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The Social Welfare Department (SWD) today (January 2) invited eligible non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social enterprises (SEs) to apply for joining the first phase of the Pilot Scheme on Community Care Service Voucher for the Elderly (the Pilot Scheme) as Recognised Service Providers.
A spokesman for the SWD said, "The first phase of the Pilot Scheme will last for two years. The Government has been allocated funding from the Lotteries Fund to implement a scheme in September 2013 to allow needy elderly people to receive community care services under a new funding mode, i.e. the 'money follows the user' approach. The Government will provide a subsidy in the form of a voucher at a single monthly value directly to eligible elderly persons so that they can choose the service providers, service types and packages which best suit their needs.
"In August last year, the SWD invited NGOs and SEs to submit Expressions of Interest for the Pilot Scheme and received replies from 44 organisations which have indicated their interest for joining the Pilot Scheme as service providers. After examining their views, the SWD estimates that the number of vouchers to be issued to the needy elderly people in the first phase will be 1 200 at the maximum. At the pilot stage, the scheme will be launched in eight districts, namely Eastern, Wong Tai Sin, Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po (covering eligible elderly persons living in Yau Tsim Mong and Kowloon City districts), Sha Tin, Tai Po, Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun. In order to encourage NGOs and SEs to join the Pilot Scheme, the Government will provide a one-off seed money grant to them for the purchase of the vehicle, furniture and equipment they need," he added.
"The elderly people eligible for the Pilot Scheme are those who are in the Central Waiting List of the Long Term Care Services and have been assessed by the SWD's Standardised Care Need Assessment Mechanism for Elderly Service as moderately impaired. They should be living in the community and not receiving any type of residential care or subsidised community care service. There are two service delivery modes for the elderly people to choose in the Pilot Scheme: either a mixed mode of day and home care services at the same time or a single mode of day care service only."
A briefing session will be held in early January for NGOs and SEs which are interested in joining the first phase of the Pilot Scheme. For details, please refer to the SWD website (www.swd.gov.hk).
For enquiries, organisations are advised to contact the Elderly Branch of the SWD at 2892 5513 or by email to ssv@swd.gov.hk.
Ends/Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Issued at HKT 17:10
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