Dec

Paper 3

Dec. 14, 1999

The Hong Kong Council of Social Service

Family Service and Child Care Division

Report on the Brainstorming Session with SWD

On the Review of Family Services held on Dec. 10, 1999

Introduction

The Brainstorming Session with SWD on Review of Family Services was held on Dec. 10, 1999. The objective was to share with SWD NGOs’ views on the review, before the Department finalizes the consultancy brief to call for tenders. This paper summarizes the main points raised in the session.

Meeting Participants

The meeting was attended by the following members of the SWD and NGOs:

SWD : Ms. Ann Lau AD (Family & Child Welfare)

Mrs. Susan Chong CSWO (Family & Child Welfare 1)

Mrs. Anna Mak CSWO (Family & Child Welfare 2)

Mr. Y. T. Wong SSWO (Child Welfare 2)

NGOs : Mrs. Amelia Ting Chairperson, FSCCD

Mrs. Cecilia Kwan Chairperson, Family Service Committee

Ms. Pamela Chan Chairperson, Committee on FLE

Ms. Angie Lai

Ms. Susan So Reps. of FS Committee

Ms. Margaret Wong

Ms. Agnes Ng Reps. of Committee on FLE

Ms. Amy Fung

Sharing on the subject

3.1 In the morning of Dec. 10, 1999, SWD transmitted by fax an outline of the Review (attached) to the Council for the Brainstorming Session in the afternoon. During the meeting, Ms. Lau explained the content to the NGO representatives.

3.2 The NGO representatives had put forth especially the following points for the Department’s consideration:

Re. The need for Review

NGOs did not object to the Review but stressed that it should be a forward looking exercise. There should be a recapitulation of concept and philosophy about family and this should form the direction and objectives of family services in Hong Kong and forms the basis of the Review.

b. Scope of the Review

(i) Re “priority setting of service provision in relation to social need”

The wording is misleading. The concern should be on :

- establishing and projecting the needs of families in adjusting to changes (it should be needs of all families, not just specific vulnerable groups)

- positioning family services as to how they can meet such needs

- forming a continuum of services to facilitate different levels of input with reference to different degrees of needs and malfunctioning of families

- developing a mechanism to facilitate agencies’ reponsiveness to the changing societal needs, rather than on prioritizing the community needs which are always changing. That is, recognising the constraints in resources, the Review will find ways to position the family services in the continuum of services to help families.

(ii) Re "identify need for screening tools”

NGO representatives clarified that the concern was on the assessment tools in relation to outcome measures instead. NGOs had no objection to the move to identify need for setting up assessment tools.

(iii) NGOs concerned that there should be study into the interfacing of the different family services and other welfare services relating to families. Out of the same concern, it is not complete if the interfacing with other public sectors and policies are not included.

c. Re. Services covered

in response to an enquiry, the SWD representatives informed that the Department’s specialized service units (i.e. CPSU, CCSU) would not be included in the Review. The NGO representatives shared that the services offered by these units also formed part of the continuum of services to families, the Review should look into the positioning of the services in the continuum.

d. Re. Follow up

- the Council would write in further comments on the Review and hoped that the Department would take these into consideration in preparing for the consultancy brief.

Mari4/MC1213