Management and Support Branch

Under the charge of an Assistant Director, the Management and Support Branch comprises the Service Management Division and the Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development, each headed by a Principal Immigration Officer.

The Service Management Division deals with matters relating to public relations, staff welfare, discipline of about 5,678 service staff, as well as conducts management audit and reviews complaints from the public. The Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development is responsible for the recruitment, training, deployment and career development of service staff.

Departmental Management Division

The Departmental Management Division is put under the charge of a Principal Executive Officer who is directly responsible to the Deputy Director for matters on personnel management, establishment control, finance, supplies and general administration of the Department.

Recruitment Exercise

To meet the manpower needs arising from new initiatives and to maintain our service quality, new rounds of recruitment exercises were launched in January and April 2016 for Immigration Officer and Immigration Assistant posts respectively. Induction training for the successful candidates commenced in August 2016. In 2016, the Department recruited 210 Immigration Officers and 259 Immigration Assistants.

The Department participated in the Education & Careers Expo held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in January 2016, introducing our recruitment activities to the public and promoting the professional image of the Department. We also organised career talks at tertiary institutions, professional education institutes and schools of continuing studies with a view to attracting persons with high calibre to join our Department.

Career Development

We have strong belief that a professional and effective workforce relies on the excellent performance and service contributed by each staff member. The Career Development Sub-division of the Management and Support Branch strives to formulate strategic plans on career development of Immigration Service Grade staff through organising recruitment activities, making strategic staff posting, managing staff performance, and identifying training needs for all service staff. The Career Development Sub-division also reviews the overall staff deployment plan to meet the operational needs.

Training

Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development

The Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development (ISITD) is responsible for ascertaining training needs, formulating the annual training and development plan, implementing training activities and evaluating the effectiveness of training programmes. It provides in-service and induction training as well as learning resources to Immigration Service staff to ensure that service staff at different levels are equipped with the necessary skills to meet challenges. It also promotes the culture of life-long learning in the Department.

The ISITD is a 13-storey purpose-built complex that houses a variety of training facilities as well as residential facilities. Generic facilities include drill ground, classrooms, lecture theatre, indoor swimming pool, Learning Resource Centre, Information Resources Centre, obstacle training ground, physical fitness centre and gymnasium with elevated running tracks. Specific training facilities such as Immigration Control System (ICONS) Training Centre, Automated Immigration Clearance Training Centre, video recording interview rooms and mock court are set up to cater for job-related training in a mock environment. The ISITD also provides residential facilities to trainees to help cultivate a sense of discipline and to boost esprit de corps. In addition, the Training Gallery at the ISITD aims at providing better knowledge on the work and historical development of the Department.

The ISITD serves to equip service staff with professional knowledge and skills to serve the community. The ISITD keeps enhancing the induction and in-service training so as to keep pace with the Department’s latest development. The ISITD also actively collaborates with the Mainland and overseas counterparts in organising exchange programmes. To promote continuous learning and enhance personal development, the Department sponsors staff to undertake study programmes in different areas provided by other government departments or outside organisations.

Induction Training

The ISITD conducts two major categories of training: induction training and in-service training. Induction training aims to equip new recruits with the necessary skills and knowledge that they require in performing their duties. The duration of the induction course for Immigration Assistant is 14 weeks, whereas that for Immigration Officer is 25 weeks. The training curriculum is a combination of theories and practices, covering areas of laws, immigration policies and procedures, as well as the functions and organisation of the Department. Particular emphasis is placed on nourishing a strong sense of discipline and developing commitment to serve the community effectively and efficiently. Other training includes foot drill, tactical training, physical fitness, swimming, first aid, etc. During the training, the management and leadership skills of Immigration Officers are further strengthened through management workshops, supervision exercises and leadership training camps.

In 2016, 130 Immigration Officers and 181 Immigration Assistants completed induction training at the ISITD.

