Mr Ho Kai-ming (fourth right), Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare; Prof. Reggie Kwan Ching-ping (fifth left), HKMU's Provost; Prof. Andy Chin Chi-on (first right), Dean of the School of Education and Languages at HKMU; and other speakers at the symposium.
The symposium on the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance, co-organised by The School of Education and Languages at HKMU and the Heep Hong Society, attracted over 360 participants.
In his welcome remarks, Prof. Reggie Kwan, HKMU's Provost, noted that the symposium provided a valuable platform for frontline professionals to review past experience and explore future directions in child protection.
Mr Ho Kai-ming, Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare, urged all frontline professionals to uphold their responsibility to protect children while diligently performing their duties, jointly creating a stable environment for children's growth.
Prof. Andy Chin Chi-on, Dean of the School of Education and Languages, expressed his hope that participants would apply the knowledge and practical experience gained from the symposium to their frontline work.
In collaboration with the Heep Hong Society, the School of Education and Languages (the School) of Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) recently co-organised a symposium to conduct in-depth discussions on the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance (the Ordinance), which took effect on 20 January this year. The event attracted over 360 frontline professionals from the education, healthcare and social welfare sectors, as well as students in related disciplines and parents.
The symposium aimed to deepen professionals' understanding of the Ordinance and equip them with the knowledge to identify child abuse cases and potential risks. It also aimed to assist the sector in making accurate judgments based on reasonable grounds when encountering suspected cases and in ensuring compliance with the mandatory reporting obligations. In addition, it sought to encourage early intervention and support for affected children and their families with professionalism and empathy, aiming to leverage the concerted efforts of industry professionals to build a safety net for children.
The following guests of honour officiated at the symposium: Mr Ho Kai-ming, Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government; Prof. Reggie Kwan Ching-ping, HKMU's Provost; Ms Yu Hoi-kwan, Chief Superintendent of Police (Crime Support) (Crime Wing), Hong Kong Police Force; Prof. Eric Chui Wing-hong, Chair Professor and the Head of Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Member of the Commission on Children; Prof. Patrick Cheung, Chairman of Against Child Abuse; and Ms Rachel Leung Wai-ling, Chief Executive Officer of the Heep Hong Society. They shared insights from various perspectives, including policy formulation, legal responsibilities, confidentiality regulations, penalties, reporting guidelines, and support measures, and discussed the importance of the Ordinance in jointly safeguarding children from abuse.
In his welcome remarks, Prof. Reggie Kwan, HKMU's Provost, sincerely thanked the Heep Hong Society and the School for jointly organising this seminar. He noted that the symposium, taking place at the initial stage of the Ordinance's implementation, provided a valuable platform for frontline professionals to review past experience and explore future directions. He pointed out that HKMU graduates, who are employed across various professional fields, including healthcare, early childhood education, and primary and secondary education, are in a position to fulfil their statutory reporting responsibilities and work together to safeguard the well-being of our children.
Mr Ho Kai-ming, Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare, delivered a talk on the policy objective of the Ordinance and provided a detailed explanation of the new mandatory reporting mechanism for child abuse. Using the metaphor of a “woven safety net”, he said, “Each profession is like a single rope. Rather than letting a child hold onto one lifeline, it is better to weave multiple ropes together into a sturdy safety net.” He urged all frontline professionals to uphold their responsibility to protect children while diligently performing their duties, jointly creating a stable environment for children's growth.
Prof. Andy Chin Chi-on, Dean of the School of Education and Languages at HKMU, thanked all the participants for their active participation. He encouraged everyone to apply the knowledge and practical experience gained from the symposium to their frontline work and to continue to deepen their professional expertise, joining hands to build a safer environment for children to thrive.
