9
九
Social Welfare
SOCIAL welfare services continued to improve during the year, based on the five year plan for social welfare development in Hong Kong.
A broad range of new projects came into operation in 1975. They included play leadership schemes, the establishment of a community hall at Lei Muk Shue Housing Estate, and more and better facilities for the elderly and in the fields of rehabilitation, youth and child care. A new emergency kitchen to cater for disaster victims was opened in North Kowloon, and the 13-storey building for the Hong Kong Council of Social Service was completed. This building will also provide accommodation for a number of voluntary agencies.
The worldwide recession was not without effect however, and there was some slowing down in the pace of development. Towards the end of the year it was clear that a number of projects would have to be deferred or only partially realised until resources could be provided.
On all matters of social welfare policy, including that of subvention to the volun- tary agencies and grants from the Lotteries Fund, the government is advised by the Social Welfare Advisory Committee. This committee is appointed by the Governor and consists mainly of members of the public who are active in community affairs. The Director of Social Welfare is the chairman.
Responsibility for implementing government policy rests with the Social Welfare Department, which operates basically through five divisions. These are the group and community work division, which aims at the development of social responsibility and coherent community groups; the family services division, which is responsible for a wide range of services designed to help individuals and families; the rehabilitation division, which is concerned with the provision of services for the disabled; the proba- tion and corrections division, which provides social services for the courts and operates correctional institutions for young offenders; and the social security division, which is responsible for the administration of public assistance and other social security schemes. These divisions are further supported by a number of sub-divisions and units which deal with training, planning and development, research and evaluation, and public relations.
In the provision of social welfare services a significant role is played by voluntary agencies. The majority of these are affiliated to the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (Appendix 43A), and many receive financial assistance from the government in the form of recurrent annual subventions. With the diminished flow of overseas aid, the voluntary sector in 1975 increasingly looked to this assistance and to help from charitable funds and donations within Hong Kong. The Community Chest of Hong