Briefing Session on New Refuge Centre

1. Briefing Session on New Refuge Centre Family and Child Welfare Branch 15 January 2009

2. Background • Family violence is a complicated social problem. • It brings about detrimental and long-term psychological damages to the victim and other members in thefamily. • The victims and children suffering from family violence therefore require a safe and supportive environment which help them overcome the trauma, learn to protect themselves and rebuild their self-confidence

3. 18 Feb 2009 Background(Cont’d) • SWD will set up a new Refuge Centre for Women and commission a NGO to operate the Centre • Invitation for proposal was sent on 7 Jan 09. • Applicant NGOs: to submit a proposal • with 5 hard copies and 1 soft copy • to FCW Branch/SWD, 7/F Wu Chung House • on or before 5p.m. 11 February 2009.

4. Objectives • To provide protection and short-term accommodation to the residents so that they can be free from violence • To provide a safe place for residents to: • redress their emotions and feelings • overcome their traumatic experiences • rebuild self-confidence • learn coping skills • address other issues relating to family violence or other crisis including personal/family problems

5. Scope of Service • Registered social workers to provide professional services to the residents • Period of stay : normally 2 weeks; extend to 3 months for exceptional cases • Intake cases : 24-hour basis • Social Workers on duty : • 9a.m. to 10p.m. (weekdays) • 9a.m. to 5p.m. (Saturday, Sunday, public holidays) • Capacity: set at, but not limited to, 40 (flexibility to admit more cases during peak seasons)

6. Scope of Service(Cont’d) • Individual / group counselling • Social / educational programmes and support groups • Special programmes • Mutual help / self-help groups

7. Scope of Service(Cont’d) • Mutual help / volunteer training groups and programmes for discharged residents • Hotline services, including a men’s hotline on 24-hour basis • Other value-added services and innovative approach as proposed by the applicant

8. Scope of Service(Cont’d) • Make service provision known to needy users and referring agencies • Close collaboration with the referring / follow-up service units • Referrals for residents for appropriate welfare services • Facilities : dormitory, dining room, play cum activity room, interview room, kitchen, toilet, shower and laundry

9. Target Users • Women victims of violence • Women in immediate danger of violence or in other crisis • Young girls over the age of 13 who are abused or sexually harassed, emotionally disturbed or whose parents/guardians have passed away or hospitalized

10. Target Users (Cont’d) • Victims of abuse by the employers and trafficking who are referred by Government authorities or the Court • Children of Women victims including boys below aged 18 • Service to the batterers or potential batterers through a men’s hotline (Disabled victims should also be admitted)

11. Premises • Address must be kept confidential • Fitting-out works done by the operator • Operator can design the use of premises according to their service delivery plan

12. Premises(Cont’d) • Selected operator will be provided with two fixed grants from the Lotteries Fund for fitting-out and purchase of furniture and equipment • Use of the lump sum grants is governed by relevant provisions in the Lotteries Fund Manual issued in October 2005

13. Tenancy • Service operator shall enter into a tenancy agreement with and on terms to be specified by the relevant authorities • Operator’s responsibilities: • internal repairs of the premises • comply with other maintenance requirements as laid down in the tenancy agreement

14. Implementation Schedule

15. Funding • Contract sum of $3,7 Mn (2008-09 price level) per annum allocated on a LSG basis, taking into account: • personal emoluments (including Mandatory Provident Fund and Employees’ Compensation Insurance) • all other costs in operating the centre • Government rent and rates will be reimbursed on an actual cost basis • Government will not accept any liabilities or financial implication arising from the project beyond the approved funding

16. Funding(Cont’d) • Operator should observe principles and rules under LSG Manual (Edition 2) and the following subventions arrangement principles • For NGOs operating under LSG: the LSG new allocation will be incorporated in the overall LSG of the agency • For NGOs operating under conventional modes of subvention: the LSG new allocation will not be incorporated in the allocation of services units under those modes

17. Payment Arrangement • Payment in lump sum will be released to the operator upon signing of the FSA • Actual payment will be adjusted to take into account the preparatory work before the premises is ready for service • Full annual sum of $3,7 Mn will be paid upon completion of fitting-out works and full commencement of service

18. Payment Arrangement(Cont’d) • Payment will be made monthly • Contract sum will be adjusted annually on the following basis: • Personal Emoluments Civil Service Salary Adjustment • Other Charges Government-wide Price Adjustment Factor

19. Payment Arrangement(Cont’d) • Operator is responsible for • operating an effective and sound financial management system • maintain all books and records and supporting documents for Government inspection • submitting annual financial report and statements audited by a certified accountant or a public accountant

20. Control Mechanism • Signing a FSA for operating the centre for 5 years • Continuation of service subject to service need and performance of operator • SWD reserves the right for re-allocation of service • Successful applicant’s proposal with service outputs and outcomes to be delivered and Detailed Description, shall form part of the FSA

21. Control Mechanism(Cont’d) • Operator should achieve new requirements for any change to the output and / or outcome requirements mutually agreed by SWD and operator during contractual period • SWD will monitor the quality of service according to: SQS, operator’s compliance with the proposal, Detailed Description and the FSA

22. Control Mechanism(Cont’d) • Evaluation mechanism includes: • announced and unannounced visits • user satisfaction feedback • Operator is required to provide • statistical returns (quarterly) • financial reports and audited accounts (annually) • self-evaluation reports (annually)

23. Commencement of Service • Upon handing over of the premises, the operator should : • start preparation and fitting-out works immediately • prepare a time schedule for implementation of the service, e.g. • preparatory work • staff recruitment and training • promotion of the service • date to commence admitting residents

