Since the enactment of the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance on January 20, 2026, designated professionals across 25 mandated categories have undergone extensive training to uphold their statutory obligations. However, frontline practice observations over the past few months have revealed that service clients or distressed families frequently disclose signs of suspected child abuse to support staff (such as receptionists, program assistants, administrative staff, and intake clerks) rather than mandated professionals, sometimes in an attempt to bypass formal reporting channels.
While support staff are not legally classified as mandated reporters, they serve as the first point of contact in social service settings. To construct a truly seamless safety net for our children, we must equip these frontline personnel with practice wisdom, and acute observational skills to act as strategic gatekeepers and collaborative partners to designated professionals.
To this end, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) is organizing a practice wisdom sharing session to empower support staff in suspected child maltreatment cases. We highly encourage your agency’s support staff to participate.
Aims
- Strengthen Practical Skills: Equip staff to accurately identify and respond to suspected child maltreatment incidents and high-risk cases
- Build Cultural Competence in Governance: Foster practice wisdom sharing, with a particular focus on supporting ethnically diverse children and their families
- Promote Cross-Sector Collaboration: Facilitate timely referrals by leveraging local child protection services to cast a wide and effective protection web.
Date: August 7th 2026 (Friday)
Time: 10:00-12:30
Venue: Hall, 1/F, Duke of Windsor Social Service Building, 15 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, H.K,
Fee: Free of charge
Target Audience: Support staff of the designated professionals under the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance (Attendance certificate will be issued)
Language: English
