4
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1978
S.W.D. TAKES FIRST MOVE TOWARDS REGIONALISATION
*******
THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAS APPOINTED FOUR SENIOR OFFICIALS AS REGIONAL OFFICERS IN ITS FIRST MOVE TOWARDS REGIONAL ISATION OF ITS WELFARE SERVICES.
THE REGIONALISATION, WHICH WILL BE GRADUALLY IMPLEMENTED OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, AIMS AT MORE EFFICIENTLY SERVING PEOPLE IN NEED AND BETTER CO-ORDINATING WELFARE SERVICES ON A REGIONAL BASIS.
ON FULL IMPLEMENTATION BY APRIL NEXT YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT WILL CONSIST OF THE HEADQUARTERS, THE FOUR REGIONS -- HONG KONG
ISLAND, EAST KOWLOON, WEST KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES 11 DISTRICTS.
THE NEW SET-UP WILL SEE THE DEPARTMENT'S SERVICES AND OPERATIONS DECENTRALISED INTO THESE REGIONS SO AS TO PROVIDE A MORE RATIONALISED AND COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE PRACTICALLY UNDER ONE ROOF.
AND
APPOINTED AS HEAD OF THE HONG KONG ISLAND REGION IS MR. KWOK KA-CHI- EAST KOWLOON REGION, MR. KHOO TAI-PIN- WEST KOWLOON REGION, MR. LU YU-HUA AND THE NEW TERRITORIES REGION, MR. HENRY AU.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID. TODAY THAT EACH OF THESE OFFICERS WOULD BE THE OVERALL ADMINISTRATOR FOR HIS REGION IN SOCIAL WELFARE MATTERS AND WOULD ACT AS THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S REPRESENTATIVE IN HIS REGION IN DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC, VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, APART FROM BEING THE EYES AND EARS+ OF THE DEPARTMENT.
THE IR JOB, HE SAID, IS TO CO-ORDINATE ALL WELFARE SERVICES IN THE REGIONS TO SERVE THE PARTICULAR NEEDS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, IMPLEMENT DEPARTMENTAL POLICIES, LIAISE WITH LOCAL VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, AND TO REFLECT CHANGING NEEDS IN THE AREAS.
THEY WILL BE ASSISTED BY STAFF OFFICERS IN VARIOUS BRANCHES OF SOCIAL WORK AND WILL SUPERVISE AND ENSURE SMOOTH OPERATION OF THE DISTRICT OFFICES WITHIN THEIR REGIONS, HE SAID.
AT PRESENT, HE SAID, THE NEWLY-APPOINTED REGIONAL OFFICERS HAVE AN IMMEDIATE TASK OF PUTTING THE IR REGIONAL ORGANISATION INTO SHAPE IN PREPARATION FOR THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION.
EXPLAINING THE REASON FOR THE REGIONALISATION, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAD EXPERIENCED DRAMATIC INCREASES IN BOTH STAFF AND EXPENDITURE FOR ITS EXPANDING SERVICES OVER THE PAST YEARS.
/WITH FURTHER.....