In-service Training

In 2016, the ISITD organised various in-service training courses, such as Innovative Leadership Workshop for Middle Managers, Senior Immigration Officer Management Competency Course, Immigration Officer Enhancement Course, Senior Immigration Assistant Development Course and Senior Immigration Assistant Efficiency Course, for 2,724 officers of different ranks to sharpen their minds and skills.

Specific courses on ICONS (formerly named as EXPRESS) and Automated Immigration Clearance (formerly named as APVC systems) are also held for service staff of control points. In 2016, a total of 145 officers and supervisors working in control points attended these courses.

Other Training

To tie in with the ‘Care and Cohesion’ value of the Department and enhance mutual communication between the management and frontline staff, the ISITD collaborated with the Service Management Division to run a series of Workplace Visits. The activity established an effective platform for our colleagues to share workplace experience on various topics, including effective communication skills and appraisal writing techniques. In 2016, the ISITD and the Service Management Division paid a total of 22 visits to different immigration offices and control points with the participation of 646 colleagues.

The ISITD also arranges officers of various ranks to attend training courses in other areas organised by other departments, organisations and institutes. These include management, language, communication and national studies courses organised by the Civil Service Training and Development Institute of the Civil Service Bureau; Command Courses and Criminal Investigation Courses organised by the Hong Kong Police Force; and Tactical Training organised by the Correctional Services Department.

To enhance the safety of staff in the office and that of the public, the ISITD arranged a total of 298 and 24 officers to attend the Basic First Aid Course and the Refresher First Aid Course respectively. A total of 71 induction trainees attended Certificate in First Aid Course cum Adult Cardio-Pulmonary Course and Automated External Defibrillation Provider Course.

Overseas Training and Exchange Programme

Human resources development is essential for a healthy and sustainable organisation. To prepare staff to cope with challenges, the ISITD continued to arrange staff to attend various overseas training and exchange programmes with the relevant overseas law enforcement agencies with a view to broadening their global horizons, enhancing their knowledge and expertise, and developing their management skills, leadership and potential. In 2016, the Department arranged 26 officers to attend overseas exchange programmes or courses on management, development and investigation techniques.

Mainland Training and Exchange Programme

Liaison and contact between the Department and the relevant Mainland authorities have become more frequent. In order to broaden our officers’ horizons, enhance their understanding of the legal systems and social development in the Mainland and foster a good working relationship with the Mainland counterparts, the ISITD arranged 191 officers of different ranks to attend training or exchange programmes in the Mainland in 2016.

In 2016, 17 delegations with a total of 282 Mainland officials attended different exchange programmes at the ISITD. Through these exchange programmes, the communication and working relationship between the Mainland counterparts and the Department were further enhanced.

Customer Service Training Workshop

To enhance communication skills and esprit de corps, customer service training workshops and related training seminars were conducted for 520 officers of the ranks from Immigration Assistant to Senior Immigration Officer in 2016.

Tactical Training

To enhance the awareness of frontline staff about resistance control and escort safety, the ISITD continued to conduct half-day to two-day Tactical Training Refresher Course. The training programme covered topics including resistance control techniques and the use of different types of self-defence equipment. The ISITD also organised a 10-day Course on the Use of Anti-riot Equipment and Tactical Training and a 5-day Detention Centre Management Course for 60 frontline staff with a view to enhancing the management capacity of the Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre.

Team Building Programme

To boost the esprit de corps of the frontline working teams at various immigration control points and foster mutual understanding, trust and support among team members and supervisors, the ISITD continued to conduct a two-day Team Building Programme for Frontline Staff in 2016. During the programme, senior officers at managerial level of respective divisions were invited to visit the participants to further strengthen the sense of belonging and promote a caring and supportive culture. A total of 93 officers of ranks from Senior Immigration Assistant to Immigration Officer attended the programme in 2016.

