SOCIAL WELFARE
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care centres for weaker and more infirm elderly people whose families are unable to look after them during the day.
Provision of adequate housing, by means of a special quota for the elderly in public housing units or arrangements for compassionate rehousing in public housing estates, enables many elderly people to remain in the community without having to seek care in institutions. A priority allocation scheme also exists to benefit families applying for public housing who have elderly parents or grandparents living with them. The waiting time for such families has been reduced by about one year. However, for those who are unable to stay with their families, residential care in the form of hostels for the elderly in public housing estates, purpose-built homes for the aged and care-and-attention homes is provided.
Emergency shelter accommodation for old people who are in urgent need of short-term accommodation while awaiting the availability of other long-term placement is provided in temporary housing areas and hostels in public housing estates. Special attention is given to organising cultural and recreational programmes or interest group activities to ensure that the residents in the institutions do not feel socially isolated or unwanted. During 1983, 630 additional residential places were provided, bringing the total to 1 170 hostel places, 3 975 home places and 880 care-and-attention home places by the end of the year.
The government's Housing Scheme for the Elderly in Sha Tin and the purchase of flats on Hong Kong Island, under the supervision of the Social Welfare Department, marked a new initiative in meeting the housing needs of elderly people who are still generally in good health and who, with a minimum of assistance, can cope with their own daily living needs.
Social Work Among Young People
In recent years, increasing emphasis has been placed on the importance of personal social work among young people - particularly those who may be in danger of delinquency. A school social work service provided by staff of the Social Welfare Department and voluntary agencies is now available to all secondary school students and most schools are visited weekly by a social worker. In primary schools, student guidance officers of the Education Department assist pupils with personal or learning problems and these officers are advised and supported as necessary by trained social workers.
To improve the existing administrative structure for the school social work service within the Social Welfare Department and to facilitate the development of the service in the districts, two regional school social work units, one covering Hong Kong Island and West Kowloon and the other East Kowloon and the New Territories, have been set up. These provide supervision to school social workers and student guidance officers in carrying out the school social work service, and assist in monitoring the service provided by the voluntary agencies.
Social workers are also active among the young through outreaching teams. These teams establish direct contact with young people in places they commonly frequent - such as cinemas, playgrounds and fast-food shops - to reach those at risk and who are unlikely to participate in organised youth groups or activities. There are now 18 out-reaching teams operated by eight voluntary agencies in priority areas.
Family Life Education programmes are aimed at the entire population but place particular emphasis on the needs of young people and the importance of a good parent-child relationship. At present, there are 56 family life field workers subvented by the government to carry out programmes at the district level with the aim of fostering positive attitudes to social and family responsibilities. Territory-wide campaigns, making extensive