XN000022-1977-04-20 — Page 19

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1977

QUALIFICATIONS OF WELFARE SUPERVISORS

TO COME UNDER REVIEW

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THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT IS TO SET UP A WORKING PARTY TO REVIEW THE QUALIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS OF ALL GRADES IN THE WELFARE CLASS, INCLUDING THE WELFARE SUPERVISORS,

THIS WAS REVEALED BY THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, THE HON. THOMAS LEE, IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS RAISED BY REV. THE HON. JOYCE BENNETT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING TODAY.

EARLIER, REV. BENNETT HAD REFERRED TO NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENTS FOR WELFARE SUPERVISOR AND ASKED WHY NO SPECIALIST TEACHING QUALIFICATIONS, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE WERE STIPULATED.

SHE ALSO ASKED WHETHER THERE IS A POLICY TO ENSURE THAT ONLY THOSE WHO ARE SUITABLY QUALIFIED ARE ENGAGED FOR SUCH SPECIALIST TYPE OF WORK,

MR. LEE SAID THAT ALL WELFARE SUPERVISORS, AFTER THEIR APPOINTMENT, WERE REQUIRED TO UNDERGO IN-SERVICE TRAINING ON RESIDENTIAL WORK ORGANISED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.

+SOME HAVE RECEIVED TWO YEAR FULL-TIME TRAINING AT THE INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL WORK TRAINING. A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF THEM HAVE OBTAINED QUALIFICATIONS AS TEACHERS THROUGH THE IN-SERVICE COURSES OF TRAINING FOR TEACHERS ORGANISED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, HE POINTED OUT.

THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENT, MR. LEE SAID, WAS THAT IN EACH INSTITUTION THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE QUALIFIED TEACHER TO SUPERVISE THE PROGRAMME OF CLASSROOM TEACHING.

MR. LEE ALSO EMPHASISED THAT NO MORE THAN 25 PER CENT OF WELFARE SUPERVISOR'S TIME WAS SPENT ON TEACHING.

+THE GREATER PART OF HIS TIME IS SPENT ON SUPERVISION AND OTHER RESIDENTIAL CARE DUTIES WHICH ARE MORE RELATED TO SOCIAL WORK THAN TO EDUCATION,

HE ADDED,

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