Delighting Your Work Programme

To enhance the awareness of emotion and positive thinking among frontline working teams as well as to explore creativity and develop a positive and optimistic outlook on life, the ISITD introduced a one-day Delighting Your Work Programme for frontline staff in January 2015. A total of 268 officers of the ranks of Immigration Assistant and Senior Immigration Assistant attended the programme in 2016.

e-Learning and ISITD Homepage

To promote life-long learning and to better prepare our staff for new challenges at work, the ISITD provides various e-learning programmes for our staff on the ISITD Homepage of the Department’s Intranet. At the same time, the ISITD has worked together with the Civil Service Bureau since May 2010 to launch e-learning programmes via the e-Learning Platform on the Cyber Learning Centre Plus. Through these two platforms, staff can learn according to their own pace and schedule.

Besides, staff can borrow books of the Learning Resource Centre, browse videos and photographs of training activities and gain access to useful reference materials through the ISITD Homepage on the Department’s Intranet.

Youth Training

The Department actively participates in youth training programmes. In 2016, the ISITD and the Education Bureau collaboratively organised Smart Teen Challenge Camp for a total of 80 junior secondary school students. This five-day residential training camp aims to boost the self-confidence, self-discipline, esprit de corps as well as sense of discipline of the students.

Since 2013, the Department has launched a new youth training programme, namely ‘Immigration Department Youth Leaders’. It aims at providing disciplinary and leadership training to students of Secondary 3 to Secondary 6 so as to help them foster positive values and the spirit of serving the society, as well as to widen their horizons. Since the commencement of the programme, over 100 students have joined the training programme of ‘Immigration Department Youth Leaders’. Apart from the first batch of members coming from secondary schools in Tuen Mun, some secondary schools in Kwai Tsing, Sha Tin and Tai O also joined the programme this year. Besides, more than 30 colleagues have joined this programme as volunteer instructors, who are keen on contributing to the nurturing of teenagers during their spare time.

Teachers’ Training Camp

Since 2006, the Department has been collaborating with the Education Bureau to organise annually a training camp for teachers of secondary schools. The two-day residential training aims to widen the horizons of teachers in discipline training with a view to aiding the development of their education work. In 2016, 25 teachers from different secondary schools participated in the camp.

Guide on Conduct and Discipline

Apart from job-related knowledge and training, upholding high standard of integrity in the Department is of equal importance. To allow immigration staff to keep abreast of the up-to-date ethical guidelines on civil servants, the Guide on Conduct and Discipline (the Guide) has been uploaded onto the Department’s Intranet. The Guide lists out real-life examples regarding conflict of interest and personal conduct. It also emphasises the role of supervisors in terms of accountability and managing conflict of interest. All immigration staff should adhere to the core values stated in the Guide in order to uphold the highest standard of integrity and to enhance the quality and efficiency of services provided to the community.

Welfare and Recreation

The Department attaches great importance to maintaining a close dialogue with staff in order to improve staff welfare and relations and to strengthen staff’s esprit de corps as well as commitment. There are various channels of consultation and communication between staff and the management. These include formal committees, informal meetings and group discussions, welfare visits, newsletters, etc. At the same time, various sports and recreational activities are organised to deepen mutual understanding and trust between staff and the management. Staff are encouraged to offer suggestions on improving their working environment and quality of service, which are dealt with seriously and expeditiously.

Immigration Department Consultative Committee

The Immigration Department Consultative Committee is a formal consultative forum between the staff and the management. It aims at achieving better understanding and co-operation of both sides on matters affecting the well-being of the staff such as conditions of service, quarters, training, promotion and career development. The committee meets quarterly and is chaired by the Assistant Director (Management and Support). The official side comprises 6 members, while the staff side comprises 20 members being representatives from the Officer, Rank and File and different civilian grades. A representative from the Civil Service Bureau also attends the meetings of the committee.

