total staff of 19 caseworkers who carried between them a caseload of about 2,300 cases as at 31st March 1968.
69. The Eastern District Office with a larger casework staff was set up in 1966 to provide comprehensive casework service for the remaining areas of the Island. There are altogether in this office 25 caseworkers divided into two units, each under a Casework Supervisor. Under its general direction is a sub-office of 4 caseworkers at Chai Wan Resettle- ment Estate which provides similar services for clients residing in the Shau Kei Wan and Chai Wan areas. Totally there were 2,700 families being assisted one way or another as at 31st March.
70. The regionalization of casework service was taken further with the establishment of a larger district office on the mainland in August 1967. A Principal Social Welfare Officer is responsible for the adminis- tration of this office and its three sub-offices in East Kowloon, Sham Shui Po and Tsuen Wan. In the District Office itself there are three Casework Supervisors who supervise between them 35 caseworkers. There are 37 other caseworkers attached to the three sub-offices. The total number of cases assisted at the end of the period under review was about 9,000.
71. At district offices new applicants for service or assistance are first interviewed by an intake worker to find out the general nature of the problem and whether service or assistance can be given. He is then interviewed in greater depth by a caseworker who himself works under the supervision of an experienced and trained casework supervisor.
Casework services provided are:
(a) Help with personal relationships including marital counselling
and children's problems
(b) Financial counselling including direct assistance in cash or
kind, or use of other community resources
(c) Vocational counselling including employment opportunities (d) Rehabilitative services
(e) Referrals to appropriate social agencies
Special services provided include:
(a) Protection of children in need
(b) Investigations into applications for legal aid, resettlement on
compassionate grounds, fixed pitch hawker licences, etc.
(c) Workmen's compensation cases.
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