have a critical incident response plan and respond promptly when a serious event occurs. Clause 17 in practice.
📋 Pastoral Care Code 2021, Clause 17 — written plan required
What is a critical incident?
Any event that seriously affects learner or staff wellbeing — including: death, serious injury, sexual or serious assault, suicide or serious self-harm, natural disaster, significant security incident, building emergency.
The critical incident response plan
Must be documented, tested, current
- Who activates the plan
- Critical incident team contacts (24/7)
- Escalation pathway
- Communication plan — learners, staff, families
- Support services to activate (counselling, chaplaincy)
- Media and external communications protocol
- External agency contacts (Police, NZQA, TEC)
- Documentation and debrief process
Immediate response
- Ensure immediate safety — call 111 if life at risk
- Activate the critical incident team
- Secure the scene if required
- Deploy counselling and support
- Notify families where appropriate
- Designate a single spokesperson for media
- Notify NZQA of serious incidents
- Document everything from the outset
Notification obligations
- 111 — if life at risk
- NZQA — serious incidents at registered providers
- TEC — if an international learner cannot be contacted
- WorkSafe 0800 030 040 — if a notifiable event under HSWA
- Families — with sensitivity and consent considerations
Post-incident review
Required under the Code. Review what happened, whether the response was appropriate, and what changes are needed. Update the plan. NZQA auditors will ask for evidence of this process.
Source: Pastoral Care Code 2021, Clause 17.
nzqa.govt.nz. General information only.
Frequently asked questions
How often test the plan?
At minimum annually. Tabletop exercises count. Document when tests were conducted and what was learned.
Do we notify NZQA for every incident?
Not every incident — serious ones involving registered providers and potential Code compliance impact. When in doubt, notify.
How do we manage social media?
Single spokesperson. No identifying information. Factual update only. Coordinate with Police if criminal activity involved.
What support for responding staff?
Immediate debrief, counselling access, space to talk. A critical incident stress debrief facilitated by a professional for major events.