Draft Revised Code of Practice for Residential Care Homes for Persons with Disabilities
To prepare for the implementation of a licensing scheme to regulate the service quality of all residential care homes for persons with disabilities (RCHDs), SWD has been working on a Code of Practice for RCHDs, which will set out all the requirements for compliance by RCHDs and will form part of the future statutory licensing mechanism. An existing Code of Practice was issued in March 2002, serving as a guide on the minimum standard of service for existing RCHDs. The standards are not mandatory as the existing Code does not have legislative backing. Between April and June 2007, SWD conducted four consultation sessions to collect views from groups of parents of persons with disabilities (PWDs), NGOs and private RCHD operators on the future requirements for RCHDs with reference to the existing Code. In general, the parties consulted were of the view that there was a need to review the existing Code, taking into account the practical situations of RCHDs and the changing needs of PWDs. SWD subsequently set up a Working Group on RCHDs in July 2007 to review the existing Code. Members of the Working Group include representatives from PWDs, parents groups, subvented RCHDs, private RCHDs, as well as the academia and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service. The Working Group convened six meetings during the period from July 2007 to January 2008, and organized two consultation sessions in December 2007 to gather further views from the rehabilitation sector and other stakeholders. Having consolidated the views from all parties, we have submitted the revised requirements to the Labour and Welfare Bureau for their consideration; and having further sought the views of the Rehabilitation Advisory Committee and relevant government departments, we have come up with the draft revised Code as attached. To collect further views from the rehabilitation sector and relevant parties (including NGOs, parents groups, self-help groups and private RCHDs, etc.), SWD has sent out invitations for them to attend two consultation sessions to be held by the end of November 2008. Draft Revised Code of Practice for Residential Care Homes for Persons with Disabilities (Chinese only) An English version of the Code will be available after the consultations.
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