SOCIAL WELFARE
Integrated teams for young people began operation in 1994. They provide children and youth centre service, outreaching social work service, school social work service. and, where possible, family life education under one management structure. At the end of 2000, 53 teams were operating.
To ensure a more targeted use of resources for youth development purposes, the management responsibility of Uniformed Organisations and the Hong Kong Award for Young People Scheme was transferred from the SWD to the Home Affairs Bureau with effect from April 1.
The SWD and NGOs also provide other welfare services to attend to the special needs of those young people who are at risk. The Community Support Service Scheme (CSSS), comprising two projects operated by NGOs and one by the department, was set up in 1994 to assist those young people who have broken the law or are at risk. At the end of the year, the two NGOs projects served 1 057 cases and the department project 1 171 cases. The department planned to extend the CSSS in 2001-02. The Against Substance Abuse Scheme provides prevention programmes to occasional substance-abusers under the age of 21 with the ultimate goal of helping them develop healthy lifestyles and discourage them from resorting to drugs in tackling their problems. By year's end, 1 252 young people had benefited.
An SWD subvented youth hotline also helps young people at risk by offering timely intervention through counselling. In 2000, the hotline handled 40 909 calls.
Under the guidance of the Committee on Services for Youth at Risk, the one-year small-scale implementation project, in respect of the Understanding the Adolescent Project, in Sha Tin was completed in July. The committee examined the evaluation report on the project in December. The committee also kept under view the progress of integrating services for young night drifters into existing outreaching social work teams/integrated teams. Eight selected integrated teams would be expanded in 2001-02 to serve young night drifters. The pilot project of Enhancement of Career Education in Schools was completed in August. The committee would examine long-term policy on services for Form 3 school leavers upon consideration of the evaluation report in 2001-02. The committee also examined the report on the in-depth study on the juvenile gang case and would take forward the recommendations in addressing the issues of juvenile gangs in 2001-02.
To enhance co-operation among relevant youth services, 20 Local Committees on Services for Young People continue to co-ordinate efforts at district level.
Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities
It is estimated that Hong Kong has about 423 000 individuals with disabilities. The rehabilitation services provided by government departments and NGOs aim at integrating people with disabilities into the community and help them fully develop their capabilities. These services are co-ordinated by the Commissioner for Rehabilitation, who conducts regular reviews of the Rehabilitation Programme Plan which projects the demand for and provision of various rehabilitation services over a planning period of five years.
Services for Children with Disabilities
At the end of the year, the NGOs provided 1 338 integrated programme places in ordinary child care centres, 1 269 special child care centre places (including 108
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