GPS 420
RESTRICTED
DESKBY 050980 Z
FM HONG KONG 0506552 NOV 80
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
HKK
RESTRICTED
B
430 TOP
$12.11.
TOP COPY
Awielo
See 82
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1462 OF 5 NOVEMBER
مل
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON
Se
YOUR TELNO 987: SOCIAL WORKERS IN VOLUNTARY SECTOR.
FULL BACKGROUND ON THIS SUBJECT WAS SENT TO CLIFT ON 24 MARCH (OURTELNO 437 AND FOLLOWED BY LETTER FROM HO) AND SUPPLEMENTED ON 16 JULY BY LETTER FROM HO TO WILLIAMSON. OUR RECENT TELNO 1422 IS
ALSO RELEVANT.
2. IN PRINCIPLE THE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTS THAT WHERE SUBVENTED WELFARE
AGENCIES' STAFF HOLD SIMILAR QUALIFICATIONS AND DO SIMILAR
WORK, THEY SHOULD BE REMUNERATED ON THE SAME BASIS AS THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN THE GOVERNMENT (SEE PARAGRAPH 3 BELOW). HOWEVER, AS VOLUNTARY AGENCIES ARE NOT ORGANISED ON THE SAME LINES AS THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, NOR DO THEY PERFORM THE SAME FUNCTIONS, AND GIVEN THE DIVERSITY OF SERVICES OFFERED BY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, IT WOULD BE IMPRUDENT TO SEEK TO IMPOSE A GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT
STRUCTURE ON THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR WITHOUT CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF
ALL THE RELEVANT FACTORS. A REVIEW IS THEREFORE NECESSARY.
THUS THE STEERING COMMITTEE AND THE SUPPORTING WORKING GROUP (BOTH COMPRISING VOLUNTARY SECTOR AND GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES)
WERE ESTABLISHED BY THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE IN FEBRUARY 1980
TO CONDUCT THE REVIEW OF STAFF STRUCTURES IN VOLUNTARY AGENCIES
PROVIDING SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES, THE SUPPORTING WORKING GROUP (CHAIRED BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE WHICH IS AN ORGANISATION CO-ORDINATING THE VIEWS OF THE MAJORITY OF WELFARE AGENCIES IN HONG KONG ) HAS RECENTLY COMPLETED THE TASK OF COLLECTING AND COLLATING INFORMATION ON STAFF STRUCTURES IN WELFARE AGENCIES AND HAS SUBMITTED ONLY A FEW DAYS AGO ITS PRELIMINA
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE STEERING COMMITTEE. THE LATTER MET ON 30
OCTOBER, AND MEMBERS REPRESENTING BOTH THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND THE GOVERNMENT REACHED CONSENSUS ON THE FINAL STAGE OF WORK. BEFORE PUTTING THIS IN HAND, IT WAS AGREED TO SEEK THE VIEWS OF THE
VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AFFECTED BY THE REVIEW. TO ALLOW TIME FOR THIS
CONSULTATION, THE STEERING COMMITTEE DECIDED TO MEET AGAIN LATER
RESTRICTED
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