SUNDAY, JULY 26, 1981
WELFARE +HOTLINE+ HANDLES 20 000 CALLS IN TEN MONTHS
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PEOPLE WITH PERSONAL, FAMILY OR OTHER WELFARE PROBLEMS ARE URGED TO MAKE MORE USE OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S +HOTLINE + SERVICE, WHICH HAS NOW BEEN OPERATING FOR TEN MONTHS.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT SINCE THE HOTLINE NO: 3-432255 - WAS INTRODUCED LAST OCTOBER, MORE THAN 20 000 CALLS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM PEOPLE SEEK ING QUICK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE AND GUIDANCE.
EXPLAINING THE NEED FOR SUCH A SERVICE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID. +THE HOTLINE WAS INTRODUCED TO BACK UP THE VARIOUS WELFARE SERVICES AVAILABLE IN THE DEPARTMENT'S FIELD UNITS. IT HAS PROVED TO BE PARTICULARLY USEFUL OUTSIDE OFFICE HOURS, AT WEEKENDS AND DURING PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.+
MOST OF THE CALLS CONCERNED FAMILY MATTERS, YOUTH PROBLEMS, REHABILITATION AND FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES.
+SOME OF THE CALLERS WERE VERY DEPRESSED AND ALL THEY WANTED WAS SOMEONE TO TALK TO,+ HE SAID.
+STAFF MANNING THE HOTLINE WOULD ALWAYS TRY THEIR BEST TO HELP BY MAKING USE OF THE IR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND KNOWLEDGE.+
FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, SOME OF THE CALLERS COULD NOT BE GIVEN IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE. THEIR CASES WERE REFERRED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO THE APPROPRIATE OFFICE OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR FOLLOW- UP ACTION.
+FOR CALLS THAT CONCERN SERVICES NOT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF SOCIAL WELFARE, OUR HOTLINE STAFF WOULD DO THEIR BEST TO DIRECT THEM TO THE APPROPRIATE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID,
A NUMBER OF CALLS CONCERNED SUSPECTED CASES OF CHILD ABUSE AND THESE WERE QUICKLY FOLLOWED UP BY CASE WORKERS IN THE FIELD OFFICES.
FOR EXAMPLE, A HOUSING DEPARTMENT STAFF MEMBER AT SHUN LEE ESTATE RECENTLY REPORTED THAT THREE GIRLS, AGED BETWEEN FOUR AND SIX, WERE OFTEN LEFT ALONE AT HOME IN ONE OF THE FLATS IN THE ESTATE, AND THAT THEIR FATHER APPEARED TO BE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE CARE FOR THEM.
THE CASE WAS IMMEDIATELY TAKEN UP BY CASE WORKERS IN THE FIELD WHO DISCOVERED THAT THE GIRLS' MOTHER HAD DESERTED THE FAMILY TWO YEARS AGO, AND THE FATHER HAD TO WORK LONG HOURS.
ARRANGEMENTS WERE IMMEDIATELY MADE TO PROVIDE RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR THE GIRLS.
THE HOTLINE+, WHICH OPERATES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, IS MANNED BETWEEN 9 AM AND 10 PM ON WEEKDAYS AND SATURDAYS, AND FROM 1 PM TO 10 PM ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.
OVERNIGHT CALLS ARE MACHINE-RECORDED FOR FOLLOW-UP ACTION THE NEXT DAY.
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