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SOCIAL WELFARE
centres, three multi-service centres and one day-care centre were set up. A new service of support teams for the elderly which were based in multi-service centres for the elderly was launched in October 1998 to establish a network and provide support to vulnerable elderly persons. By late 1998, 30 support teams had been set up.
For people with disabilities, the department further established 50 places in day activity centres, 60 places under supported employment schemes, 90 places in hostels and half-way houses. There were also an addition of 120 places in early education and training centres, 96 integrated programme places, and 30 special child care places for pre-school disabled children. As recommended by the Working Party on Training and Employment for People with Disabilities, the Marketing Consultancy Office (Rehabilitation) was set up in January 1997 as a pilot scheme to enhance the productivity of sheltered workshops and the income of people with disabilities.
The Working Group on Battered Spouses, convened by the Social Welfare Department, continued to launch a series of publicity measures in 1998 with a view to enhancing the public's awareness of the destructive impact of spouse battering on the family and to encourage the victims of domestic violence to seek help as early as possible.
During the year, the Working Group on Child Abuse continued to co-ordinate multi-disciplinary efforts tackling the problem of child abuse. These include strengthening support to child abuse victims giving evidence in court, revising procedural guidelines on handling child abuse cases, launching publicity and public education campaigns to prevent child abuse, combating child abuse at district level through the 13 District Committees on Child Abuse, and strengthening the joint training of professionals in handling child abuse cases. A Symposium on Prevention of Child Abuse was conducted on June 27 to promote community concern and responsibility in preventing child abuse.
The Working Group on Services for Youth at Risk has continued to collaborate with related parties in implementing appropriate measures in addressing the welfare needs of youth at risk. Major measures include a three-year pilot implementation of the Understanding the Adolescent Project for early intervention for Form 1 students identified to have special developmental needs; and a two-year experimental project of two youth mobile teams for providing on-the-spot crisis intervention for young night-drifters. A sex education training kit for parents has also been produced to help them teach their children. A working group has completed a review of school social work service and has recommended a package of measures to strengthen support for students.
To help build a loving and caring community in Hong Kong, a Central Office for Volunteer Service was set up in the SWD in September 1997 to co-ordinate and develop volunteer service. In the same year, the department formed a Working Party on Volunteer Movement involving members from the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and NGOs to launch a territory-wide Volunteer Movement. A Volunteer Enquiry Line was set up in 1998. At the end of the year, 173 000 volunteers had registered with the Central Office, 3.8 million volunteer service hours were pledged and 5310 enquiry calls were handled. The consultancy review on the existing subvention system was completed in 1998. Its major recommendations were to shift the focus of service monitoring from 'input' to 'output' to ensure delivery of quality services, and to give NGOs greater flexibility and accountability to make the best use of resources. The SWD was preparing to implement the recommendations.