https://www.scmp.com/rss/522370/feed The Social Welfare Department (SWD) is a governmental body in Hong Kong, headquartered at Wu Chung House, Wan Chai. Established in 1958, its primary mission is to provide quality social welfare services, promote social and family responsibilities, and build a caring community. The SWD’s main areas of activity include social security, family and child welfare, services for the elderly, rehabilitation, medical social services, and youth welfare. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong professionals mandated to report suspected child abuse cases under a new law taking effect on Tuesday are largely ready, but some have said challenges remain in working with parents from different cultural backgrounds and detecting online crimes targeting youngsters. Under the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance, more than 100,000 people across 25 professions in the social welfare, education and medical sectors are required to report suspected maltreatment of those aged under... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3340476/hong-kong-professions-ready-new-child-abuse-law-some-challenges-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3340476/hong-kong-professions-ready-new-child-abuse-law-some-challenges-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:30:16 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Social welfare in Hong Kong is characterised by an extensive network of heavily subsidised services provided by the government and agencies. However, that does not mean those in need will not fall through the safety net because of slack supervision, bureaucracy and malpractices across the sector. A case in point is the respite services for supporting carers of the elderly and people with disabilities. Credit goes to the ombudsman for its investigation into an increasingly important service... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3329233/hong-kongs-respite-agencies-must-be-held-accountable-refusing-services?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3329233/hong-kongs-respite-agencies-must-be-held-accountable-refusing-services?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 22:45:09 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The crackdown on public housing abuse in Hong Kong has received broad public support as more rental units were recovered and reassigned to those with genuine need. But as more tenants are evicted for flouting the rules, there have also been calls for greater sensitivity in handling families with special needs. The sad outcome of a mother and a son who took their lives one after another in the wake of an eviction notice is a case in point. There can be no dispute that the pair had breached the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3326158/hong-kong-must-crack-down-public-housing-abuse-compassion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3326158/hong-kong-must-crack-down-public-housing-abuse-compassion?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 22:45:13 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong authorities have pledged to allocate HK$500 million (US$64.2 million) annually for recurrent expenditure to support carers, including establishing a high-risk family database and installing accident detection systems. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu made this pledge on Wednesday while delivering his annual policy address, which included a range of measures to tackle the city’s rapidly ageing population and a rise in family tragedies. “We do not have a concrete plan on how to spend the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3325903/hong-kong-pledges-hk500-million-yearly-support-carers-amid-ageing-population?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3325903/hong-kong-pledges-hk500-million-yearly-support-carers-amid-ageing-population?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 13:38:12 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Hong Kong authorities should make better use of technology to identify and support elderly residents living alone or only with a spouse, experts have said, following two recent cases in which skeletal remains were found in public housing. Lawmakers also highlighted gaps in the city’s social safety net for high-risk elderly people on Thursday, urging the government to expand support schemes as soon as possible to cover needy residents, with priority given to those in ageing districts. On... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3321118/hong-kong-lawmakers-want-pilot-schemes-aiding-high-risk-seniors-be-expanded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3321118/hong-kong-lawmakers-want-pilot-schemes-aiding-high-risk-seniors-be-expanded?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Aug 2025 11:13:00 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A retired Hong Kong social worker behind a dropped legal challenge arising from the San Tin Technopole project has been sentenced to community service for defrauding authorities out of HK$16,780 (US$2,138) in welfare benefits. Eastern Court on Thursday adopted a probation officer’s recommendation to sentence Eddie Tse Sai-kit to 120 hours of unpaid community work after his lawyer said he “recklessly” understated his earnings to obtain four months’ worth of welfare allowances last year. A... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3319378/retired-hong-kong-social-worker-given-community-service-defrauding-authorities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3319378/retired-hong-kong-social-worker-given-community-service-defrauding-authorities?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 05:02:13 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial It is almost a year since the passage of a law requiring professionals working with children to report suspected cases of abuse. It is another six months of preparation before it comes into effect – time that must be put to good use to promote awareness and provide guidelines for professionals and institutions. Figures from the Social Welfare Department on child physical and sexual abuse in 2024 are a reminder of that. They show that the number of child sexual abuse cases is not only creeping up... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3316175/guidelines-overdue-hong-kong-child-abuse-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3316175/guidelines-overdue-hong-kong-child-abuse-law?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 22:30:07 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun The number of child sexual abuse cases in Hong Kong has nearly doubled over the past decade, reaching more than 500 last year, with over one in five of the perpetrators aged 16 and below, authorities have said amid a rise in harmful incidents targeting youngsters. Lawmakers on Wednesday called for the government to urgently address a rise in the number of younger child sex abusers. They also asked authorities to release the guidelines for the coming mandatory reporting mechanism for suspected... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3315818/child-sexual-abuse-cases-hong-kong-nearly-double-over-decade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3315818/child-sexual-abuse-cases-hong-kong-nearly-double-over-decade?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2025 12:02:40 +0000