About Us
The “CARE College” is an innovative project initiated by the Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service (BOKSS) in 2019. It aims to promote carer support services through providing specialized trainings to frontline professionals.
In June 2020, thanks to the sponsorship from the Community Chest of Hong Kong, the implementation of "CARE College" Project is now in top gear. Co-created by the Integrated Elderly Services and Integrated Mental Health Services, this project adopts a brand-new "academy" model in responding to the divert and changing needs of carer support services in the field.
Mission
The CARE college aims at providing trainings on seamless support services, to carers, caregiving professionals and workers and the related agencies in Hong Kong. Our courses are designed with the needs of carers in mind, covering carer identification, needs assessment, care planning, peer support services, and advocacy. Raising public awareness to the wide spectrum of needs of different carers across different age ranges, including the young carers is also an essential part of our approach. We tailor information and tools useful for coping with the complex interplay of demands of caregiving to care recipients and self-care of carers. We are fully aware of the invaluable experience and expertise of carers in their caring journey and tap on these assets through co-production in the design and running of our training courses. Though our current offerings cover mainly services to carers of the elderly and people with mental health needs, we understand that there are similar needs for carers to different groups of disabled persons. We will partner with service providers and stakeholders from these group for betterment of support to their carers.
Objectives
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Providing a support network for carers personal growth and discovery. Helping them to realize their strength and potential throughout their participation.
- Empowering them to become self- appreciative and self-compassionate. Enriching their caretaking experience and building their resilience in life.
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.
1st core principle: role identification
- Understand the definition of carer. Promoting our community members’ and frontline workers’awareness of carers and be sensitive to the signs that someone may be a carer.
- Promoting the concept of self-care to carers and advocating them to seek for relevant information and appropriate support in the community.
Our initiatives:
1.Peer support program
2.Carer awareness training course
3.Carer Awareness Day
2nd core principle: provide appropriate support
- Promoting community members’, frontline workers’, and carers’ awareness of the impact caring may have on an individual’s physical, emotional, mental health, wellbeing, and overall quality of life.
- Provide information, advice, trainings, and sources of support to carers
Our initiatives:
- Carer needs assessment and Care planning
- including: Carer needs and skills program; Carers emergency plan program; Carer contingency management plan; and Carer Wellness course program
- Carer EPS
- Carer EPS is a card designed for carer, including useful information and sources of support for easy-assess
- Carers can enjoy discounts and accommodation from participating businesses and organizations
- Care Buddies program
- Care Buddies are carers who provide peer support to carers in needs, building a mutual support bond and network to support carers and provide valuable information and knowledge to them.
- Carer needs assessment and Care planning training courses
-Hosting courses to facilitate the implementation of Carer needs assessment and Care planning programs
3rd core principle: Life outside of caregiving
Promoting the understanding of the importance of carers’identity beyond their caring role and the right to have a balanced lifestyle to work, study, rest, and socialize among our community members, frontline workers, and carers ’
Our initiatives:
1.Implementing Carer needs assessment and care planning program
2.CARE Buddies Training Program
3.CARE Buddies Caring Services
4th core principle: Carers are free from disadvantage or discrimination related to their caring role
Promoting the awareness of and support to carers among our community members, frontline workers, and carers; reduce the disadvantage and discrimination related to the caring role
Our initiatives:
1.Promote a carer-friendly community
2.Carer EPS
3.Recruit and train peer support workers to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver public education and to engage with the society to promote the concept of carer-friendly community
5th core principle: carers are fully engaged in the planning and shaping of services
It is important for carers to be involved in planning & shaping services, as well as reviewing the service process, in order to better address their needs.
Our initiatives/We motivate:
1.Carers are involved in planning and shaping CARE College’s courses and programs (Co-production);
2.Upper management of non-profit organizations and social welfare services is aware of the needs of carers;
3.Periodically deliver carer needs assessment to those in need;
4.Review the current service framework based on the Carers' needs
5.Inviting carers to become key members in CARE College in order to help plan, evaluate, and design our initiatives.
6th core principle: Equal partners
Carers are recognized as equal partners for they are able to provide their valuable experience and knowledge in the process of planning and designing care services.
Our initiatives:
- Co-production, co-design, and co-deliver CARE College’s initiatives and programs;
- Recruit and train carers to become Carer Peer Support instructor to become mentor in CARE College’s courses;
-Training carers to become Care Buddies.Care Buddies’s role is to accompany carers in need in their care journeys;
2.Implement Peer Support programs and compensate their efforts and contributions: Carer Peer Support instructors,
Care Buddies program,
Carer community ambassadors;
3.CARE College provides adequate trainings to equip carers to participate in those programs.