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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1982
TO PROVIDE MORE IMPETUS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DAY CARE CENTRES, MR ALLEYNE SAID IT WAS NOW PLANNED. TO PROVIDE AT LEAST ONE SUCH CENTRE IN ALL URBAN AND NEW TERRITORIES DISTRICTS.
AT PRESENT THERE ARE 60 PLACES IN DAY CARE CENTRES AND A FURTHER 160 PLACES ARE PLANNED FOR 1983/84.
MR ALLEYNE ASSURED COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HE WAS NOT IN ANY WAY COMPLACENT ABOUT THE ADEQUACY OF OUR PLANNING TARGET FOR THE PROVISION OF CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOMES AND THIS IS NOW UNDER REVIEW.+
PRESENT PLANS PROVIDE FOR AN ADDITIONAL 3 000 PLACES IN SUCH HOMES BY 1986/87, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PLACES TO NEARLY 3 400. THIS REPRESENTS A RATIO OF NEARLY FIVE PLACES PER 1 000 ELDERLY POPULATION IN THAT YEAR EXCEEDING THE STRICT PLANNING TARGET BY 25 PER CENT.
REFERRING TO BED-RIDDEN CASES IN NEED OF ALMOST CONSTANT NURSING CARE, MR ALLEYNE SAID THAT AS AN INTERIM MEASURE, IT HAD BEEN AGREED THAT SMALL INFIRMARY UNITS SHOULD BE SET UP IN SOME LARGER CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOMES TO PROVIDE THE HIGHER DEGREE OF NURSING CARE REQUIRED.
HE SAID ALSO THAT A PROPOSAL WAS UNDER CONSIDERATION TO OFFER CONCESSIONARY FARES ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO ELDERLY PEOPLE DURING OFF-PEAK HOURS.
DISCUSSING CHILD ABUSE, HE SAID IT WAS +A COMPLEX ISSUE TO WHICH CONSIDERABLE EFFORT AND RESOURCES HAD BEEN DEVOTED AND WOULD CONTINUE TO BE DEVOTED.
IN RECENT YEARS, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION PROGRAMMES HAVE BEEN STRENGTHENED.
+SADLY, IT MUST BE ADMITTED THAT A FEW CASES DO GO WRONG EVEN WITH THE CLOSEST SUPERVISION AND THE BEST OF INTENTIONS, THE DIRECTOR SAID.
MR ALLEYNE GAVE AN ASSURANCE THAT THE PROCEDURES FOR HANDLING CHILD ABUSE CASES WOULD BE REVIEWED REGULARLY, PARTICULARLY IN THE LIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE OF SPECIFIC COURT CASES, TO ENSURE THAT THEY REMAIN RESPONSIVE AND ADEQUATE TO MEET THE NEED, AND A REVIEW IS NOW UNDERWAY IN THE LIGHT OF THE RECENT AMALGAMATION OF THE MEDICAL SOCIAL WORKER GRADE WITH THE SOCIAL WORKER GRADE IN THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.+
TWO YEARS AGO, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT ESTABLISHED A HOT-LINE TO FACILITATE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE VOLUNTARY REPORTING OF POSSIBLE CHILD ABUSE CASES.
+THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN ENCOURAGING AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PUBLICISE THIS SERVICE, + MR ALLEYNE SAID.
THE POLICE WILL ACT ON ANY REPORT RECEIVED, AS WILL SOCIAL WORKERS IN FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES OPERATED EITHER BY THE S...D. OR VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.
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