# Whaikaha — Home and Community Support Services: Tier Two Specification (Version 2.1, August 2023)

Document ID: doc-0067  
Publisher: Whaikaha — Ministry of Disabled People  
Catalogue publication date: August 2023  
Physical PDF pages: 10  
Original capture/access label: June 2026  
Source and original reviewed: 9 October 2026

Original local PDF: [Retained original](/pdfs/undated%20-%20Disability%20Support%20-%20Tier%20Two%20HCSS%20Specification.pdf)

Primary publisher source: [Document or publication listing](https://www.whaikaha.govt.nz/assets/Contract-and-Service-Specification-documents/Tier-Two-Home-and-Community-Support-Services.pdf)

## What the document contributes

Whaikaha’s ten-page August 2023 contract specification describes disability-funded home and community support, including household management, personal care and overnight support. It links NASC assessment and allocation to a personal plan agreed with the person, timely delivery, contingency arrangements, complaints and independent advocacy. The original is version 2.1, rather than an undated generic older-person home-care standard. The current DSS provider page links a separate version 2.2 dated June 2026; the bundled historical PDF is preserved and should not be used alone to establish current eligibility or contract terms.

## Substantive findings

- The original is version 2.1, August 2023, with ten physical pages; it applies to HCSS purchased by Whaikaha and must be read with the Tier One specification (pp. 1–2).
- The defined home excludes hospitals, rest homes and other institutions. Support may include household management, personal care, and sleepover or night support (pp. 1, 7).
- The 2023 specification requires NASC referral and a support plan setting goals and the type or amount of services; section 6.1 states there is no cost to the eligible person for these contracted services (p. 4).
- The provider and person agree a personal plan, including service times, priorities, contingency arrangements and a review date; both sign and keep a copy within three weeks of referral (pp. 5–6).
- Section 7.7 requires alternative arrangements when the usual worker cannot attend, on public holidays, or during a natural disaster or declared pandemic. Complaint and independent-advocacy information is part of service delivery (pp. 6–7).
- Separately funded Health NZ or ACC services, equipment provision and registered nursing are outside this specification; its disability-service scope does not establish a universal home-care entitlement for older people (pp. 8–9).
- The DSS provider page checked 9 October 2026 links a fifteen-page version 2.2 dated June 2026. Its existence does not change the date, version or page count of this retained 2023 original.

## Identity, dates and provenance

The original filename says undated, but every page footer identifies version 2.1 and August 2023. The Ministry of Health PDF author metadata is not used to override Whaikaha’s printed institutional identity. The matching historical Whaikaha PDF remains publicly retrievable; the current DSS listing was updated 1 September 2026. No exact original publication day is established.

The October 2026 review enriches the catalogue and this editorial companion; it does not replace the original publication date or the June 2026 access/capture label. The original PDF and filename remain unchanged.

## Where to check the original

Pages 1–2: scope and definitions. Pages 3–4: service measures and referral. Pages 5–7: personal plans, urgent support, delivery and contingency. Pages 8–10: exclusions, quality and purchase/reporting measures.

## Evidence limits and use

The no-cost clause is confined to eligible people and the contracted services described. The PDF does not prove that support is available immediately, that any particular person qualifies, or that every provider delivered the specified standard. Section 11’s family-carer restriction and dated law/standard references are reported as historical text, not current benefit rules. The current provider PDF is a different edition and is not silently substituted.

## Additional primary sources

- [Current DSS community-based contracts listing](https://www.disabilitysupport.govt.nz/providers/contracts/community-based-support-services)
- [Distinct June 2026 version 2.2 PDF](https://www.disabilitysupport.govt.nz/assets/Providers/Tier-Two-Home-and-Community-Support-Services-v2.pdf)