XN000022-1979-11-14 — Page 8

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1979

HE SAID HE INTENDED TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPANDING THE SUPPLY FURTHER WITHIN APPROVED STUDENT LEVELS FOR THE COMING TRIENNIUM.

TARGET

HOWEVER, HE SOUNDED A NOTE OF WARNING, POINTING OUT THAT SOCIAL WORK TRAINING WAS INTENSIVE AND THAT THERE WAS A LIMIT TO THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE SUPPLY OF STUDENTS COULD BE INCREASED.

THE SECOND WAY, MR. LEE SAID, IS TO MAKE BETTER USE OF EXISTING MANPOWER AND THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT IS MAKING GOOD PROGRESS IN THIS BY IMPLEMENTING A REVIEW OF WELFARE GRADES TO MAXIMISE THE USE OF TRAINED STAFF.

+BY THIS MEANS, A TOTAL OF 96 POSTS PREVIOUSLY FILLED BY GRADUATE SOCIAL WORKERS WILL EVENTUALLY BE FILLED BY STAFF NOT REQUIRING SOCIAL WORK TRAINING, AND A FURTHER 87 BY TRAINED NON-GRADUATES, HE SAID.

THE THIRD WAY IS TO REDUCE THE RATE OF WASTAGE IN THE SOCIAL WORK FIELD. WHICH CAN BE ACHIEVED BY IMPROVING CONDITIONS OF SERVICE, HE SAID.

REFERRING TO THE SUGGESTION BY DR. THE HON. HO KAM-FAI TO EXTEND THE PROVISIONS OF THE WELFARE CLASS REVIEW TO THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR, MR. LEE EXPLAINED THAT THE REVIEW BASICALLY INVOLVED THREE CHANGES, THE FIRST OF WHICH WAS TO SPLIT DEPARTMENTAL STAFF INTO SOCIAL WORK" AND SOCIAL SECURITY STREAMS.

THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR BECAUSE SOCIAL SECURITY IS ENTIRELY A GOVERNMENT PROVISION, HE SAID,

THE SECOND CHANGE INVOLVED, HE SAID, IS A REVISION OF SALARY SCALES FOR CERTAIN RANKS TO REFLECT CHANGES IN DUTIES.

+THE GOVERNMENT AGREES IN PRINCIPLE THAT WHERE STAFF IN SUBVENTED AGENCIES ARE DOING SIMILAR DUTIES WITH SIMILAR QUALIFICATIONS, THE REVISED PAY SCALES SHOULD APPLY, HE

SAID.

SUBJECT TO THE PROVISION OF FUNDS, IT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUBVENTION TO VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IN 1980-81 TO ENABLE THEM TO DO SO, HE SAID.

THE THIRD CHANGE INVOLVES A NEW GRADE OF SOCIAL WORK ASSISTANT TO BE FILLED BY NON-GRADUATE TRAINED SOCIAL WORKERS, AND HE INTENDS TO CONSIDER IT IN GREATER DETAIL IN THE COMING REVIEW OF THE FIVE YEAR SOCIAL WELFARE DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMMES LAID DOWN IN THE WHITE PAPERS ON SOCIAL WELFARE AND REHABILITATION, MR. LEE SAID THE TARGET COULD BE MET.

HE SAID GOOD PROGRESS WAS BEING MADE IN THE FIELDS OF SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY, PERSONAL SOCIAL WORK AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE, REHABILITATION FACILITIES AND SOCIAL SECURITY.

/ON THE