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Chairperson's Message

 

 

Last year was challenging for us. There were social incidents. There were civil demands. All these gave rise to unprecedented conflicts which disrupted our daily routines. Then came the coronavirus pandemic around the Lunar New Year in January 2020. Wearing face masks, social distancing, working from home, and other public health measures aggravated the feeling of loneliness. When everybody is vulnerable and vexed, who would bother to serve the disadvantaged?

As a social service organization, the SRACP felt more duty bound. In the past few months, there were approximately 8,000 persons arrested. This number far exceeded the capacity of our existing Court Social Work Services. We therefore applied for extra funding from the Social Welfare Department to start a 2-year program— “Court Social Work Service 2.0”. This program extended outreaching services to hospitals, police stations and enhanced outreaching services courts. Consultations and counselling services were provided to the arrested persons and their families. Our social workers would follow through the lengthy court proceedings with them. We strive to build up their stamina, reduce stress and enhance their problem-solving skills. We hope to enhance the spirit of the rule of law and prepare them for reintegration to the society.

Apart from the above, we have expanded Mental Health Services, Employment and Social Enterprise services, Community Education and Volunteer Services to cope with the new demands.


In view of the increased stress which might have affected the mental health of the public, the Social Welfare Department has provided more resources for the SRACP. This enables our Integrated Community Centers for Mental Wellness (ICCMW) to strengthen community work and youth mental health services. We stress that early detection of mood problems is important. Timely professional intervention is essential.

Apart from the existing vocational training and job-matching programs, the Employment Services section has expanded its services to disadvantaged youths by providing career planning and start-up financial assistance. From May 2020, “The Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund” has sponsored the SRACP to start a 3-year program called “BEHub”. We would target disadvantaged groups to join the program. It aims to inspire participants to solve social problems with innovative ideas and use these ideas in starting up businesses. At the same time, there will be more projects by our Community Education and volunteer Services section for students and volunteers. We try to facilitate critical thinking, to promote the understanding of the rule of law, and to prepare them for future challenges.

Last year, Mr. Andy NG Wang-tsang retired from the post of Chief Executive. We greatly appreciate Andy’s contributions over these years. Ms. Anthea LEE Shuk-wai was appointed the Chief Executive in September 2019. I hope Anthea would maintain the current services and lead SRACP to cope with social needs with innovation. I am confident that she would start a new era for the SRACP. With the support of all staff, we shall continue to diversify.

Milestones establishment

“Innovative mind with a social heart” is the vision of the SRACP. To achieve this goal, we have established a 5-year strategic plan for future development along the following axes.

To transform lives

“Everyone shines in his own way.”—we believe everyone can contribute to the society. Although some people might be in predicament because of momentary slip, they might have succumbed to difficult circumstances or affected by mental stress, somehow there is always hope. We pledge to transform their lives, by counselling and companionship, so that they can reintegrate and contribute to the society again.

To enhance efficiency

SRACP must keep pace with rapid social changes. Our services cover a wide range from the young to the seniors. It is a big challenge to cope with this age variation. In response, SRACP develops enhanced programs, such as “Project Hope” to support arrested persons aged over 60 and their families. There are also other projects sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, “CLAP for Youth@JC”, for young persons. We shall strive to develop easily accessible communication channels to provide timely responses to the urgent needs of our clients.

To develop service indexes

Our services are rooted in various districts. We have established trust and mutual assistance with other organisations. We plan to develop quantitative indexes to assess the effectiveness of these services. These data will hopefully be a useful reference for the general public, government agencies and other NGO. We wish this would contribute in making Hong Kong a more "safe and inclusive society".

To facilitate career development

Our staff is the most important asset. The SRACP has always encouraged self-enhancement and career development. By providing more job rotations, job attachments, job shadowing, we ensure that our staff is exposed to different modalities of services. This would maintain enthusiasm at work and expand career development opportunities. It would also provide training to enhance clinical and management skills. This approach would maintain continuity of competence in the SRACP.

“To develop a safe and inclusive society” is our vision. I believe this is shared by everyone in Hong Kong. However, to resolve the current conflicts, the cooperation and mutual trust from all sectors are paramount. We sincerely urge you to come forward and strive to build a better future.

Patrick LI