Sexual Conviction Record Check Scheme expanded to cover volunteers
To further strengthen the protection of children and mentally incapacitated persons (MIPs), the Government expanded the Sexual Conviction Record Check (SCRC) Scheme to cover volunteers today (December 15). Meanwhile, three additional designated police stations were introduced to provide eligible applicants with a 24-hour fingerprint taking service.
A spokesperson for the Government said, "Volunteers include, but are not limited to, volunteer teachers and volunteer sports coaches. The SCRC Scheme remains voluntary in nature. The recruiting organisations may decide whether the SCRC is necessary after assessing the risks. Applications are to be submitted by the eligible applicants."
In addition to the existing SCRC Office at the Police Headquarters in Wan Chai and the six existing designated police stations (North Point, Yau Ma Tei, Ngau Tau Kok, Tuen Mun, Sha Tin and Tsuen Wan), the Police designated three additional police stations to provide a 24-hour fingerprint-taking service, namely Tseung Kwan O, Sheung Shui and Lantau North (Tung Chung) to further facilitate the making of applications. Eligible applicants can submit applications through the online applications platform and make appointments for fingerprint taking.
Tseung Kwan O Police Station is one of the three additional police stations designated by Police to provide a 24-hour fingerprint-taking service to further facilitate the making of applications, Photo source: reference image
The Government implemented the SCRC Scheme at the end of 2011 to enable employers to check whether persons undertaking child-related or MIPs-related work have any criminal conviction records against a specified list of sexual offences. When it was launched, the SCRC Scheme covered prospective employees, contract renewal staff and staff assigned by outsourced service providers to other organisations or enterprises, who apply for child-related or MIP-related work to organisations or enterprises.
In May 2022, the Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong (LRC) published a report on Sentencing and Related Matters in the Review of Sexual Offences, which recommended the expansion of the SCRC Scheme to all existing employees, self-employed persons and volunteers.
To enhance the protection to children and MIPs, and respond to the LRC's recommendations, the Government expanded the scope of the SCRC Scheme at the end of 2024 as phase 1 to cover prospective self-employed persons. A series of measures has been implemented at the same time to enhance the SCRC Scheme, including the launch of online applications, the introduction of a 24-hour fingerprint-taking service and the extension of the validity period to 36 months, bringing greater convenience to applicants.
"The Government will review the relevant experiences in expanding the scope of the SCRC Scheme to prospective self-employed persons and volunteers in the first two phases, and consider expanding the scope to cover all existing employees and self-employed persons at a suitable juncture, thus achieving the ultimate goal. Details will be available nearer the time," the spokesman said.
Photo source: reference image
Home and Youth Affairs Bureau launches new round of HYAB Thematic Youth Internship Programmes to the Mainland
The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) today (March 3) announced the launch of a new round of the HYAB Thematic Youth Internship Programmes to the Mainland (the Programmes) to provide young people with thematic internship opportunities in cultural, nature conservation and scientific research institutions and a media organisation on the Mainland.
To promote young people's understanding of the country and support their integration into the overall development of the nation, the HYAB collaborates with relevant Mainland institutions to provide diverse, unique and in-depth thematic internship opportunities every year under the HYAB Thematic Youth Internship Programmes to the Mainland. In addition to continuing the six internship programmes of last year, the Chief Executive announced in the 2025 Policy Address that a new media thematic internship programme on the Mainland will be launched as part of the Young Talent Training Programme. A new internship programme under the theme of "media industry" will be introduced to provide post-secondary students studying communication-related disciplines with internship opportunities at a large media organisation on the Mainland under the new round of HYAB Thematic Youth Internship Programmes to the Mainland. Through the internship, students will be able to gain a deep understanding of the media landscape, industry operations and development trends on the Mainland. It aims to cultivate young talent with enhanced understanding of the country's development and a professional media perspective.
A total of seven internship programmes will be rolled out this year, namely:
Hong Kong-Macao Youth Internship Programme atPalace Museum, co-organised with the Palace Museum in Beijing;
Youth Internship Programme at Wolong Region of Giant Panda National Park, co-organised with the Sichuan Provincial Administration of the Giant Panda National Park;
Youth Internship Programme at Chinese Academy of Sciences, co-organised with the Chinese Academy of Sciences;
Youth Internship Programme at Dunhuang, co-organised with the Dunhuang Academy;
Youth Internship Programme at Shandong on Marine Sciences, co-organised with the Laoshan National Laboratory at Qingdao;
Youth Internship Programme at Wuyishan on Biodiversity Conservation, co-organised with the Wuyishan National Park Administration; and
Youth Internship Programme at Hunan onMedia Industry, co-organised withHunan Satellite TV.
The internship programmes will take place from June to August this year, with a duration of three to six weeks and a total of nearly 130 thematic internship positions covering areas such as cultural heritage preservation, scientific research and technology, ecological and environmental conservation, and media. Under the guidance of experts, participants will gain an in-depth understanding of the national cultural, nature conservation and scientific research institutions and a media organisation, and participate in their work. Moreover, the programmes will provide training, field trips and other cultural exchange activities for participants.
Applicants should be aged between 18 and 30, and be (i) a full-time post-secondary student (including sub-degree, undergraduate, or postgraduate) holding a Hong Kong permanent identity card; or (ii) a local full-time post-secondary student (including sub-degree, undergraduate, or postgraduate) holding a Hong Kong identity card.
Details of the new round of the Programmes are available on the website of the Youth Development Commission (www.ydc.gov.hk/en/programmes/ip/ip_youththematic.html).
Source: AI-found images
