9
Social Welfare
福社
新
DEA
THE generally rising expectations of people have generated constant pressure for expanding and improving social welfare services in Hong Kong. In 1985, continuing efforts were made to meet these demands, on the part of both the Social Welfare Department and the subvented welfare sector.
The policy objectives towards which improvements to services are directed are stated in the three White Papers - Integrating the Disabled into the Community: A United Front (1977); Social Welfare into the 1980s (1979); and Primary Education and Pre-primary Services (1981). Responsibility for carrying out government policies on social security and social welfare rests with the Director of Social Welfare, who heads the Social Welfare Department. On all matters of social welfare policy, except rehabilitation, the government is advised by the Social Welfare Advisory Committee, which is chaired by an unofficial member, with the Director of Social Welfare as vice-chairman, and members appointed by the Governor. The Rehabilitation Development Co-ordinating Committee, also appointed by the Governor and chaired by an unofficial member, advises on the policy and principles governing development of rehabilitation services.
In the day-to-day planning and development of services, the Social Welfare Department works closely with subvented agencies which play a major role in the provision of welfare services. The majority of agencies are affiliated to the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and are involved, together with the council and the department, in the annual review of the Five Year Plan for Social Welfare Department, which details the policy objectives, and methods of reaching these objectives, in the social welfare field.
A major development in 1985 was the transfer of responsibility for the management and planning of community centre facilities from the Social Welfare Department to the City and New Territories Administration. The transfer has rationalised the roles of the two departments in community building programmes in such a way that each department concentrates on the provision of services best suited to its expertise, with the Social Welfare Department focusing on promoting group work activities while the City and New Territories Administration is responsible for developing and expanding the role of community centres in the context of its work with the community and local district organisations.
Continued emphasis has been placed on the provision of welfare services, particularly accommodation for the elderly. The growing number of Hong Kong's residents who are over 60 years old have special accommodation needs which the government is seeking to meet through the provision of more self-care hostels, old people's homes and care-and- attention homes. Both the subvented welfare sector and the Housing Authority have important roles to play in expanding group accommodation for the elderly. Planned provision of hostels received a boost in 1985 by the agreement of the Housing Authority to