Confidentiality and Privacy Policy
Effective 18 October 2026
This policy explains how CareerEQ handles personal information and protects confidentiality when you enquire, receive coaching, complete an assessment, attend training or participate in employer-funded or legal-report services. It also covers our website and communications.
1 Our approach
CareerEQ handles personal information under New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020. Personal information means information about an identifiable person, including contact details, assessment responses, session notes and reports.
We collect information needed for a lawful purpose connected with our work. We explain the purpose, intended recipients, who will hold the information and your access and correction rights. Where information is optional, you may choose not to provide it. If essential information is missing, we will explain how that affects the service.
2 Information we collect
Depending on the service, we may collect your name and contact details; booking and billing information; education, employment and career history; CV and goals; assessment responses and results; communications; and notes or reports needed to deliver the agreed work.
Vocational reports may require relevant legal instructions, documents about a potential conviction or other proceeding, and information about injury, health or personal circumstances. We agree the relevant scope rather than requesting an entire case file by default.
Our website and service systems may collect technical information such as IP address, device or browser details, pages visited and cookie preferences. Please keep an initial website enquiry brief and arrange an appropriate way to send sensitive documents.
3 Information from other people
We generally collect information directly from you. Where appropriate and lawful, we may receive relevant information from your lawyer, employer, referring practitioner or an assessment provider. Providing information about someone else requires an appropriate basis; please do not send unnecessary details.
When we collect personal information indirectly, we take reasonable steps to notify the individual as soon as reasonably practicable, unless an applicable exception permits otherwise. The notice covers the fact and purpose of collection, intended recipients, the name and address of the collecting and holding agencies, access and correction rights, and any law authorising or requiring the collection.
A referral does not automatically authorise unrestricted collection or disclosure. We clarify the participant, instructing party, payer and intended recipients before substantive work.
4 Confidentiality in coaching and assessment
Private session content is treated as confidential. Access is limited to people who need it to deliver or support the agreed service or fulfil a lawful obligation. Administrative access does not mean unrestricted access to session content.
Where professional supervision is needed, we use de-identified information where practicable and limit identifiable details to what is necessary and lawfully shared. Confidentiality obligations apply to those involved.
For assessments, we explain the tool, who will receive the results and how feedback will be provided. An assessment provider may process responses and generate a report. Its own privacy notice may also apply, and we will identify the provider for the assessment you are using.
5 Employers and young people
An employer, parent or other funder does not automatically receive private session notes, assessment responses or reports simply because they pay. We agree any routine progress or attendance reporting with the participant and funder before the service starts. Additional sharing requires an appropriate lawful basis.
CareerPlanet is offered for ages 16 and over. We explain privacy and participation in a way the young person can understand and clarify any parent or guardian involvement. Privacy rights apply to young people too; funding does not itself establish a right to their information.
6 Reports used in legal proceedings
Vocational-report work has a different purpose from private coaching. The assessment is undertaken to prepare independent evidence within an agreed scope. Relevant information may be included in the report and shared with the agreed instructing lawyer and other intended recipients.
We explain release arrangements and confidentiality limits before the assessment. If a report is used in proceedings, the court and other parties may receive it, and lawful requirements may require further disclosure. Your lawyer should advise on privilege and procedural requirements. We cannot promise that a report or its supporting information will remain private.
7 Other permitted disclosures
We may share necessary information with authorised consultants, assessment providers and service providers supporting bookings, communications, payments, hosting or record storage. We take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate handling and protection.
We may also disclose information where you authorise it or where the law permits or requires it, including a valid legal demand or a qualifying serious threat to health or safety. We assess the basis and limit disclosure to what is justified. Where appropriate and lawful, we discuss disclosure with you first.
8 Storage and overseas processing
We take reasonable security steps appropriate to the sensitivity of the information, including limiting access and using suitable storage and transfer arrangements. No online service can guarantee absolute security. Please contact us before sending particularly sensitive material.
Some technology or assessment providers may process or store information outside New Zealand. Where information is disclosed to a foreign recipient, we assess the applicable Privacy Act requirements and the safeguards available. Overseas storage by a provider acting only as our agent may be treated differently from disclosure for the provider’s own purposes.
We do not treat use of the website as blanket permission to send information anywhere without safeguards. Where express authorisation is needed because comparable protections may not apply, we explain that before seeking it.
9 Retention and disposal
We keep personal information only as long as needed for a lawful purpose. Relevant purposes may include delivering the service, maintaining appropriate professional records, resolving complaints or proceedings, and meeting legal recordkeeping requirements.
Retention depends on the type of record and the circumstances. Records subject to a legal hold or another applicable retention requirement may need to be kept longer. When information is no longer needed, we securely delete it or de-identify it. Ask us about the retention period applicable to your service.
10 Access and correction
You may ask whether we hold personal information about you, request access and ask us to correct it. We may verify your identity and, where relevant, your authority to act for someone else. We respond within the applicable statutory timeframe and explain any lawful refusal or extension.
If we do not make a requested correction, you may ask for a statement of the correction sought to be attached to the information. You may also ask about deletion; that request is considered alongside lawful retention obligations and does not create an unconditional right to erase a record.
11 Website choices and communications
The website uses cookies and similar technologies for functionality and analytics. Use the site’s Cookie Preferences control and your browser settings to manage available choices. Blocking some technologies may affect website functions. Links to other sites are governed by their own privacy notices.
You can unsubscribe from marketing communications or ask us to stop them. Service messages about an appointment, invoice or active engagement may still be necessary. Enquiring about a service does not by itself mean you have signed up to a newsletter.
12 Recording and AI tools
If we propose recording or transcribing a session, or using an AI tool to process identifiable client information, we will explain the purpose, provider, information involved and relevant privacy implications beforehand and obtain any consent required.
We assess whether the proposed tool and its settings are suitable for confidential information. Any use must remain consistent with the agreed purpose, our confidentiality obligations and applicable law. Professional judgment and responsibility remain with the practitioner.
13 Privacy incidents and concerns
If we discover a privacy incident, we will assess and contain it, consider steps to reduce harm and make any notifications required by the Privacy Act. Where a breach has caused, or is likely to cause, serious harm, notification obligations may include the Privacy Commissioner and affected people.
Please contact us promptly if you think your information has been lost, misdirected or accessed without authority. We will investigate concerns and explain our response. You may also complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz.
14 How to contact us
For privacy requests or complaints, email info@careereq.nz and ask for the person responsible for privacy. General telephone: +64 22 065 8140.
For a vocational-report enquiry, contact Jon at jon.avery@careereq.nz or +64 21 220 2200. Keep initial messages brief and arrange a direct conversation about sensitive case details.
CareerEQ, Suite 2F, Canterbury Arcade, 166–174 Queen Street, Auckland Central, New Zealand.
15 Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when services, systems or legal requirements change. The published version will show its effective date. Where a proposed new use of information requires further notice or consent, we will address that separately; updating a policy does not by itself authorise an unrelated use.