Australia General Insurance Code of Practice (2020 Code as updated) gicop-p15-205-223-interviews: Before and during formal interviews, give the written pre-interview information, contact representatives first, provide interpreters and trained interviewers for additional needs, protect interviewees under eighteen, obtain consent, limit sittings to ninety minutes with breaks and twenty-four hours between sittings, obtain written consent beyond four hours, record all break offers, and give free transcripts and prior-interview records

What does gicop-p15-205-223-interviews require?

Before a formal interview the customer is told in writing its purpose, their rights and responsibilities, the right to a free interpreter, who will conduct it and their contact details, that an appointed Investigator acts for the insurer, the expected duration, the insurer's contact details for questions, the right to a legal representative or support person (who may not answer for them) and how the interview will be recorded. Where the customer asked to communicate through a representative the Investigator contacts the representative first; an independent interpreter is arranged at the insurer's cost where needed; where the customer needs additional support the interviewer is someone with appropriate training or experience; a same-gender interviewer is arranged where requested and practical; the customer is offered several convenient locations including their home and may suggest another reasonable place and choose the time. Interviewing a person under 18 requires an assessment by trained professionals of necessity and capacity, a clearly set scope, written approval of the interview and the scope and of any expansion by an appropriately experienced Employee, an appropriately trained interviewer, a parent, guardian or responsible adult present throughout, and pausing on distress or request. The interview opens with consent questions on the consent form; interviews are objective, honest, efficient, transparent and fair; a sitting lasts at most 90 minutes, a further sitting needs a 24 hour break unless agreed, total time over 4 hours needs the insurer's written consent with reasons; where an interpreter or support person turns out to be needed the interview pauses and restarts later; a 5 minute break is offered every 30 minutes (and given where vulnerability is identified), breaks are time-outs outside the 90 minutes, additional breaks and early rescheduling are available on request, and all break offers and responses are recorded. Afterwards a free transcript or recording is offered and provided on later request, and before any further interview the customer receives the record of the previous one.