Welfare Visits and Counselling Service

Apart from formal and informal meetings between the staff and the management, welfare officers of the Department pay regular visits to staff at places of work with a view to understanding their concerns and feelings. To enhance communication with frontline staff and strengthen esprit de corps among staff, the Frontline Supporting Team (the Team) was formed in July 2007 under the Welfare Section to conduct frequent welfare visits to frontline service staff with a view to sharing views on work-related issues and relaying their requests. From its establishment to 31 December 2016, the Team paid 239 visits to various frontline sections and offices.

Hospital and home visits are paid to staff who are ill or injured and those who need after-care assistance. In 2016, 320 consolation enquiries and 12 hospital and home visits were made.

Welfare officers also conduct personal interviews with officers who feel stressed due to work pressure or personal problems and provide them with counselling service or assistance. In 2016, 25 interviews were conducted.

Immigration Wellness Service Centre

In order to render extensive support for the mental health of our staff and provide immediate counselling service to the staff in need, the Immigration Wellness Service Centre (the Centre) was set up in March 2008 and a Clinical Psychologist was employed. The Clinical Psychologist provides professional counselling services to help staff manage pressure arising from their work and life positively. Moreover, the Clinical Psychologist also assists the management in formulating and implementing departmental promotion programmes, such as Delighting Your Work, Stress Management, Introduction to Mental Illness and Introduction to Mental Health and Basic Counselling Skills, for the psychological well-being and mental health of staff. By 31 December 2016, the Centre provided 1,785 times of counselling service and 335 workshops.

In addition, the Centre also organises psychological wellness and related health promotion programmes for all staff members for fostering a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Prominent speakers are invited from time to time to deliver health talks on various topics for all staff members to raise their health consciousness. As at 31 December 2016, the Centre organised 47 health talks for our staff.

A Peer Support Network (the Network) was built in 2008 to enhance peer support among staff in the workplace. At present, more than 300 disciplined and civilian staff have enrolled as peer counsellors under the Network and they are all equipped with training in basic counselling skills and introduction to mental health. The Clinical Psychologist and Welfare Officers also visit the peer counsellors from time to time to understand the general situation of their counselling service and to give them suggestions on how to handle difficult cases. The Centre will continue to provide suitable courses for the peer counsellors to enhance their counselling skills and invite more staff to join the Network.

Immigration Department Staff Club

Sports and recreational activities for the staff and their families are organised by the Immigration Department Staff Club round the year to promote a healthy lifestyle, enhance understanding among staff and boost esprit de corps. With the support of the Sports and Recreation Team of the Welfare Section, a wide range of sports activities including Dragon Boat races, ball games, Sports Day, Swimming Gala, 7-km Long Distance Run and regular Yoga classes were arranged for the staff in 2016. Other recreational programmes such as hiking, summer cruises, family outings, Christmas Children’s Party, Annual Dinner, Departmental Karaoke Competition and Chinese New Year gathering organised during the year were well-received by the staff and their families.

To promote the substainability of the Departmental Sports Teams and esprit de corps of the Department, the Immigration Department Staff Club appointed 16 officers as the team managers of the Departmental Sports Teams in December 2014. Under the leadership of the team managers, representatives from the Departmental Sports Teams attained excellent results in several disciplined services tournaments and open competitions in 2016. The Departmental Sports Teams won championships in various competitions of Indoor Rowing, Volleyball and Beach Volleyball. Moreover, the Rowing Team and the Touch Rugby Team were respectively the champion and overall champion in the Women’s Competitions for three consecutive years since 2014.

The Immigration Band was established in May 2015. It has performed in departmental functions and parades as an amateur silver band. The band has also been invited to perform on various occasions, e.g. departmental annual dinner, carnivals of other departments, etc. As at 31 December 2016, there were more than 30 disciplined staff from various sections in the Band.

To promote volunteer social service among the staff, the Immigration Department Volunteer Work Team was set up under the wings of the Immigration Department Staff Club in June 2002. The team has participated in a wide range of community services and charity events, such as ‘Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics’, ‘Lifeline Express Charity Run’, ‘Oxfam Trailwalker’ and ‘Life Buddies’. In 2016, the team contributed a total of 9,713 hours of volunteer service to the community and was awarded the Gold Award for Volunteer Service from the Volunteer-in-Chief and the Director of Social Welfare.

