LCQ12: Operation of Designated Hotline for Carer Support

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Nature of call (Note 2)(As at end-January 2026)Note 2: If a call involves multiple inquiries, the Hotline social worker will determine the principal nature of the call based on specific circumstances of the case.

The Hotline service does not maintain breakdown of all callers’ residential areas, categories of carers, or whether they are high-risk families. When answering calls, Hotline social workers will first assess the caller’s real-time situation and immediate needs, evaluate their welfare needs and crisis factors. Social workers will provide the caller with relevant information and recommend suitable support services based on the actual circumstances, and make service referrals as and when necessary upon obtaining the caller’s consent. Caller’s personal data, such as family background or residential address, is collected mainly for the purpose of making service referrals. For cases not involving service referrals, the Hotline does not collect caller’s personal data.

Type of service referred(2) In addition to handling proactive calls from carers, the Hotline also assists in handling cases identified from the pilot scheme on Carer Support Data Platform. Under this pilot scheme, the SWD identifies, through an inter-departmental notification mechanism, cases where carers of high-risk households (including doubleton elderly persons, carers of the elderly, and carers of persons with disabilities) are hospitalised, giving rise to care risks. Hotline social workers will proactively contact the care recipients in these cases and provide emergency support as needed, so as to achieve early intervention. The pilot scheme commenced in July 2025, and as at end-January 2026, the Hotline had assisted with over 3 900 cases identified by the Data Platform, with three cases requiring emergency support.

(4) The SWD will regularly assess the performance and service effectiveness of service providers through its existing service performance monitoring system, and closely communicate with them to keep optimising service content and model. The SWD will announce key statistical data on the operation and service utilisation of the Hotline to the public through various channels as and when appropriate.
Issued at HKT 11:15

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