24. Contingency Plan • Operator must develop a contingency plan : • specify strategies for continuation of service • ensure that the contingency plan can be achieved at all times whenever necessary • address circumstances such as disruption of utility supplies such as water / gas / electricity, unexpected upsurge of admission cases, disruption by the family members of the residents • SWD will not bear any additional allowance or compensation in implementing the contingency plan

25. Assessment of Application • Assessed by a Vetting Committee • Quality-based • SWD reserves ultimate right in allocation of the project

26. Performance Assessment • Output and outcome indicators with majority stipulated in the FSA in the existing refuge centres for women : • Output indicators with attainment level: • Number of cases served in a year • Rate of occupancy rate in a year (no less than 80%) • Number of therapeutic groups for women in a year • Number of therapeutic groups for children in a year • Number of developmental / educational programmes / groups for residents in a year

27. Performance Assessment(Cont’d) • Number of referrals made to other mainstream welfare services for the residents in a year • Percentage of discharged cases provided with three contacts (including home visit, interview and telephone contact) within three months after discharge in a year (no less than 70%) • Number of programmes conducted for discharged residents in a year (no less than 6) • Number of discharged residents recruited as volunteers in a year (no less than 20) • Number of calls to the 24-hour hotline handled in a year

28. Performance Assessment(Cont’d) • Outcome indicators with proposed attainment level and means of measurement : • Percentage of clients who have acquired basic skills in protecting and planning for themselves and their children when the case is discharged • Percentage of clients re-admitted to the centre in a year • User satisfaction rate • Percentage of women and their children who have enhanced self-esteem / self-confidence / self-protection after joining the therapeutic groups • Other output / outcome indicators with level of attainment proposed by the operator

29. Performance Assessment(Cont’d) • Essential Service Requirements • 24-hour admission and round–the–clock operation, with at least one staff present at all times • Staffing requirement includes registered social worker • Social worker to be on duty from 9:00a.m. to 10:00p.m. (Monday to Friday), and from 9:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays • Address of the refuge centre is strictly kept confidential • The operator is required to meet the relevant requirements of the Service Quality Standards as announced by SWD

30. Information to be included in the proposal • Description on : • categories and needs of target users to be served and the appropriateness; • approaches and tools to be adopted for assessing and addressing various needs of the women and children who are victims of family violence and those facing immediate danger of violence or in other crisis • objectives and approaches to be adopted in helping the target users facing crisis / problems;

31. Information to be included in the proposal(Cont’d) • Description on : • regulations in regard to the operation of the service such as time arrangement for in and out of the centre, opening and service hours, use of facilities, etc; • policy on admission and exit from service, including eligibility criteria, intake and discharge arrangements, follow-up referrals; • measures to keep the location of the premises confidential and to ensure privacy and safety of service users.

32. Information to be included in the proposal(Cont’d) • Programmes and services available • how they will be delivered and how they can help the residents learn the ways to protect themselves and to rebuild self-confidence; • programme schedule and daily routine; • ways to promote the service and make the service known to needy service users

33. Information to be included in the proposal(Cont’d) • Measures to ensure the safety of service users and staff; • Management of crisis when the safety of residents is threatened • Contingency plans including strategies for the continuation of service e.g. disruption of utility supplies, unexpected upsurge of admission cases including handling of over-enrollment, disruption by people such as family members of the residents, etc. • Contingency plans in case of outburst of health hazard, infectious diseases, etc.

34. Information to be included in the proposal(Cont’d) • Description of • the existing network and available linkage with other service organisations and professionals in supporting or strengthening the services; • approaches in maintaining effective referral networks and enhancing collaboration with other related service units, government departments (e.g. Police, SWD), local organisations, hospitals, etc.;

35. Information to be included in the proposal(Cont’d) • Proposed usage of space with the layout plan given, including illustration of how to maximize the use of space, how to cater for the disabled residents and boys below the age of 18; • Details of the planned budget by year, financial management system and policy and procedures on fees-charging (if any);

36. Information to be included in the proposal(Cont’d) • Proposed output indicators: • the respective level of attainment, means of measuring these indicators and elaboration on when and how the measurement be carried out; • should meet the minimum requirement set out in: • rate of occupancy in a year • percentage of discharged cases provided with three contacts after discharge in a year • number of programmes conducted for discharged residents in a year • number of discharged residents recruited as volunteers in a year

37. Information to be included in the proposal(Cont’d) • Proposed outcome indicators, the respective level of attainment, means of measuring these indicators and elaboration on when and how the measurement be carried out • Quality assurance measures, internal mechanism to monitor and evaluate service delivery, complaint handling procedures, etc.;

38. Information to be included in the proposal(Cont’d) • Staffing structure, including: • rank/qualification • number of staff • organisational chart and roles • responsibilities of individual staff • description on the staffing arrangement and availability of registered social workers • mechanism for handling emergency situations after normal office hours, to ensure smooth operation of the refuge centre which accepts admission on a 24-hour basis

39. Information to be included in the proposal(Cont’d) • Training and staff development programmes for staff of the refuge centre, including orientation schedule, on-going in-service training, supervision and monitoring; • Detailed implementation schedule including preparatory arrangement, monitoring of fitting-out works and schedule of commencement of service;

40. Information to be included in the proposal(Cont’d) • Concrete description on other innovative and value-added services to be provided in the refuge centre, if any; • Capability and experience of the NGO in providing residential service for victims of family violence, sexual assault and family crisis, and their children, or other related services, if any and in carrying out renovation work

41. THANK YOU !