HKFWS Envisioning 2024

The fourth year’s work of "Envisioning 2024" has been accomplished. The four strategic teams have actively implemented strategies that could help the Society strengthen the application of the unique “family-centric” intervention model across services, and to engage the community to co-create, pass on and advocate the family value. With collective efforts across units and levels, the Society is getting closer to realising the two strategic goals of "Family Vision 2024":

1. To strengthen the application of the unique "family-centric" intervention approach across services; and to effectively address the needs of families, to safeguard family wellbeing and develop a family-friendly environment in the rapidly changing society.

2. To engage the community and foster partnerships; and to co-create, pass on and advocate the family value, so as to build a caring society with family wellbeing as the core.

Strategic Group 1 (Formulating the “HKFWS Formula”) – Deepen the Understanding of the "HKFWS Formula" and Strengthen the Practice of "Family-centric" Perspective at Work

To empower colleagues with practical implementation of the "family-centric" perspective in their work, we invited Dr. Lau Yuk King from Department of Social Work of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), to conduct four training sessions for frontline staffs from different services. Through the training, our social workers revisited their experiences in applying the "family-centric" perspective, including casework, programme design, and service plan execution, and Dr. Lau provided her valuable insights generously.

In addition to the training, we encouraged service centres to organise sharing sessions on the practical implementation of the "family-centric" perspective, aiming to inspire further reflections among colleagues. We also shared six stories of colleagues practicing the approach on our internal communication platform “Facebook Workplace”, accompanied by four-panel comics. To generate interest among colleagues of various job levels, we incorporated interactive quizzes with exciting prizes.

Remarkable sharing session by Dr. Lau Yuk King

The six four-panel comics on the "family-centric" perspective

Strategic Group 2 (Staff Capacity Building) – Expand Professional Training and Enhancing Staff Exposure

Entering its second year, the "Social Work Engagement Programme on Professional Development", jointly organised with the Department of Social Work of CUHK, has seen a doubling in the number of participating graduating social work students (Bachelor’s Degree and Master Degree) compared to last year. Both the department and the students agreed that the programme enhanced students' commitment to the profession and their understanding of the Society’s services. Some students have subsequently joined the Society as fellow social workers after graduation.

To ensure that colleagues have a better understanding of our service operations, acquire more knowledge and skills in their work, and flexibly utilise service resources, we continue to expand their perspectives and capabilities through various approaches. These included the "Internal Attachment Programme" and training in information technology to drive service innovation and integration.

Two CUHK students participated in a one-day work experience programme at Kwai Chung (South) Integrated Family Service Centre, and Shun Lee Integrated Family Service Centre respectively

Last summer, two colleagues from youth services had a 5-8 day exchange experience at our integrated family service centre

Strategic Group 3 (Aligning District Efforts / Cross-sector Collaboration) – Learn and Apply Community Engagement at Work and Regularise District Meeting

In the past year, we hosted visits and exchange sessions to enhance colleagues' understanding on community engagement. Additionally, different services continued to apply the community engagement model in various programmes and collaborated with partners to co-create solutions for social issues. During the year-end sharing session, the services shared their learnings and experiences from these initiatives. To enhance colleagues' understanding on community engagement, the working group also created videos for new and existing colleagues to review.

Furthermore, we continued to organise District Meetings to foster cross-unit understanding, share service updates, and explore collaboration opportunities, with the aim to gather more local resources to provide appropriate services.

Visit to Hong Kong Red Cross with discussions on the application of community engagement

Colleagues participated in a sharing session on the application of community engagement

Strategic Group 4 (Central Advocacy Campaign) - Engage in Dialogue with the Public Regarding Different Family-related Issues Through Various Means

Over the past year, we have forged various partnerships to further our mission. One significant collaboration was joining the MTR Corporation's “ESG Project Allies Programme”, where we collaborated with MTR and 11 other non-governmental organisations and social enterprises that share our vision. Together, we initiated impactful projects aimed at driving positive change. Moreover, we have expanded our collaborations with MTR shopping malls. For instance, the youth services organised an exhibition on youth mental health at Telford Plaza Phase II, allowing youngsters to express their opinions on the topic. Through this exhibition, we not only raised public awareness of youth voices but also promoted dialogue and understanding.

In terms of public education, the "Homeland" Family Market, themed around families, has become a platform that brings together different services and fosters participation from commercial entities and social enterprises to promote the message of "family first". Additionally, we continued to lobby for family health through collaborations with companies such as Reckitt Hong Kong and Paradise Mall, as well as co-organising the city-wide "BEE Family Coach" with RunOurCity Foundation.