What is 'Private Residential Care Homes for Persons with Disabilities' (private homes)?

According to the definition by Social Welfare Department (SWD), a hostel at which more than eight persons with disabilities over the age of 15 are habitually received for the purpose of care while resident therein is classified as a residential care home for persons with disabilities.  Private homes are operated by business organizations providing residential care services for persons with disabilities, including physically impaired, mentally impaired, ex-mentally ill and blind persons.

What is 'Voluntary Registration Scheme' (VRS)?

In September 2006, SWD set up a Registration Office of Private Residential Care Homes for Persons with Disabilities (ROPRCHD) and introduced a 'Voluntary Registration Scheme' (VRS) to encourage private residential care homes for persons with disabilities (private homes) to continuously improve their services.  Officers from the ROPRCHD will inspect those private homes that have submitted applications to join VRS.  If the applicants are found to be compliant with the requirements under VRS in terms of general management, fire safety, building safety and health care, their relevant information and the latest date of inspection by SWD will be uploaded onto this homepage and made accessible to the public for reference.  To ensure that the service quality of private homes continuously meets the acceptable standards under VRS, SWD will conduct regular inspections of private homes after their registration.

The Director of Social Welfare may suspend the uploading of information of a private home onto this homepage or revoke its registration in any of the following circumstances:

a.	SWD confirms that the private home fails to meet the requirements under VRS, and no improvement has been made before a deadline;
b.	the private home refuses to let SWD staff in for inspection;
c.	the operator of the private home withholds information or fails to notify SWD immediately that the home has been sold or renamed;
d.	the private home or its management has contravened the law or is being prosecuted; or
e.	the service quality or management style of the private home is not acceptable to SWD.

Registered list of Private Residential Care Homes for Persons with Disabilities

The relevant information of the private homes which were found to be compliant with the requirements under Voluntary Registration Scheme (VRS) on the specified date of inspection is shown below.

Name of the Home	Name of the Operator	Address of the Home	Telephone No.& Fax No.	Email Address	Types of Residents	Latest Date of Inspection by SWD
Tung Fong Rehabilitation Home	Mr. Man Tat	DD95 Lot 1387 SA, Ho Sheung Heung, Sheung Shui, NT.	26715850 34040038	Nil	Ex-Mentally III / Mentally Handicapped / Physically Handicapped Persons	19.5.2008
Oi Lok Home for Mentally Retarded	Mr. Man Tat	DD95 Lot 1388 SA, Ho Sheung Heung, Sheung Shui, NT.	26715850 34040038	Nil	Ex-Mentally III / Mentally Handicapped / Physically Handicapped Persons	19.5.2008
Ming Sum Home for the SEN (Tuen Mun)	Ms. Kung Sui Lin	No. 201-202, Chung Uk Tsuen, Hung Shui Kiu, Tuen Mun, NT.	24750148 24775970	k2526@netvigator.com	Ex-Mentally III / Mentally Handicapped / Physically Handicapped Persons	3.6.2008
Comfort Rehabilitation Home	Ms.  Chan Suk Hing	H34-37 & H42, 1/F & 2/F, H49-52 & H55, Ho Sheung Heung Sun Chuen, Sheung Shui, NT.	34040016 34040019	Nil	Ex-Mentally III Persons	15.7.2008
Happy Home for the Healthy Care	Ms.  Chan Kwok Chun	146 & 164 Tong Tau Po Tsuen, Shap Pat Heung, Yuen Long, NT.	24756948 24757548	Nil	Ex-Mentally III / Mentally Handicapped / Physically Handicapped Persons	20.6.2008
Fuka Home for the Disabled	Mr.  Tsui Lap Lung	80A, Chung UK Tsuen, Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, NT.	24771997 26578322	Nil	Ex-Mentally III / Mentally Handicapped / Physically Handicapped Persons	21.7.2008

When admission to a private home is considered, the public is advised, apart from viewing the list above, to refer to the booklet on 'Tips for Selecting a Suitable Private Residential Care Home for the Disabled' published by SWD.  The booklet can be downloaded below.  Hardcopies can be obtained from Integrated Family Service Centres run by either SWD or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Medical Social Services Units of public hospitals, Probation Offices, day rehabilitation services units run by NGOs, and District Social Welfare Offices of SWD.

