Safety & Wellbeing policy
1. Our Commitment
Howiiconnect is built around a simple belief: everyone deserves to feel heard, respected and connected.
We recognise that individuals may join our platform while experiencing loneliness, grief, stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties or other personal challenges.
Our goal is to provide an environment that encourages compassion, meaningful connections and responsible peer support.
We cannot guarantee that every interaction will be safe or supportive.
2. Peer Support and Professional Care
Howiiconnect enables people to share experiences and encourage one another.
Unless explicitly identified as a separate professional service, we do not provide medical treatment, psychiatric care, psychotherapy, professional counselling or emergency crisis intervention.
Users must not represent themselves as qualified professionals unless their claims are accurate.
Users should seek professional guidance where appropriate.
3. Supporting Someone in Distress
We encourage members to:
- Listen without judgement.
- Respond respectfully and compassionately.
- Avoid minimising another person's experiences.
- Avoid making diagnoses.
- Avoid promising confidentiality they cannot guarantee.
- Encourage appropriate professional assistance.
- Report serious threats or harmful behaviour.
Users should not pressure others to disclose personal experiences.
4. Suicide and Self-Harm
Discussions about recovery, lived experiences and emotional distress are permitted when conducted safely.
Content encouraging, instructing or glorifying self-harm or suicide is prohibited.
We may restrict dangerous content, provide crisis resources, review reports or take appropriate safety action.
Howiiconnect does not guarantee real-time monitoring or emergency intervention.
5. Crisis and Emergency Situations
If you or another person is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.
Users should not rely on Howiiconnect messages, moderators or community members for urgent intervention.
In New Zealand, emergency services can be contacted on 111. Users may also contact 1737 for free mental health support.
International users should contact relevant emergency or crisis services in their location.
6. Privacy and Emotional Vulnerability
We encourage users to be thoughtful when sharing sensitive experiences.
Personal wellbeing information should not be used to manipulate, shame, threaten or exploit another person.
Users must respect privacy settings and personal boundaries.
Sharing another person's private wellbeing information without appropriate authorisation is prohibited.
7. Protection Against Exploitation
We prohibit conduct designed to exploit users experiencing vulnerability.
Examples include:
- Pressuring users to send money.
- Manipulating users through threats or guilt.
- Demanding intimate information or photographs.
- Misrepresenting professional qualifications.
- Offering fraudulent treatments or guaranteed cures.
- Coercing users into relationships or financial arrangements.
- Using sensitive disclosures for blackmail.
8. Safeguarding Young People
Users aged 13–17 require additional safeguards.
Howiiconnect will apply age-appropriate restrictions and safety measures required by applicable law.
These may include restrictions on unwanted adult contact, sensitive advertising, profile discoverability and the visibility of personal information.
Young users should avoid sharing addresses, school schedules, private contact details or other information that could place them at risk.
9. Respectful Community Support
Users are encouraged to offer encouragement without creating dependency or demanding emotional access to another person.
No user is obligated to provide continuous emotional support to others.
Members should respect requests for space, boundaries and reduced communication.
10. Moderation and Safety Reports
Users may report harmful behaviour, exploitation, threats or unsafe content.
Reports can be submitted through admin@howicare.co.nz
We will assess reports according to available evidence, severity, applicable law and operational capability.
We may remove content, restrict accounts or refer serious concerns to appropriate authorities.
11. Wellbeing Journals and Mood Tracking
Our journaling and mood-tracking features are designed for personal reflection.
They are not intended to diagnose medical conditions, predict crises or replace clinical assessment.
Users should be clearly informed of their journal privacy settings and any information-sharing choices.
Private wellbeing information will be subject to heightened protection.
12. Events and Offline Safety
Users participating in networking events or offline meetings should take reasonable precautions.
We encourage members to meet in appropriate public locations, protect personal information and inform someone they trust of their plans.
Event organisers must comply with applicable safeguarding and safety requirements.
13. Continuous Improvement
We aim to review our safety practices as the platform develops.
Policies, reporting tools, moderation processes and wellbeing safeguards may be updated in response to emerging risks and legal requirements.
14. Contact and Support
Howiiconnect Safety Team
Email: admin@howicare.co.nz
Website: https://www.howiiconnect.com
For emergencies, contact local emergency services rather than waiting for a response from Howiiconnect.
Our commitment: A community where kindness connects us, compassion supports us, and together we grow.