Sherwood Holmes Investigations | Independent workplace investigations New Zealand logo

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 1st April 2026

Sherwood Holmes Investigations (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal information in a way that is safe, secure, and consistent with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose, and protect personal information in the course of providing investigative services.

1. What personal information we collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

Information you provide directly

  • Name and contact details

  • Employment details

  • Statements, interview transcripts, and submissions

  • Documents, emails, messages, or evidence you provide

  • Billing or payment information

Information provided by others

In investigations, we may receive personal information about you from:

  • Employers, colleagues, legal representatives

  • Witnesses or complainants

  • Public sources

  • Relevant agencies or organisations (with consent or lawful authority)

Sensitive information

Due to the nature of investigative work, we may collect:

  • Allegations and complaint details

  • Employment or disciplinary records

  • Information relating to conduct, integrity, or behaviour

  • Audio/video recordings and transcripts

  • Information relating to wellbeing or safety (where relevant)

We only collect information that is necessary, lawful, and relevant to the purpose of the investigation.

2. How we collect personal information

We collect personal information through:

  • Direct communication with you (email, phone, interview, online form)

  • Formal statements or documents you submit

  • Third-party interviews and correspondence

  • Case-related evidence submissions

  • Publicly available sources

  • Our secure technology systems

Where reasonable, we collect information directly from the person concerned unless:

  • Doing so would undermine the purpose of the investigation

  • It is unsafe to do so

  • Another party is authorised to provide it

  • You consent to another method of collection

3. How we use your personal information

We use personal information for the following purposes:

  • Conducting investigations

  • Assessing evidence and preparing findings

  • Communicating with you or your representative

  • Preparing reports, summaries, or recommendations

  • Managing risk, safety, and procedural fairness obligations

  • Billing, administration, and business operations

  • Meeting legal or regulatory requirements

We do not use your information for marketing or any unrelated purpose.

4. AI-assisted case management (TensorCase)

We use TensorCase, a secure, AI-assisted case management platform designed for investigators.

TensorCase is used to:

  • Organise documents and evidence

  • Manage transcripts and timelines

  • Store case files securely

  • Assist with information retrieval and administrative tasks

AI tools are not used to make findings, conclusions, or decisions.
All investigative judgments are made by a trained human investigator.

Your information in TensorCase is:

  • Encrypted

  • Access-controlled

  • Stored in compliance with NZ privacy requirements

By engaging Sherwood Holmes Investigations, you consent to the use of TensorCase for managing your case materials.

5. How we store and protect your information

We take security seriously and use industry-standard safeguards, including:

Digital security

  • Encrypted storage (on-device and cloud-based)

  • Password-protected systems with multi-factor authentication

  • Encrypted email services (e.g., ProtonMail)

  • Secure case management platform (TensorCase)

  • Encrypted backup drives

Physical security

  • Locked storage for physical files (if any)

  • No paper records retained unless required

Retention

We retain investigation files for seven years, unless law requires a longer or shorter period.
After this period, information is securely destroyed.

6. Disclosure of personal information

We may disclose personal information to:

  • The client who engaged us (e.g., employer, law firm, organisation)

  • Relevant parties for natural justice (e.g., complainants, respondents)

  • Legal representatives (with authority)

  • Service providers assisting with secure storage or IT systems

  • Authorities where required by law (e.g., court order, safety risk)

We do not sell or trade personal information.

We ensure disclosures are lawful, minimal, and directly aligned with the investigation’s purpose.

7. Your rights

You have the right to:

  • Request access to your personal information

  • Request correction of inaccurate information

  • Withdraw consent (where applicable)

  • Ask how your information has been used or shared

  • Raise concerns about privacy practices

Requests will be responded to within a reasonable timeframe, in accordance with the Privacy Act.

8. Limits to confidentiality

In some circumstances, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed—for example:

  • Where natural justice requires disclosure

  • Where there is a serious threat to safety

  • Where disclosure is required by law

  • Where withholding information would undermine the investigation

We will advise you where possible before disclosure occurs.

9. Website & digital privacy

If you use our website, we may collect basic analytics information such as:

  • IP address

  • Pages visited

  • Browser type

  • Interaction time

This information is used only for site performance and security.

Our website may contain links to external sites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices.

10. Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to make a request:

Sherwood Holmes Investigations
Email: confidential@sherwoodholmes.co.nz
Location: Wellington, New Zealand

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in:

  • Law

  • Technology

  • Our business operations

Updated versions will be published on our website.