The Immigration Service Welfare Fund

The Immigration Service Welfare Fund is established under the Immigration Service Ordinance for the purposes of procuring benefits and granting loans to members or former members of the Immigration Service. The fund also provides grants to dependants who need financial assistance for funeral expenses in respect of any deceased member or deceased former member of the Immigration Service.

In 2016, $931,292 was spent on welfare equipment, consolation gifts, sports, recreational activities, etc.

Management Audit

In 2016, the Management Audit Section under the line management of the Service Management Division paid a number of visits to various control points and offices to ensure that immigration policies, application procedures and administration rules had been properly followed, and to make recommendations on areas where the quality of work and customer services could be further improved.

The Customer Services Unit of the Management Audit Section receives complaints from the public and monitors the replies. All investigated complaints are further analysed and reviewed by the Complaints Review Working Party (Working Party), headed by Assistant Director (Management and Support) with members from the Service Management Division and the Management Audit Section. The Working Party gives advice on whether the complaints are justified and recommends improvements where necessary. In 2016, 7 cases were reviewed and 5 cases were found justified. In the same year, the Department received 4,579 letters of appreciation and notes of thanks.

Awards and Commendations

In 2016, Mr Eric K K Chan, I.D.S.M., former Director of Immigration, was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star, while Mr Y S Wong, former Assistant Director, was awarded the Hong Kong Immigration Service Medal for Distinguished Service (I.D.S.M.). Other four officers were awarded the Hong Kong Immigration Service Medal for Meritorious Service (I.M.S.M.).

Officers who have completed certain years of satisfactory service with exemplary character and good conduct will be awarded medals and clasps. In 2016, a total of 203 officers were awarded the Long Service Medal after 18 years of service; 106 officers were awarded the First Clasp to the Medal after 25 years of service; 68 officers were awarded the Second Clasp to the Medal after 30 years of service and 237 officers were awarded the Third Clasp to the Medal after 33 years of service. On commendation at the departmental level, 25 officers were awarded the Director’s Commendation and 18 officers were awarded the Assistant Director’s Commendation.

Communications and Public Affairs

The Communications and Public Affairs Section is the Department’s news agency which provides the link between the Department and the media. The section is responsible for maintaining effective communication with the mass media, answering media enquiries and drawing up publicity plans to promulgate the Department’s policies. The section, which maintains close relations with outside organisations, is also the Department’s representative in handling public affairs and participating in social functions and activities.

In 2016, the section issued press releases, answered press enquiries, arranged location filming and media briefings on immigration matters, such as measures to handle increasing cross-boundary passenger traffic, implementation of mutual use of automated clearance service with Australia and immigration facilitation measures for Macao residents, increasing the number of countries where holders of HKSAR passports can be granted visa-free access, assisting Hong Kong residents in distress outside Hong Kong, implementation of new visa policies or initiatives, and enforcement actions against illegal employment and immigration offenders, etc.

Information and Liaison

The Information and Liaison Section plays a major role in handling public enquiries regarding the services provided by the Department. The Immigration Enquiry Services System currently employed by the section can centrally process all the enquiries made in person, by phone, e-mail, fax and letter.

To provide better services to the public, the section is dedicated to enhancing the enquiry services system. Currently, the system provides one-stop service by transferring enquiry calls to the Department’s 24-hour Telephone Appointment Booking System and the Telephone Application Status Enquiry System. It also provides information on the current-day walk-in quota of our Immigration Branch Offices, Registration of Persons Offices and certain offices at the Immigration Headquarters. To further facilitate public access to the pre-recorded information provided by the Department’s General Enquiry Hotline, the section has specially designed and printed self-service enquiry information cards for distribution to members of the public, and has also uploaded the self-service call-flow diagram of the General Enquiry Hotline onto the Department’s Homepage for public reference.