District Highlights 2019-20

Providing Emotional Support in the District

• The Kwun Tong District Social Welfare Office (District Social Welfare Office) organised 4 major activities in the year to address the emotional challenges brought by social incidents to members of the community, including young people and their parents as well as youth service workers.
  • A talk, namely “Take Care of Yourself and Students” (照顧自己、照顧學生), was organised for principals and teachers of secondary schools, and youth service workers to assist them in taking good care of their students’ emotion needs as well as their own.  Around 70 participants attended the talk.
  • By joining hands with 6 family and youth services units in the district, a mindfulness workshop and a talk on law and social services were organised to help teachers, social workers and parents alleviate their stress and learn relevant legal knowledge and information on social services.  About 100 participants joined the activities.  Some participants were identified for further support for early intervention.
  • In collaboration with 7 youth services units in the district, a series of emotional support programmes were implemented for young people and members of the community.  The programmes included helping young people share their feelings and enhance their mental wellness via drama and dancing, training the youth to be “goalkeepers” (守門人) to enhance mutual support, and organising exhibitions to foster a caring community in Kwun Tong, etc.  The series of programmes served about 1 500 persons.
  • A community resource kit was produced with information on counseling hotlines/websites, psychological services, financial assistance, crisis residential services and relevant services units in the district for distribution to stakeholders, such as the Schools Liaison Committee, to help people in need to obtain appropriate support/services as early as possible.

Providing Support to Elders and Persons with Disabilities and Their Carers

• The population of elders and persons with disabilities (PwDs) in Kwun Tong district has always ranked top among 18 districts in the territory.  To strengthen the support system/network of the elders and PwDs as well as their carers, the District Social Welfare Office provided funding for NGOs to run 4 district support programmes in the year.
  • The “Tour at Kwun Tong Garden Estate” (緣遊花園) aimed at providing support to elderly residents and their carers living in the estate, which was listed for redevelopment in the near future.  Through home visits to the targeted households, local residents partnered with community stakeholders to identify those in need and render prompt and appropriate support services, promoting care and love for the elders.  In addition, regular outdoor programmes and activities with local characteristics were organised to develop a sense of belonging among the elderly and their family members towards the community and strengthen neighbourhood support network.  All the above efforts laid a solid foundation for mutual help, buffering the elderly residents’ stress over the upcoming redevelopment.
  • The “Same Heart Movement” (「同心同行」計劃) and “Happy Petrol Station” (殷悅社區加油站) aimed at promoting the well-being of the carers of PwDs and relieving their stress by enhancing their support network in the community.  The programmes mainly included volunteer visits, community education and recreational activities, etc.
  • The “Family Alliance 2.0” (「家．盟」精神健康共享計劃2.0) aimed at providing support to families with ex-mentally ill persons.  Through a series of parent-child activities, such as parallel groups, family camps and tea gatherings, ex-mentally ill persons and their family members were facilitated to express their emotions positively and increase their resilience.  By enhancing liaison among group members, the programme also helped participants understand their families’ strengths and potentials as well as their readiness to accept support from the community.
• The 4 programmes served about 2 400 elders and PwDs and their carers in the community.

Service Commencement of Kai Nang Integrated Rehabilitation Services Complex and On Tai Estate Ancillary Facilities Block

• The service commencement of 2 welfare complexes, Kai Nang Integrated Rehabilitation Services Complex (KNIRSC) and On Tai Estate Ancillary Facilities Block (OTEAFB) within this same year marked a milestone in the provision of rehabilitation services in Kwun Tong.  With the highest number of PwDs among 18 districts, local residents and stakeholders of Kwun Tong had earnestly looked forward to the completion of the 2 complexes.  The respective Building Management Committees of the 2 welfare complexes have been providing assistance in the co-ordination and co-operation among different NGOs and government departments to ensure smooth service implementation.  There are over 1 000 day care/training and residential places in the 2 welfare complexes for pre-school children with disabilities, mentally handicapped persons, physically handicapped persons and ex-mentally ill persons.  In addition, 3 community support services centres for PwDs have been reprovisioned to KNIRSC while a residential care home for the elderly cum day care unit has been set up at OTEAFB.