Annual District Highlights

District Highlights 2024-25

Promoting Positive Energy and Building a Caring, Inclusive Community

The District Social Welfare Office (DSWO) mobilised departmental units and NGOs to incorporate the “Seven Keys to Well-being” in launching 51 community care projects, with the aim of reaching out to vulnerable groups with service needs. These projects encouraged vulnerable community groups to practice self-care, and cultivate positive mindsets in daily life, in order to strengthen their sense of well-being. Activities and services were also provided for disadvantaged and hidden groups within the district, benefiting more than 5 000 people in total.

“Building Harmony” Kowloon City Collaboration Project

All Integrated Family Service Centres in Kowloon City District jointly launched the “Building Harmony” Kowloon City Collaboration Project. In partnership with more than 23 community organisations, a series of activities were organised to pool the wisdom and resources of community partners. The project aimed to enhance the well-being of residents, strengthen family functioning, and reinforce community support networks, thereby fostering a caring and mutually supportive community. In parallel, the Harmony Family Festival was also launched in Yau Tsim Mong District to echo the theme “Strengthening Families and Combating Violence”. The collaboration projects in these two districts served more than 1 200 participants in total.

Child Protection

The Family and Child Protective Services Unit (Kowloon City/Yau Tsim Mong) conducted a series of activities on preventing family violence, including seminars, workshops, and sharing sessions on handling suspected child abuse cases. Target participants included medical professionals, teaching staff, members of uniformed groups, social workers from pre-school, primary and secondary school social service units, special school and hostel staff, residential child care workers, and members of ethnic minority groups.

In preparation for the implementation of the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance, the “Collaboration Platform on Support Services for Ethnic Minorities in KC/YTM District” organised a training session for about 80 ethnic minority staff members from 18 social welfare agencies. The training covered the definition of child abuse, case studies, introductions to welfare services, and guidance on disseminating child protection messages within ethnic minority communities.

Caring for Young People’s Mental Well-Being and Enhancing their Resilience

The “Tomorrow’s Leaders Job-shadowing Programme” and the “‘Challenge’ Youth Interest Pursuit Programme”, were launched to help young people build a solid foundation for early career planning, develop positive life values, improve mental well-being and physical health, enhance their sense of community belonging, and strengthen their resilience against delinquent behaviour.

The DSWO co‑organised a professional training workshop with the Caritas Community Centre – Kowloon for principals, teachers, and social workers, where a psychiatrist from Kowloon Hospital and negotiators from the Hong Kong Police Force shared their experiences in handling adolescent emotional distress and school crises. Service units were invited to set up booths to introduce existing adolescent mental‑health services, aiming to enhance participants’ understanding of youth mental‑health issues, and strengthen their awareness and ability to identify and intervene early in high‑risk cases, thereby providing appropriate support services to young people in need.