WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1986
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IMPROVEMENT WILL BE SOUGHT IN FAMILY CASEWORK STAFFING *****
THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE WILL BE SEEKING FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANNING SCALE FOR THE FAMILY CASEWORK SERVICE, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON NIGEL SHIPMAN, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON HUI YIN-FAT, MR SHIPMAN SAID: +THERE IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE MUCH SCOPE FOR ADDITIONAL INTERNAL RE-DEPLOYMENT OF STAFF WITHIN THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT TO THE BENEFIT OF THE FAMILY CASEWORK SERVICE, HAVING REGARD TO THE STAFFING NEEDS OF THE OTHER SERVICES WHICH THE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES, AND ANY ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENT IN THE FAMILY CASEWORK MANNING SCALE MUST DEPEND ON THE CREATION OF ADDITIONAL POSTS.+
HE SAID FAMILY CASEWORK WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH A NETWORK OF 22 FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES OPERATED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND A FURTHER 26 SUCH CENTRES RUN BY EIGHT VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.
AT PRESENT THERE WERE 209 CASEWORKERS IN THE DEPARTMENT'S CENTRES HANDLING A TOTAL OF 21 747 CASES, THUS GIVING AN AVERAGE CASELOAD OF 104,
IN THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES' CENTRES, THERE WERE 90 CASEWORKERS HANDLING 7 668 CASES, GIVING AN AVERAGE CASELOAD OF 85.
THE OVERALL AVERAGE WAS 98 CASES PER CASEWORKER.
+ IN ADDITION, STAFF AT THE SOCIAL WORK OFFICER RANK SUPERVISE THE CASEWORKERS,+ MR SHIPMAN SAID.
THESE STATISTICS REPRESENTED AN IMPROVEMENT UPON THE POSITION RECORDED AT MARCH 31 LAST YEAR, WHEN FAMILY CASEWORKERS IN THE DEPARTMENT HAD AN AVERAGE OF 121 CASES AND THOSE IN THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES HAD AN AVERAGE OF 84 CASES AND THE OVERALL AVERAGE WAS 109 CASES.
HE SAID THE IMPROVEMENT WAS ACHIEVED DESPITE A TOTAL INCREASE OF OVER 800 CASES.
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