Hong Kong should set up a statutory registration system for counsellors and grant legal exemption to professional organisations to publicly address wrongdoings, experts have said, after a body failed to name a member who was expelled over misconduct.
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Professor Chui Yat-hung, president of the Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association, warned of the dangers posed by the absence of the statutory regulations.
“While falsely claiming to be a social worker without the necessary qualifications is illegal, anyone can label themselves as a counsellor without facing legal consequences. When people without professional qualifications identify themselves or are employed as counsellors, it poses a potential risk to public safety,” Chui said.
“Due to the lack of a registration system, professional bodies are powerless to act beyond resignation or expulsion when counsellors engage in misconduct. As a result, even in a recent misconduct leading to expulsion, one organisation could not publish the individual’s name to warn the public.”
He was referring to a case recently handled by the Hong Kong Psychological Society, in which a counsellor who was the subject of a substantiated complaint was rehired elsewhere after being expelled from the society without being named publicly due to legal challenges arising from privacy laws.
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Chui noted that counsellors needed to possess professional qualifications and complete a registration process in order for the creation of a publicly accessible official list of certified practitioners and to ensure residents could find appropriate services.