Working Together in Child Protection: Urgent Need for Cross-Sector Collaboration

 

At the Annual Medical-Social Collaboration Symposium of the New Territories West Cluster held on 8 May, our Chairperson Dr Patrick Cheung Chi-hung delivered a presentation titled “Working Together in Child Protection,” calling on all sectors of society to respond to the new responsibilities and challenges brought by the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance.

Key highlights include:

• Only 1.52 out of every 1,000 children in Hong Kong are identified as victims of abuse—far below international standards—revealing significant gaps in detection and reporting.
• Stakeholders including policymakers, the medical and social welfare sectors, educators, families, and NGOs all play a crucial role in child protection.
• True collaboration means proactive participation and shared responsibility—not merely cooperation.
• High-risk family factors such as substance abuse and mental health issues must be identified early, with better information sharing and risk assessment mechanisms.
• The presentation reviewed insights from past Child Fatality Review Reports and cases of institutional child abuse.
• Advocacy was made for appointing school social workers in every kindergarten and implementing internal child safeguarding policies across institutions.
• The adoption of trauma-informed care was recommended to reduce secondary harm to children.

Ultimately, every frontline professional, institution, and policy must prioritize the best interests of children. Only by working together can we build a true safety net to protect every child.

Ms Cynthia Cheng, our Service Manager, gave a presentation on 10 May titled “Multi-Disciplinary Collaboration in Child Abuse Reporting and Handling”, in which she shared the roles and challenges of different professionals involved in case management. A single case of child abuse often involves multiple parties, including medical staff, social workers, schools, and the police. Each profession brings its own perspective and expertise — only through coordinated collaboration can we offer children the most comprehensive protection.

Key points included:

• The considerations and actions of each profession during crisis intervention
• The importance of Multi-Disciplinary Case Conferences (MDCCs)
• How effective communication, clear role division, and mutual understanding enhance case outcomes

“Multi-disciplinary collaboration should not begin only after a crisis has occurred — it must start with prevention and education.” Every frontline professional, every institution, and every policy must put the best interests of the child first. Only through joint efforts can we truly build a strong safety net for children.