The Hong Kong Council of Social Service

NGO IFSC operators¡¦ Concerns on

the Implementation Issues of Integrated Family Service Centres

30.04.2004

1. Background:

The SWD has announced the Integrated Family Service Centre (IFSC) Blueprint in the briefing session on 25 February 2004. The SWD has adopted a pragmatic approach of phased implementation of IFSC and expected the full implementation to take effect on or before 31 March 2005. NGO IFSC operators treated the briefing session as a beginning of discussion and collaboration with the SWD both at the Headquarters and DSWO levels.

After meeting with DSWOs and noting the progress update in the Working Group on the Implementation of the Review of Family Services on 20 April 2004, NGO IFSC operators would like to clarify and discuss common concerns and implementation issues on the formation of IFSCs with the SWD at central level. NGOs are ready to collaborate with the SWD to work out practicable solutions to uphold the interests and welfare of the clients of IFSC.

2. Acknowledgement of the Difference between an NGO IFSC and an SWD IFSC in meeting District Needs:

The SWD has kindly worked out the paper ¡§Type of cases suitably handled by SWD even in an NGO IFSC service boundary¡¨. This has acknowledged that there are some types of cases which are not suitable to be handled by NGOs, and the SWD IFSCs have been allocated resources to take over those types of cases.

Hence, although there is no fundamental difference between SWD and NGO IFSCs, in terms of the integrated serve delivery mode and the fulfillment of the 4 principles governing the service design of IFSC, there are fundamental differences between an NGO and a Government Department: in terms of the accessibility to data, resource and communication with other Government Department; in terms of expectations from the general public and other stakeholders in the community. These differences thus make the service contents of an NGO ISFC and a SWD IFSC not identical.

3. Partnership of NGOs and the SWD

NGOs and the SWD share the direction of formation of IFSCs and the guiding principle of addressing the interests and welfare of the clients in need of IFSC services. NGOs acknowledge the hard work of the SWD in preparing the ¡§Draft of Guidelines on Interim Arrangements Regarding Division of Work and Case Transfer Arising from Formation of Integrated Family Service Centre (IFSC)¡¨. NGOs are ready to assist and participate as active partners of the SWD, in a joint working group at a central platform formed with SWD and NGOs representative, to work out mutually workable service guidelines on common operational issues of IFSCs.

4. Phased Implementation of IFSCs and SPMS

The re-engineering of family services is a complicated task and with many difficulties to overcome both by the SWD and NGOs. NGOs appreciate that the SWD has agreed to adopt a phased implementation approach. NGO IFSCs are formed by pooling different resources with differential implementation progresses: some have not yet with full manpower; some are still looking for premises, etc. Hence, a step by step approach is suggested in building up full service contents of an IFSC, by focusing on and consolidating their existing family work and case transfer according to their new service boundaries first. The IFSCs can have the flexibility in the pace of taking up other mutually agreed new service contents, up to the agreed time of their full implementation. The time for implementing full service output and the SPMS should also be adjusted accordingly.

5. General Flexibility in Service Operation and Resource Deployment

General flexibility in IFSC service operation, specification of service output and resource deployment are essential due to the following consideration:

Ø NGO IFSCs with about one supervisor and 12 social workers to address the comprehensive service needs of individuals and families in a catchment of proposed 100,000 ¡V 150,000 population;

Ø District needs are different;

Ø Actual accessibility of available IFSC premises varies with their actual locations

6. NGO IFSC operators¡¦ concerns and issues on the implementation of the IFSC:

The SWD had expressed that the FSA of IFSC would be based on that of the pilot IFSC and some modifications would be made. The Council has collected NGO IFSC operators¡¦ concerns on the implementation of the IFSC, and has initiated discussions among NGOs to explore feasible solutions on service interfacing issues. We appreciate that the SWD agrees to keep a continued dialogue with NGOs at the central level to review the situation on a regular basis. The identified concerns and issues are listed in the following.

6.1 Related to Funding and Service Agreement (FSA):

(i) Practical expectations towards the capacity of an NGO IFSC to tackle reasonable work types and case nature: e.g.

Ø Though NGOs are expected to provide a comprehensive service coverage to the families and individuals in the catchments, it is important to assess what NGOs are in a good position to provide certain types of service or handle certain types of cases. If the NGO IFSCs are to share more roles and those types of workload like the SWD IFSCs, similar accessibility to information, services and resource support of government departments and agents need to be established.

