Overview
Through re-engineering of family service resources in 2004-05, Integrated Family Service Centres (IFSCs) were formed to provide a continuum of preventive, supportive and remedial services.  Currently, there are a total of 61 IFSCs, of which 40 are run by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) and 21 by nine non-governmental organisations (NGOs). 

Taking into account that the re-engineering has been completed for more than three years, both SWD and the sector consider it an appropriate time to review the implementation of the service mode of IFSCs, in particular, to find out whether and to what extent the IFSC service mode has achieved its service objectives, and what improvement measures are needed to further refine the mode. 

To take forward the task of reviewing the implementation of the IFSC service mode, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) invited interested parties to submit tenders through open tendering in June 2008.  In October 2008, the University of Hong Kong (HKU), upon the recommendation of an Assessment Panel and approval by the Government Logistics Department Tender Board, was commissioned to conduct the 12-month review.

Steering Committee
A Steering Committee is set up to advise on the direction and scope of the review, monitor and receive reports on the progress of work, and examine and accept report of the review from the HKU Consultant Team.  To ensure a wide representation of views from relevant stakeholders, the Steering Committee is composed of representatives from the Labour and Welfare Bureau, SWD, NGOs, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) as well as an independent member of the community.

Terms of Reference and Membership of the Steering Committee can be downloaded here.

 Terms of Reference         Membership of the Steering Committee

Minutes of meetings of the Steering Committee can be downloaded here.

Working Group
A Working Group comprising representatives from SWD, NGOs and HKCSS is also formed to facilitate the work of the Consultant Team, to provide information on existing practice and service provision of IFSCs, and to ensure that concerns and objectives to be addressed by the review are covered. 

Terms of Reference and Membership of the Working Group can be downloaded here.

 Terms of Reference         Membership of the Working Group

Minutes of meetings of Working Group can be downloaded here.

Work Progress of the HKU Consultant Team
The HKU Consultant Team will be gathering views on the implementation of the IFSC service mode from relevant stakeholders, including service users, frontline staff, service supervisors, administrators, and so on using various means such as user survey, district focus group, case study, centre report, website, etc.  If you are interested in knowing more about the progress of work carried out by the HKU Consultant Team, please click into the following website -

http://rifs.socialwork.hku.hk/default.htm

Legislative Council Panel on Welfare Services Meeting
SWD was invited to share the details and progress of the Review on the Implementation of the IFSC Service Mode at the meeting of the Legislative Council Panel on Welfare Services on 9 March 2009.  The paper presented by SWD can be downloaded here.

 Paper for Legislative Council Panel on Welfare Services Meeting

You may also click into the website of the Legislative Council at http://www.legco.gov.hk/english/index.htm for details of the meeting.

Views and Suggestions
If you have any views or suggestions on the Review on the Implementation of the IFSC Service Mode, you are welcome to contact the HKU Consultant Team by clicking into the website http://rifs.socialwork.hku.hk/default.htm or sending mail to Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Room 1304, K.K. Leung Building, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong.