IHC has taken responsibility for the death of intellectually disabled man Lewis Munro, 51, who went missing in dense bush near Te Kuiti in 2007.
Waikato coroner Gordon Matenga has reserved his decision following an inquest in Te Kuiti District Court yesterday.
IHC chief executive Ralph Jones told the Waikato Times that IHC took full responsibility for the tragedy of Mr Munro's death.
"But it is a lesson for our organisation about the risks that can be involved in any activity and the fact that in this case our procedures failed Mr Munro."
Caregiver Paul Brown had taken the group of nine intellectually disabled men on a day trip to an area known as the Viaduct on October 29, 2007.
However, IHC's Idea Services thought he had taken them to Waitomo and that there were just six or seven men with him.
Mr Brown had no cellphone or radio and was not able to call for help when Mr Munro and Alfred Jonakait went missing.
Mr Jonakait was found later that night, but Mr Munro's body was found three days later near the Mangaoweka Stream.
Mr Brown said he was comfortable taking all nine men out because he knew them well.
"The only stumbling block was when the wind blew the swing bridge."
Mr Munro and Mr Jonakait became separated from the group while Mr Brown was helping another man, who refused to cross a swing bridge.
Idea Services' community services manager for the area Jacqueline Levet said risk assessments were now carried out before each field trip.
If it was deemed too risky the trip did not go ahead, she said.
