SOCIAL WELFARE
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through five divisions. They are: the Group and Community Work Division, which aims at the development of social responsibility and community building; the Family Services Division, which is responsible for a wide range of services designed to help individual families and their members; the Rehabilitation Division, which provides services for the disabled; the Probation and Corrections Division, which operates a probation service, correctional institutions for young offenders and services for the courts; and the Social Security Division, which administers the public assistance and other social security schemes. These divisions are further supported by a number of smaller units dealing with training, planning and development, research and evalua- tion, and public relations.
Voluntary agencies also play a significant role in providing welfare services. The majority of these are affiliated with the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, and many are subvented by the government. With diminishing financial assistance from overseas, the voluntary sector has become increasingly dependent on local assistance from charitable funds and donations. The Community Chest of Hong Kong, to which some 72 welfare bodies belong, represents an endeavour by these organisations to co-ordinate their fund-raising activities.
In the 1976-7 financial year, government expenditure on social welfare increased to a total of $348 million.
Group and Community Work
Group and community work aims at the social development of individuals, groups and communities, the cultivation of civic responsibilities, the development of leadership and volunteer activities, the improvement of the quality of life and the promotion of harmonious community living. The Group and Community Work Division of the Social Welfare Department operates through a network of community centres, estate welfare buildings and community halls. These bring together neighbourhood welfare services under one roof to offer facilities such as libraries, day nurseries, vocational training classes, clubs for different interest and age groups, family counselling and other services. In addition, special programmes are arranged for young people in parks and playgrounds. The division is represented in the field by community and youth officers, whose responsibilities are to stimulate and co-ordinate the development of community and youth services within their districts. The division maintains a rural mobile service unit that provides library, social and recreational services to people in remote and isolated villages. It also operates two youth hostels. With the help of the United Nations, an experimental community development project has been carried out in the Tsz Wan Shan Public Housing Estate.
Many voluntary agencies have made a substantial contribution towards the pro- vision of recreational and social services for young people. These agencies are particularly active in providing children's centres and youth centres. They also play an important role in organising play leadership programmes, detached work for young people and counselling services for youth.
Family Welfare Services
Family welfare services are provided to preserve the traditional family ties and to enable individuals and family members to deal with personal and family problems.