Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children (HKSPC) understands and supports the Social Welfare Department’s (SWD) initiative of sending a Designated Professional Team to CRH to supervise the daily operation and to help improve our child care service. The Society will work with SWD to ensure that the children at CRH will be given the most suitable care.
Due to staffing shortage at the CRH, the Society has been redeploying from other units (e.g. Day Crèches, Nursery Schools) as appropriate to ensure the former is properly manned. However, in the face of the challenge of rebuilding the team and enhancing service standard, we need more qualified child care workers.
“I want to apologise again for what has happened at our Children’s Residential Home (CRH). The incident has triggered understandable questions and criticism of the HKSPC. We fully appreciate the sentiment and have listened carefully; we are fully supporting our Independent Review Committee, and all SWD initiatives. We are heart-broken, but the CRH provides a vital service. We are determined to reform and become better,” said Robin Hammond, Chairman, Exco, HKSPC.
‘This is the most difficult moment in the 95 year history of the Society. We shall not give up on our promise to the children. We shall rebuild our CRH team and enhance our service standards. For the 2 years to 3 years old unit, for instance, we shall introduce new staff, working to refreshed guidelines and with appropriate re-training. We shall ensure we live up to our motto of keeping children healthy, happy and safe’ continued Mr. Hammond.
‘In the course of revitalising the CRH team, we desperately need your understanding and support, and we would particularly call on qualified child care workers to join us at this critical moment,’ remarked Mr. Hammond.
Over the last three weeks, the Society has deployed child care centre supervisors to step up monitoring and surprise checks at CRH to ensure compliance with the service standard. We have also engaged the Hong Kong Christian Service to provide a hotline service as well as face-to-face counselling for colleagues in need. With immediate effect, all qualified staff redeployed to CRH will be given a Special Allowance.
We shall do our utmost to strengthen staff resources and service standard at CRH in order to win back the trust of parents and the public.
Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children
14 January 2022