Persons with disabilities or their families should also visit a few more private homes in person in order to compare their environment, facilities and service quality, and select the most suitable one after careful consideration.

Disclaimer : The list and information above is for reference only.  The Government shall not in any circumstances or in any way be liable to any person (including any body of persons, corporate or unincorporated) for any loss or damage (including consequential, indirect, incidental and special loss / damage) arising out of or in connection with this website, the information on this website, the use or inability to use thereof and / or the VRS.

The booklet can be viewed or downloaded here PDF Acrobat Document 

Guidance Notes on Application Procedures for Voluntary Registration Scheme (VRS)

1. Private homes interested in the Voluntary Registration Scheme (VRS) should study carefully the Code of Practice for Residential Care Homes for Persons with Disabilities (March 2002).  The Code of Practice is obtainable from :

i.	SWD: Registration Office of Private Residential Care Homes for Persons with Disabilities (ROPRCHD) Address: Rm.1508, 15/F, 248 Queen's Road East, Wanchai, HK Tel. No.: 2891 6379 Fax. No.: 2153 0071
ii.	SWD Website: http://www.swd.gov.hk

2. To apply for VRS, please fill in the application form (VRS Form 1) [please download here MS Word MSWord Document].  The completed application form with a copy of the Business Registration, floor plan / layout plan, staff list and the qualification proof of the staff should be sent by mail or by hand to the ROPRCHD.  Any branch(es) of private homes under the same ownership should apply for VRS individually.

3. Upon receipt of the application, ROPRCHD will issue an acknowledgement notification (VRS Form 2) within five working days.  If the notification letter is not received within two weeks after submission of the application form, the applicant should contact ROPRCHD at 2891 6379.

4. The initial assessment of the private homes will be conducted by ROPRCHD according to the sequence of the date of receipt of the application forms. If the conditions of a private home in terms of general management, building safety, fire safety and health care fall short of the acceptable standards in the initial assessment, a Letter for Improvement (VRS Form 7) will be issued by ROPRCHD to the private home for improvement of their services or conditions within a specified period of time.

5. When the improvement has been made by the private home, the staff of ROPRCHD will conduct a re-assessment.  If the home can meet the requirements and standards set by ROPRCHD, the home will be informed of the assessment result (VRS Form 8) and its relevant information will be uploaded to this webpage for public viewing.  Information of the qualified homes upon the latest date of inspection will be updated on every 1st and 16th of each month.  The updated information will be uploaded on a subsequent working day if the specified date falls on Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday.

6. For those registered homes which fail to provide the quality of service required by ROPRCHD as found in subsequent on-site inspections, ROPRCHD will issue a Letter for Improvement (VRS Form 7) to require the home to make improvement immediately.  If the private home cannot meet the requirements within a specified period, a notification letter (VRS Form 10) will be issued to the home and the home will be de-registered from the VRS, and its information on this webpage will be deleted accordingly.

7. De-registered homes can re-apply for VRS if the conditions and service quality of the home have been improved to the satisfaction of ROPRCHD.  

8. For registered homes, the operators should inform ROPRCHD immediately if there is any change to the following :

(i)	floor area;
(ii)	staff movement (except clerk, driver, catering and cleaning staff); or
(iii)	other information in relation to the registration.

9. For the registered homes, a fresh application for VRS should be made in case of any change to the following :

(i)	registered name of the home;
(ii)	address of the home; or
(iii)	ownership of the home.

Address: Rm.1508, 15/F, 248 Queen's Road East, Wanchai, HK
Tel.: 2891 6379
Fax.: 2153 0071
SWD Website: http://www.swd.gov.hk

Telephone Enquiry

Should the public have any enquiry or feedback about the service quality of any private residential care homes for persons with disabilities, please contact ROPRCHD at 2891 6379 (office hours: Monday - Friday 8:45 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.).  For complaints outside the office hours of ROPRCHD, please call our Departmental Hotline at 2343 2255 (Monday - Friday 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., Sunday and Public Holiday 1:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.).