Social Work Service for Pre-primary Institutions | 明愛家庭服務

Service Introduction

Experience in Social Work Service for Pre-primary Institutions

Caritas Family Service has provided school social work stationing service at nursery school since 2007.  In 2019 and 2020, Caritas Family Service have participated in Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the “Pilot Scheme on Social Work Service for Pre-primary institutions” respectively. In response to adopting a district-based service model, we have expanded our service scope to include Tsuen Wan, Fanling, Wong Tai Sin and Sai Kung districts, providing professional services to 48 pre-primary institutions.

Service Objectives

• To strengthen child protection, enable early identification and intervention for families in crisis.
• To develop children's character strengths for enhancing their emotional management, social interaction and resilience.
• To support parents to manage parental stress, enhance positive parenting, and nurture secure attachment relationship between parents and children for effective steering of children's growth.
• To collaborate with the school staff’s understanding and handling capabilities of child protection, support each other along the way.

Service Targets

Students, parents and school staff of kindergartens/ nursery schools/ day crèches served by Caritas Social Work Service for Pre-primary Institutions

Strong Support Team

Caritas has 8 Integrated Family Service Centres, 7 centres of Integrated Service for Young People and 6 Community Centres in Hong Kong with clinical psychological services to provide schools with appropriate activities, community resources and emergency support.

Service Rationale

1.  Creating a Safe Environment to Support Physical and Mental Health Growth

Enhance awareness of child protection in families and schools by establishing clear and diverse professional collaboration processes. Early identification and support for children and families in need will be facilitated through various artistic media, alleviating caregiver stress, and emphasizing self-care.

• Utilize the "Caritas Children and Family Service Needs" survey to identify children and families in welfare need at an early stage. Children and families in need will be followed up in four levels, using casework methods to intervene early in crises involving harm or domestic violence; counseling will be provided for families with special needs.
• Collaborate with schools to develop school-based child protection workflows, identifying children and families in need through regular meetings with principals and teachers, observations, group activities, and events.
• Support the physical and mental health of children and caregivers through various media, establishing a safe developmental environment.

2.  Building Intimate and Safe Emotional Connections

Apply attachment theory and trauma-informed care concepts to examine and explore different parenting styles, understand children's attachment needs, enhance positive interactions between parents and children, and increase children's sense of security and parenting efficacy.

• Offer " Circle  of Security" and "Heart Connects" parent groups and activities.
• Provide couples’ relationship groups and activities.
• Offer parenting education services for fathers.

3.  Strengthening Emotional and Social Skills to Enhance Well-Being

Based on positive psychology, Caritas has developed the character strengths service packages to discover and cultivate 6virtues and 24 character strengths in children and parents, building a positive self-image, creating a sense of happiness in life, and enhancing resilience.

• Establish character strengths education materials for young children, including character strengths animations, interactive puppets, teacher handbooks,  storybooks, and parent-child growth diaries. Various courses will include parent groups, and teacher training, aiming to “cultivate children's moral growth centred on love and establish a hopeful and joyful life.”

Service Contents

1. Emergency casework services (work with suspected child abuse and high risk cases)

2. Counselling casework services (treat the physical, psychological and mental issues, and fulfill families’ welfare needs)

3. Play therapy (treat the children’s emotional and behavioral problems)

4. Children groups and activities (related to moral education, social interaction, emotional nurturing, executive skills groups)

5. Parenting activities (Play therapy parenting groups, Triple P® Positive Parenting Programme, 6A Character Education, parent-child programs)

6. Teachers’ Trainings (early identification and intervention of high risk families, crisis management, relaxation exercises)

7. Consultations and referral services (assess the families’ welfare needs and make referrals to seek community resources) 

8. Collaborate with community partners