Social Welfare | 207
To further strengthen the support for individuals and families in need, the SWD set up a new Integrated Family Service Centre (IFSC) in Sham Shui Po in December 2011, thereby bringing the number of IFSCs over the territory to 62.
A pilot project on child fatality review was launched in February 2008 aiming to identify good practices and areas for improvement in the system and service provision as well as to identify patterns and trends of child deaths, with a view to formulating prevention strategies and promoting multi-disciplinary and inter-agency co-operation in the prevention of avoidable child death. The review panel of the pilot project completed the review of child death cases that occurred in 2006 and 2007 and released its final report in January 2011. In view of the successful experience and positive feedback received, the SWD accepted the recommendation of the review panel and in June 2011 set up a standing Child Fatality Review Panel to continue to review child death cases.
In 2011, the SWD continued to strengthen public education on combating domestic violence. A new set of advertisements in the form of TV and radio announcements and posters with the main theme of 'Embrace your hopes, cherish your love' was produced to promote the message of 'Love Children, Love Yourself and Love Life'.
The SWD also further developed the Batterer Intervention Programme (BIP). BIP groups specifically for female batterers were provided on a trial basis in 2011.
Relief Measures
To ease the pressure of inflation and rising consumer prices on people's livelihood, the SWD provided in July 2011 one additional month of the standard rate of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) payment for CSSA recipients and one additional month of allowance for recipients of Old Age Allowance (OAA) and Disability Allowance (DA).
Relaxing permissible limit of absence from Hong Kong under the Social Security Allowance (SSA) Scheme
Since February 2011, to allow SSA recipients greater flexibility in travelling out of Hong Kong for various reasons, the permissible limit of absence from Hong Kong in each payment year under the SSA Scheme has been substantially relaxed from 240 days to 305 days, with the minimum residence period in Hong Kong for entitlement to the above absence limit correspondingly reduced from 90 days to 60 days a year. An SSA recipient who has resided in Hong Kong for no less than 60 days in a year will receive a full-year allowance.
Increasing standard rates for non able-bodied adult CSSA recipients
With effect from August 2011, the standard rates under the CSSA Scheme for adult recipients under the age of 60 with disabilities or in ill-health have been increased to the same level as those for elderly recipients in similar health conditions. The new arrangement aims to help adult recipients meet their special needs arising from disabilities or poor health condition.