The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, officiated the Kick-off Ceremony of District Services and Community Care Teams – Pilot Scheme on Supporting Elderly and Carers today (March 28) to announce the official launch of the one-year Pilot Scheme, which seeks to consolidate community power to support elderly persons and carers.
The Chief Executive announced in the 2023 Policy Address that the Government will pilot in Tsuen Wan and Southern districts to engage Care Teams to help identify households of singleton/doubleton elderly persons and carers of elderly persons/persons with disabilities in need through visits or contacts, and refer these cases to social welfare service units for follow-up. The Care Teams will also assist in referring elderly persons and persons with disabilities in need to install and use the emergency alarm system.
Addressing the ceremony, Mr Sun said that invitations for the Pilot Scheme were extended to the Care Teams of both Tsuen Wan and Southern districts by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) last month. Positive responses have been received from the Care Teams of both districts. All Care Teams in the 36 sub-districts will participate in the Pilot Scheme. This not only fully demonstrates the Care Teams' passion in serving the community, but also their unwavering support for the Government's policy to show care and concern for the socially disadvantaged.
Mr Sun said that the Pilot Scheme shows the Government's commitment to supporting elderly persons, persons with disabilities and carers. He encouraged the Care Teams to continue to work hand in hand with the Government to show care and concern to the community and hoped that, with the contribution and services of the Care Teams, appropriate assistance and support will be rendered to elderly persons and carers in need, thereby building a better community.
At the ceremony, Mr Sun, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Ms Alice Lau, and the Director of Social Welfare, Miss Charmaine Lee, led the captains and members of the Care Teams of the 36 sub-districts in Tsuen Wan and Southern districts in the pledging session of the Pilot Scheme.
After the ceremony, to understand the daily lives and needs of elderly persons/persons with disabilities and their carers, District Social Welfare Officers visited households of elderly persons/persons with disabilities and their carers in Tsuen Wan and Southern districts together with representatives of the District Offices and the Care Teams. Gift packs and leaflets on different social welfare services were given to the households. They were encouraged to seek help when necessary.
Prior to the kick-off ceremony, the SWD conducted a briefing session for all Care Teams of Tsuen Wan and Southern districts to recap the information provided in earlier training sessions on social welfare services within their districts, case referral procedures, eligibility and methods for applications for the emergency alarm system and communication skills with elderly persons and carers. The SWD will monitor the service implementation and review the service effectiveness. The District Social Welfare Offices concerned will also maintain communication with the Care Teams and provide support to ensure the smooth implementation of the Pilot Scheme. Furthermore, the Working Family Allowance (WFA) Office was also present to introduce to Care Teams the WFA Scheme, including the arrangements for increasing the rates of the household and child allowances under the Scheme by 15 per cent across the board with effect from the claim month of April 2024.
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