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Ref.: EDB(SES2)/R&P/15 Government of the HKSAR
Education Bureau
7 September 2022 Education Bureau Circular No. 10/2022
Schools for Social Development/Residential Homes [Note: This circular should be read by
(a) Supervisors and heads of all primary and secondary schools and schools for social development – for action; and
(b) Heads of sections – for information.]
Summary
This circular seeks to provide updated information on the services of schools for social development (SSDs)/residential homes (RHs). It supersedes the Education Bureau (EDB) Circular No. 22/2019 dated 30 August 2019.
Details
Aims of SSDs
2. SSDs provide intensive support for students with moderate to severe emotional and behavioural difficulties to help them tide over their transient adaptation problems in the course of development, and to enhance their learning motivation and life skills so that they can resume education in ordinary schools as soon as possible.
Mode of Support
3. SSDs mainly adopt ordinary school curriculum with adaptations to cater for the individual needs of students. On top of this, teachers, social workers, educational psychologists and speech therapists in these schools also:
(a) provide students with counselling that focuses on their emotional, family and social problems;
(b) help students develop positive values, a sense of responsibility and good conduct;
(c) enhance the life skills of students;
(d) provide speech therapy services according to students’ development and needs in terms of language, communication and social abilities; and
(e) maintain close contact with parents/guardians and ordinary school personnel to render assistance to students collaboratively.
4. To meet the diverse needs of students so as to enhance the effectiveness of teaching and counselling, the following types of support services are provided by SSDs/RHs (more details available in the document “Mode of Support Provided by Schools for Social Development/Residential Homes”1:
(a) Day placement;
1 Please refer to the relevant information of the EDB SENSE website (sense.edb.gov.hk): Home > Special Education > Common Administrative Issues.
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(b) Residential service;
(c) After-school care programme in RHs; and (d) Short-term adjustment programme.
5. For the conceptual framework of the services provided by SSDs/RHs and case illustrations of their service targets, please refer to the document “Mode of Service Provision for Students with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties: A Conceptual Framework and Case Illustrations of Emotional and Behavioural Problems” 1.
List of SSDs
6. At present, there are eight aided SSDs (including five boys’ schools and three girls’
schools) in Hong Kong. Seven of these provide residential service under the subvention of the Social Welfare Department (SWD). For details, please refer to the document “Schools for Social Development/Residential Homes”1, which will be updated regularly by the EDB and the SWD.
Central Co-ordinating Referral Mechanism
7. If students with moderate to severe emotional and behavioural difficulties show no improvement after receiving guidance from teachers, school social workers or student guidance personnel, application for admission to SSDs is advised. With parents’ consent, they may be referred, via their school heads, to the Vetting Committee of Central Co-ordinating Referral Mechanism (CCRM), which comprises officers from the EDB and the SWD for vetting and arrangement of appropriate services. Referrers can submit the applications via the “Electronic System for Application for Placement in School for Social Development/ Residential Home (eAppSSD)”2 . For details, please refer to the document “Central Co-ordinating Referral Mechanism”1.
School Leaving Arrangement and Support
8. If students show marked improvement after receiving intensive support in SSDs, arrangements will be made for them to reintegrate into ordinary schools. SSDs/RHs will discuss with parents/guardians, the students and social workers of casework service units, continuously review the progress and needs of Primary 6 and Secondary 3 students according to their behaviours, family conditions, academic performance and options for further study/employment and determine whether the students still have the need to receive SSDs/HRs services through the review meeting. Based on professional judgement, if these students are considered suitable to return to study in ordinary schools, SSDs will help them return to the ordinary schools to continue their studies at Secondary 1 or Secondary 4 levels through the Secondary School Places Allocation System and the Secondary Four Placement Mechanism of the EDB respectively.
9. For students having the need to continue their studies in SSDs/RHs in the new school year, SSDs have to follow the procedures stipulated in paragraph 7 and refer the Primary 6 students to the CCRM Vetting Committee for consideration of their applications; for the arrangement of Secondary 3 students, SSDs have to inform the EDB via the Special Education
2 The “Electronic System for Application for Placement in School for Social Development/ Residential Home (eAppSSD)” can be accessed via https://eappssd.edb.gov.hk/ or the EDB SENSE website (sense.edb.gov.hk):
Home > Special Education > Common Administrative Issues.
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Management Information System (SEMIS) while RHs have to submit the records of students’
extension of RH service to the SWD.
10. SSDs serve as Special Schools cum Resource Centres (School for Social Development) [SSRC(SSD)s] under the School Partnership Scheme. When a student leaves an SSD for study in an ordinary school, during the first year of study, the SSD concerned will provide support for both the leaver and the ordinary school, so as to facilitate the smooth and continuous integration of the student into school life. For details about SSRC(SSD)s, please refer to the EDB Circular Memorandum entitled “School Partnership Scheme in Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs”.
Enquiry
11. For enquiries, please contact the Special Education Support 2 Section of the EDB at 3698 3727 or the Corrections Section of the SWD at 2892 5106.
Ms Y Y SO
for Secretary for Education
