Appendix D-Contd.
(E)(4) Social Welfare
115 The share of Government's total spending allocated to social welfare has increased considerably from 4.8% in 1982-83 to 5.8% in 1987-88.
116 Social welfare services include social security (mainly public assistance and special needs allowances), services for offenders, family welfare, medical social work, services for the elderly, community building, personal social work among young people and rehabilitation.
117 The planning of social welfare development is reviewed and updated and takes account of new policies outlined in White Papers such as Social Welfare into the 1980s and Integrating the Disabled into the Community-a United Effort. A brief outline of aims is as follows:
Social security to meet the basic and other special needs of vulnerable groups in the community through a system of measures which provide financial or material assistance.
Services for offenders—to give effect to the directions of the courts on the treatment of offenders with the aim of re-integrating them into the community through probation, supervision, community service, residential and aftercare services.
Family welfare-to maintain the family unit and relationships and to deal with personal and family problems and to meet needs which cannot be met within the family.
Medical social work-to assist patients and their families with social, emotional problems related to illness and to enable them to make the best use of medical/rehabilitative services in the community.
Services for the elderly-to promote the well-being of the elderly through the provision of community support services and residential care.
Community building-to promote social relationships, to develop a sense of self-reliance and social responsibility and cohesion within the community, and to encourage the participation of the people themselves in solving community problems and improving the quality of community life.
Personal social work among young people—to guide and counsel young people away from anti-social and delinquent behaviour.
Rehabilitation—to provide such comprehensive rehabilitation services as are necessary to enable disabled persons to develop their physical, mental and social capabilities to the fullest extent which their disabilities permit.
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