(ii) Service Output Indicators

Ø Apart from the core components of FCU, FSU and FRU, there should be built-in flexibility for NGO IFSC operators to amend the output indicators and redeploy manpower to meet its community needs.

Ø Among the service output indicators used in the pilot stage, there is a need to clarify which service output indicators would still be adopted for a common IFSC FSA.

(iii) Service Output

Ø For simplicity, service output could be calculated and based on the no. of RSWs. The other types of staff resource pooled would be considered as supportive to the service output purpose.

(iv) Flexibility in Opening Sessions

Ø The IFSCs need to deliver their services according to the needs and actual situation of their catchments. The needs for drop-in service are varied with different IFSC premises locations. For example, an IFSC with office located in less accessible and quiet site will need to use more reaching out means and work sessions to build up community networks, early identification of problems and intervening into family crises in the community.

Ø The minimal requirement for all IFSCs to open for 15 sessions per week would tie up their manpower resource in drop in service. IFSCs should be able to change their mode of service according to actual situations and patterns of service usage within their catchments. A review on the suitable number of opening sessions per week needs to be considered.

6.2 Premises, Setup Cost, Training and Response Mechanism:

(i) Lengthy time may be required to find a permanent IFSC premises with better accessibility and suitable size. However, to start service provision in the coming few months, some NGOs need to find temporary offices in the transitional period until a permanent office within the new IFSC boundary are available.

(ii) Premises for IFSC needs renovation before they can be properly used by the service users. Funding support (e.g. Lotteries Fund) is required to settle the expenses.

(iii) NGO IFSCs are formed by pooling different resources and some are with few programme fees. However, in the initial two years of their setup of this new model of family services, a lot of promotional work and reaching out work are required. With reference to the experience of the pilot IFSC, the SWD is suggested to support NGOs to apply for Lotteries Fund to settle this setup cost of promotional programmes for the first two years. Programme Assistants are also very useful manpower to assist in manning the IFSCs.

(iv) If the case screening tool used by pilot IFSC projects would continue to be adopted in IFSC, training needs to be provided by SWD to service operators who have not been involved in the pilot stage. There is also the need to simplify the case screening tool to reduce the time required to increase efficiency.

(v) It is understood that the Government will continue to take a lead to tackle disasters, as it will involve collaboration of different government departments. For NGO IFSCs to tackle individuals and family crises in community, there is a need to set up a regular mechanism in district by SWD and related guidelines to respond to crisis intervention involving multiple parties and different service providers; and related training should be provided.

6.3 Related to Interfacing Issues between IFSC and other community-based Services Identified

As the IFSC is a significant part of the community-based service to families and individuals, Interfacing Issues between IFSC and other community-based services need to be identified and worked out. It can promote better collaboration and prevent service gaps among community-based services.

(i) Family Service

Ø To jointly work out common service guidelines by the SWD and NGOs on case intake and transferal, upon implementation of new delineation of boundaries of both IFSCs

Ø Co-ordination and crisis response mechanism between SWD IFSC and NGO IFSC need to be worked out.

Ø Accountability of Cases Referred from District Council and reported from mass media

Ø NGO IFSCs¡¦ service interfacing with SWD FCPSU

Ø Role and partnership between the IFSC and specialized service for victims of domestic and sexual violence.

Ø Referral network and linkage with NGO and SWD Clinical psychologist

(ii) Children & Youth Service (ICYSC)

Ø Service and programmes for children and youth of 6 ¡V 15 involving their parents as key participants: e.g. Parent education programmes; after school care programme for children of single parents looking for employment;

Ø Outreaching social work targets with obvious family problems and parenting problems;

Ø Early identification linkage and referral networks between child care service units, either with ICYSC and IFSC.

Ø Linkage with stand alone school social workers and FLEUs

(iii) Elderly Service (DECC)

Ø Any efficient screening tool to clearly distinguish "elderly cases with family problems"? Many elders are applying residential homes to escape from the family, and the underlying problem could be relationship problem or even elder abuse.

Ø For the elders with counseling needs in elderly residential services without any RSW, is the IFSC or the DECC to provide counselling support to them?

