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SOCIAL WELFARE
workers of the department are appointed as probation officers and are attached to various courts. In addition to making social enquiries, they organise activities for the probationers, and maintain contact with area committees in the Fight Violent Crime Campaign. On December 31 a total of 2,627 people were under probation and 7,821 social enquiries had been made in the year, which included reviews of long sentences, petitions and condemned prisoners. Schemes launched in the year included a survey on recidivism of ex-probationers and a volunteer pilot scheme whereby a small number of volunteers were selected to befriend probationers. The results from both schemes were encouraging.
There are five correctional institutions catering for boys and girls of various age groups. They are: Begonia Road Boys' Home, Ma Tau Wei Girls' Home, Kwun Tong Hostel, Castle Peak Boys' Home and O Pui Shan Boys' Home. The total capacity is 584. An aftercare service is also provided for probationers released on licence to bridge the gap between life in a reformatory school and that in the community.
Voluntary organisations which play a part in the prevention of juvenile de- linquency are the Hong Kong Juvenile Care Centre and the Society of Boys' Centres. The latter runs the Shing Tak Centre and the Chak Yan Centre, both providing residential training for boys who are underprivileged or delinquent.
Training of Social Workers
The development of effective social welfare services depends largely on the employment of qualified and trained workers. In Hong Kong professional social work training at the degree level is available at the two universities from which 56 social work students graduated in 1974. The Baptist College runs a diploma course in social work which in 1974 was completed by 19 students. The Institute for Social Work Training, which opened in September 1973 with an enrolment of 50 students, offers a two year course leading to a certificate in social work. This institute caters for students who do not plan to enter university but wish to take up social work as a career, and for untrained workers already serving in the government or welfare organisations. The course is job-oriented and the Hong Kong aspects of social work training are heavily emphasised. Another 75 students were enrolled in September 1974.
The training section of the Social Welfare Department organises in-service training programmes for untrained social workers, and refresher courses for trained personnel from both the voluntary sector and the government. In addition it operates a demonstration day nursery which is also used as a training centre for nursery workers. Fieldwork supervision was provided for 43 university students during the academic year 1973-4.
Planning
The five year plan for the development of social welfare is reviewed annually to ensure that a flexible approach is maintained and that the comprehensive range of projects remains relevant, timely, and within the capacity of the resources available. At each review the plan in extended one year and in that way it keeps abreast of the continuing social welfare needs of Hong Kong.