Government social workers in Hong Kong supporting survivors of the deadly Tai Po fire are struggling to manage their indefinite duties, with poor communication on aid plans adding to their heavy workloads. Several social workers, including a union leader, told the South China Morning Post they need clarity from authorities on roles and duties to better handle public expectations and get help from agencies like the Housing Bureau. The call for support follows the death of a social worker under the one social worker per household initiative, who collapsed on the street in late January.
The one social worker per household initiative was launched a day after the fire broke out in late November at Tai Po's Wang Fuk Court, assigning one dedicated worker to each of the 1,984 affected families to provide comprehensive support, from subsidy applications to grief counselling.
Two months later, these social workers say their duties feel indefinite, with government communication on new aid plans often lacking, compounding stress from already heavy caseloads.
"When we heard about the death of that colleague, we were not only sad but also worried that we might be the next one," said one social worker, who has been with the Social Welfare Department for a few years and spoke on condition of anonymity to the South China Morning Post.
The social worker collapsed on the street in late January and later died, with the official cause not yet public. The incident has raised concerns about the workload and stress on frontline staff.
Several social workers, including a union leader, told the newspaper they need clearer guidance from authorities on their roles to manage public expectations and ensure agencies like the Housing Bureau can assist with frontline issues such as resettlement surveys and fee waiver crises.
Keywords from the report include Social Welfare Department, Edward To Wing-hang, Housing Bureau, resettlement surveys, Han Hong Love Charity Foundation, Tai Po, social workers, fee waiver crisis, General Union of Social Workers, Wang Fuk Court, Sam Leung Kin-hung, one social worker per household, Hong Kong, Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance, and child abuse reporting law.
These challenges highlight the need for better support for frontline social workers in disaster responses, though officials have not yet responded to the concerns.