(iv) Community Centres (CC)

Ø Community Centres serve people of all ages through the provision of a wide range of group and community work activities. Their use of flexible service methods and often reaching out work to vulnerable groups in the community, e.g. individuals facing similar problems, single parents and disadvantaged families. The role and focus of concern of IFSCs in its community reaching out work need to be discussed, when they have the overlapping catchment areas with a community centre.

(v) Integrated Service for Street Sleepers

Ø Division of labour and collaboration between the IFSC with the three NGO run one-stop Integrated services for street sleepers.

(vi) Interfacing with specialized services:

Division of labour with specialized service for:

Ø Medical Social Service¡G

Follow up of the out-patients with counseling needs.

Ø Rehabilitation Service¡G

Follow up of the mentally ill cases with family problems, as identified by the Community Mental Health Link service.

Ø Substance Abusers¡G

Follow up of Substance abuser cases with family problems, which often require reaching out work to engage them.

Ø Ethnic Minorities:

Follow up of the Ethnic Minorities with family problems, and together with language and cultural barriers

Appendix A

NGOs¡¦ Interim Comments on ¡§Draft of Guidelines on Interim Arrangements Regarding Division of Work and Case Transfer Arising from Formation of Integrated Family Service Centre (IFSC)¡¨:

Page	Item	NGOs¡¦ Interim Comments:
3.	4.4.1	¡§¡K.. if the case is not being handled or is not supposed to be taken up by MSSU/SWD in accordance with the Medical Social Services-Manual of Procedures.¡¨¡G Ø NGO IFSC operators have little idea on the contents of the ¡§Medical Social Services-Manual of Procedures¡¨ and thus cannot be agree or not at this without further information.
	4.4.3	Wanderer¡G Ø The NGO IFSCs¡¦ role and service for wanderers (e.g. street sleepers) need to be clarified, discussed and agreed between SWD and NGO.
4	5	i) ¡§There is a Consensus among SWD and NGO family service providers that services provided by IFSCs of SWD and NGO should have no fundamental difference¡¨: Ø The work contents indicated in para. 5 of Page 4 are more than consensus reached and need to be discussed between SWD and NGOs. ii) For cases received by the Departmental Hotline Service Unit of the SWD after office hours or DSWOs or their designated officer(s) after the operation hours of IFSCs, the respective DSWO should work out the detailed arrangements ¡K.. operational issues, etc: Ø NGO IFSCs envisage practical difficulties to provide manpower to backup the Departmental Hotline Service Unit of the SWD after office hours. If a staff is assigned to be on duty, the NGO has the obligation to recognize the on duty hours as overtime work. The implications of the odd sessions and stand-by issues need to be carefully examined beforehand. Also, this will place further constraints on the need of manning 15 sessions with 12 social workers.

Page	Item	NGOs¡¦ Interim Comments:
4	5	iii) For the newly reported child abuse cases received during office hours ¡K with the need for outreaching visit, SWO(FCPSU) should pair up with a social worker from the respective IFSC of SWD or NGO to reach out to the case for investigation.¡G The FCPSU should be the key government officer with the mandate to conduct the investigation on newly reported child abuse cases. NGO IFSC social worker should only start their involvement when an MDCC is convened or when the FCPSU has confirmed to transfer out the case to NGO IFSC. It is a better use of resource.
5.	7.1	For those centres/units which will be closed or totally pooled out to other districts, ¡K.. These Centres / units, however, should continue with their intake service in the manner as set out in para. 4.5 above and outreaching service until a specified date as agreed by the respective DSWO (say 2 weeks before closure). Ø In the process of phased implementation, especially when the availability of premises is important, the pooling out time and phasing in time of different IFSCs vary. Practical arrangements for intake service and outreaching service need to be further discussed between NGOs and SWD.
10.	8.2	From SWD Service Units to NGO units or vice versa or between NGOs ¡§The caseworker should clearly explain to the client the reason(s) for case transfer ¡K.. on face sheet.¡G Ø To make the process of case transfer smooth, a joint transferal interview needs to be considered to handle the client¡¦s choice, as far as practicable.

8. Publicity and Briefing

After the mandate, roles and responsibilities, implementation schedules of the IFSCs have been mutually agreed, the NGO sector hopes that the SWD would take the lead to conduct central promotion of this new service model, so as to promote public awareness and understanding.

Besides, briefing session on interfacing issues between IFSC and other community-based services will also be required to enhance their better collaboration.

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