The symposium also featured two workshops led by frontline professionals from the social welfare sector. Dr Ng Kim-shan, Senior Manager of Serene Court at the Christian Family Service Centre, explored the issue of child abuse from a family perspective and explained the close correlation between intimate partner violence and child abuse. The other workshop was hosted by Ms Rita Fan Jun-yan, Educational Psychologist I at the Heep Hong Society, focusing on the risk of abuse and identification skills concerning children with special educational needs (SEN). She also discussed how to promote societal acceptance and support for these children, ultimately working together to foster a more inclusive and compassionate community.
Mr Ho Kai-ming (fourth right), Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare; Prof. Reggie Kwan Ching-ping (fifth left), HKMU's Provost; Prof. Andy Chin Chi-on (first right), Dean of the School of Education and Languages at HKMU; and other speakers at the symposium.
In collaboration with the Heep Hong Society, the School of Education and Languages (the School) of Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) recently co-organised a symposium to conduct in-depth discussions on the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance (the Ordinance), which took effect on 20 January this year. The event attracted over 360 frontline professionals from the education, healthcare and social welfare sectors, as well as students in related disciplines and parents.
The symposium aimed to deepen professionals' understanding of the Ordinance and equip them with the knowledge to identify child abuse cases and potential risks. It also aimed to assist the sector in making accurate judgments based on reasonable grounds when encountering suspected cases and in ensuring compliance with the mandatory reporting obligations. In addition, it sought to encourage early intervention and support for affected children and their families with professionalism and empathy, aiming to leverage the concerted efforts of industry professionals to build a safety net for children.
The following guests of honour officiated at the symposium: Mr Ho Kai-ming, Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government; Prof. Reggie Kwan Ching-ping, HKMU's Provost; Ms Yu Hoi-kwan, Chief Superintendent of Police (Crime Support) (Crime Wing), Hong Kong Police Force; Prof. Eric Chui Wing-hong, Chair Professor and the Head of Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Member of the Commission on Children; Prof. Patrick Cheung, Chairman of Against Child Abuse; and Ms Rachel Leung Wai-ling, Chief Executive Officer of the Heep Hong Society. They shared insights from various perspectives, including policy formulation, legal responsibilities, confidentiality regulations, penalties, reporting guidelines, and support measures, and discussed the importance of the Ordinance in jointly safeguarding children from abuse.
In his welcome remarks, Prof. Reggie Kwan, HKMU's Provost, sincerely thanked the Heep Hong Society and the School for jointly organising this seminar. He noted that the symposium, taking place at the initial stage of the Ordinance's implementation, provided a valuable platform for frontline professionals to review past experience and explore future directions. He pointed out that HKMU graduates, who are employed across various professional fields, including healthcare, early childhood education, and primary and secondary education, are in a position to fulfil their statutory reporting responsibilities and work together to safeguard the well-being of our children.
Mr Ho Kai-ming, Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare, delivered a talk on the policy objective of the Ordinance and provided a detailed explanation of the new mandatory reporting mechanism for child abuse. Using the metaphor of a “woven safety net”, he said, “Each profession is like a single rope. Rather than letting a child hold onto one lifeline, it is better to weave multiple ropes together into a sturdy safety net.” He urged all frontline professionals to uphold their responsibility to protect children while diligently performing their duties, jointly creating a stable environment for children's growth.
Prof. Andy Chin Chi-on, Dean of the School of Education and Languages at HKMU, thanked all the participants for their active participation. He encouraged everyone to apply the knowledge and practical experience gained from the symposium to their frontline work and to continue to deepen their professional expertise, joining hands to build a safer environment for children to thrive.
The symposium also featured two workshops led by frontline professionals from the social welfare sector. Dr Ng Kim-shan, Senior Manager of Serene Court at the Christian Family Service Centre, explored the issue of child abuse from a family perspective and explained the close correlation between intimate partner violence and child abuse. The other workshop was hosted by Ms Rita Fan Jun-yan, Educational Psychologist I at the Heep Hong Society, focusing on the risk of abuse and identification skills concerning children with special educational needs (SEN). She also discussed how to promote societal acceptance and support for these children, ultimately working together to foster a more inclusive and compassionate community.
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