2.
(e) the creation of a new Social Security Officer grade
modelled on the structure of the Executive Officer
grade to replace those existing posts in the Social
Welfare Officer grade which were involved in the
management and administration of social security
schemes.
3.
As a result of accepting the recommendations set out in
paragraph 2 above, the following changes were made in the Social Welfare
Department:
(a) revised salary scales for the Assistant Social Work
Officer and Social Work Officer ranks to recognise
the increasing complexity in duties and level of
responsibility of these ranks. The salary increase
was effective from 1 April 1979 the date on which the revised structure was accepted by the Government;
(b) revised or new salary scales for the Welfare Assistant
and Social Work Assistant grades. However, officers
were not eligible to receive the revised salary scales
until their options to work in the "social work" or "social security" streams of the Social Welfare Depart-
ment had been accepted by the Department on 15 November
1979 and the Social Work Assistant grade have assumed
their new duties;
(c) re-deployment or transfers of officers in (b) to give
effect to their options. In order to minimise disruption
and adverse effects on the services provided by the
Social Welfare Department, this exercise will have to be spread over a two-year period and is not expected to be completed until mid-1981;
(d) actual improvement of promotion prospects brought about
by the restructure was minimal. The major improvement of promotion prospects was for the Social Work Assistant grade. This arose largely from the direct offsetting of 89 Assistant Social Welfare Officer posts against a similar increase of Senior Social Work Assistant posts.
Current organisational structures and pay scales in the Social
Welfare Department are at Annex A. A brief comparison of the old and new
scales is at Annex B.
4.
Annex A
Annex B