SOCIAL WELFARE
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of apprenticeship or employment on their leaving the institutions. It is intended that these renewed efforts will boost interest in learning and pave the way for return to normal schools through the Secondary School Places Allocation System or help those looking for employment to gain recognition from relevant industry or trade authorities.
Attention was given to reviewing the provision of the Protection of Women and Juveniles Ordinance, with particular reference to the protection of the child's well being. Proposals for amendments to the ordinance were formulated and a number of concerned bodies were being consulted. The Working Group on Child Abuse, comprising representatives from various government departments and voluntary agencies, was re-convened to follow-up the recommendations arising from the Multi-Disciplinary Conference on Child Abuse held in Hong Kong in December 1987.
Work continued in preparing layout plans and fitting-out requirements for home- for-the-aged cum care-and-attention units in new public housing estates. Together with day nurseries, children and youth centres, social centres, hostels for the elderly and half-way houses for the discharged mental patients, the number of services with standard layout plans placed under the Rolling Programme, will be increased to six. The Rolling Programme is an arrangement to entrust the Housing Department with carrying out the fitting-out work of welfare premises.
During the year, 16 new day nurseries, three family-services centres, three homes/hostels for the aged, one care-and-attention home, one day-care, two multi-service and nine social centres for the elderly and 22 children centres, youth centres and combined children-and- youth centres were established. Provision of these additional services and the increase in the social security caseload were reflected in increased recurrent expenditure.
The total estimated expenditure on social security and social welfare services in the 1988-9 financial year – including Social Welfare Department recurrent expenditure and subventions to voluntary welfare agencies is $3,607 million, an increase of more than 25 per cent over the previous provisions.
Community Chest
The Community Chest, which organises and co-ordinates fund-raising activities for its member agencies, raised $55 million in 1987-8, compared with $42 million in 1986–7.
Social Security
Social security schemes are non-contributory and are designed to meet the basic as well as the special needs of the vulnerable groups in the community who require financial assistance. They include the Public Assistance Scheme, the Special Needs Allowance Scheme, the Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Scheme, the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme and Emergency Relief.
The Public Assistance Scheme, which is means-tested, aims at bringing the income of needy individuals and families up to a prescribed level. Eligibility for assistance is governed by three basic criteria. These criteria are length of residence in Hong Kong, level of income and assets and availability for work. A person must have resided in Hong Kong for at least one year and must prove that his income and other resources are insufficient to meet his basic needs. The Director of Social Welfare is empowered to waive the residence requirement in cases of genuine hardship. Any able-bodied unemployed person aged 15 to 59 is eligible only if he is actively seeking employment and has registered with the Local Employment Service of the Labour Department.