5
Wednesday, March 8, 1972
Dame Eileen proposes that the Advisory Committee on Social
Work Training be re-constituted to form a strong advisory committee,
or council, composed of the various bodies active in social work training.
She urges that the 1965 "Survey of the Need for Trained Social
Workers in Hong Kong," prepared by a sub-committee of the Advisory
Committee on Social Work Training, be updated to give an accurate picture
of the supply of social workers in relation to the demand.
She suggests that an overall planning group be established to
review the total training needs and resources with a view to agreeing
on an annual comprehensive programme for the Social Welfare Department's
Lady Trench Training Centre.
Overall Strategy
In her view, this planning group should prepare an overall
strategy of in-service training for different levels of social workers.
Commenting on these recommendations, Mr. T.S. Heppell, Assistant
Director (General), Social Welfare Department, says "considerable progress
has already been made in actively considering, and making plans for
implementing, Dame Eileen's major proposals."
In particular, her recommendation for a full-time two-year
training course is under close examination, along with similar proposals
for a College of Social Work Training by Dr. Irving Spergel, a visiting
United Nations Adviser on Youth Work, who has since returned to the
University of Chicago, and by a committee of the Hong Kong Council of
Social Service under the chairmanship of the Reverend Eric Kvan.
Mr. Heppell