SOCIAL WELFARE
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To prevent abuse of the various social security schemes, a special investigation team carries out in-depth investigation of cases of suspected fraud or over-payment. During the
year, the team completed investigations on 180 cases, some of which were referred to the Attorney General for legal advice and possible prosecution. The team also conducts random checking in 10 per cent of cases where beneficiaries residing in institutions have elected to receive payment through some common agent. A total of 255 cases was checked during the year.
The Social Security Appeal Board, which considers appeals from individuals against decisions by the Social Welfare Department regarding social security benefits, dealt with a total of 84 appeals during the year. Of these, 20 related to Public Assistance cases, 58 to Special Needs Allowance cases, and six to Traffic Accident Victims Assistance cases.
Services for Offenders
Services for criminal offenders include provision for giving effect to the directions of the courts on the treatment of offenders by social work methods, with the aim of re-integrating them into the community. These services include probation supervision – operated through probation offices established in each magistracy and higher court, a remand home service, residential training for young offenders and after-care.
Probation, which is an alternative penalty to imprisonment, applies to offenders of all age groups. It allows offenders to remain in the community under the supervision of probation officers and subject to prescribed rules of conduct set by the courts. Apart from professional services, volunteers from many walks of life participate in the programme under a Volunteer Scheme for Probationers. The purpose of the scheme is to enhance community involvement in the rehabilitation of probationers.
Educational, prevocational, social and recreational training is provided in remand homes and residential institutions to assist juvenile offenders to return to the community as law-abiding citizens. The department has five institutions specialising in this work, each with a slightly different training programme to cater for various ages and sexes.
The Begonia Road Boys' Home and the Ma Tau Wai Girls' Home are combined remand and probation institutions for offenders under the age of 18 and for those in need of statutory care and protection. The Castle Peak Boys' Home is for boys aged under 16 and above 14 on admission, who require a longer period of residence and re-education following conviction by the courts. The O Pui Shan Boys' Home is a reformatory school for offenders aged 14 and under on admission. The Kwun Tong Hostel is a probation hostel for young men aged between 16 and 21 who are placed on probation by the courts on condition that they reside at the hostel for up to one year. The department also operates an after-care unit which helps offenders rejoin society by preparing them while they are still in the schools and giving them support after they leave.
Following completion of reports by an adviser from the United Kingdom, considerable progress has already been made in implementing the recommendations. These cover not only principles for the care and treatment of young offenders but also detailed suggestions on staffing, training and operational matters. An officer on temporary second- ment from the Education Department has been advising on ways of introducing a cadre of trained teachers into the residential institutions and on improvements to curricula and training programmes. Work also began in late 1982 on the conversion of a former junior English school in Quarry Bay for use as a home for young boys on probation. This home will be ready in 1983 and will greatly relieve overcrowding at the Begonia Road Boys' Home.