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About Us

In 2019, the Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service (BOKSS) established an innovative project called the "CARE College". It aims at providing support and services for caregivers. The program has been subsidized by The Community Chest since June 2020 and receive funding from The Hongkong Bank Foundation through The Community Chest from June 2023 for an additional two years.

 

This project is jointly planned by the Integrated Elderly Services and the Integrated Mental Health Services of BOKSS, using a brand new "College" model to respond to the increasingly diverse and evolving needs of caregivers.

 

Mission

CARE College provides training courses for caregivers, service practitioners, and members of the community to support and respond to the needs of caregivers. CARE College connects with different sectors of society and advocates for attention to and recognition of caregivers of different ages and backgrounds, providing them with appropriate information and convenient support services.

 

CARE College values that the importance of caregivers and committed to promoting their engagement and collaboration in the service planning, implementation, and review processes.

 

Objectives

  1. Providing a series of trainings to caregiving professionals and workers, equipping them with the necessary attitude, sensitivity, knowledge, awareness, and skills to be competent in providing care labor as well as making appropriate and adequate referrals to available resources and services.
  2. Through trained frontline professionals, promoting a self-caring and self-acknowledging culture amongst carers. Encouraging carers to take care of their own physical, psychological, and spiritual needs; enabling carers to identify their abilities, resources, strengths, resilience, and needs correctly; promoting holistic care plan for carers, as well as recognizing potential needs and risks. Supporting holistic care and establishing a healthy and supporting network for carers’ self-care. Preparing them to plan for contingencies/emergencies and to transitions along the caring journey.
  3. Launching public education programmes and other services to promote awareness on carers, their roles, their needs, available resources, services, and useful information that foster a carer friendly community as well as mobilizing the active public participation in promoting such development.
  4. Riding on the experience and expertise of carers to develop peer support and mentorship programmes and co-produce course materials and conduct training courses to turn firsthand information and experience into actual practices; and
  5. Providing a support network for carers personal growth and discovery. Helping them to realize their strength and potential throughout their participation.
  6. Empowering them to become self- appreciative and self-compassionate. Enriching their caretaking experience and building their resilience in life.  

 

C
Care
“CARE” realizes the essential elements necessary for supporting the needs of carers.
A
Accessible
Promote accessibility of carers to information, resources, skills, knowledge, and services relevant to their needs.
R
Rediscovery + Resilience + Research
We walk with carers.
Helping them realize their own families’, and community’s strengths; strengthening the carers’ and their families’ resilience; and basing on the research and empirical evidence, we adapt our initiatives and services to respond to the divert and changing needs of the carers.
E
Empowerment + Experiential
Carers’ experience and active participation are pivotal in CARE college’s development. We emphasis in collaborating with carers and consolidating their experiences throughout different stages of the program.
Our Focus
First
Carer Aware
This level is for all workers (including volunteers) who may come into contact with the public and therefore carers. This supports the Carers Strategy vision that ‘it is everybody’s job to identify and support carers.’
Second
Carer Together
This level is for all workers who have regular contact with carers and families, or who have a specific role in carer support.
Third
Planning with Carers as Equal Partners
This level is for those with a leadership role in planning, shaping, delivering or commissioning services. This may include workforce education and learning and supporting staff.