XN000022-1979-12-10 — Page 3

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1979

SWD AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR TO MEET ON WELFARE CLASS REVIEW

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THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAS PROPOSED A MEETING WITH THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR IN JANUARY NEXT YEAR TO DISCUSS IN GREATER DEPTH THE BEST MEANS OF CONDUCTING A REVIEW OF THE STAFFING STRUCTURE IN THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR, SIMILAR TO THE WELFARE CLASS REVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT.

THE OBJECTIVE IS TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE REVISED STRUCTURES AND SALARY SCALES OF DIFFERENT GRADES IN THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT SHOULD APPLY TO THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR.

THIS WAS DISCLOSED TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR. STEPHEN LAW WHILST SPEAKING ON THE DEPARTMENT'S WELFARE CLASS REVIEW AT A QUARTERLY MEETING OF THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICES.

MR. LAW STRESSED THAT THE NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR HAD NOT BEEN FORGOTTEN, BUT IT HAD BEEN DECIDED AT THE START OF THE WELFARE CLASS REVIEW IN MAY, 1977, THAT A COMBINED REVIEW OF BOTH THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR AND THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT WOULD NOT BE FEASIBLE NOR PRACTICABLE.

THIS, HE SAID, WAS BECAUSE OF THE STRUCTURE AND NEED OF THE DEPARTMENT AND INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTARY WELFARE AGENCIES ARE DIFFERENT AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TO ARRIVE AT A STRUCTURE WHICH WAS SUITABLE FOR BOTH.

CHANGES WERE URGENTLY REQUIRED IN THE DEPARTMENT TO FACILITATE ITS RE-ORGANISATION ON A REGIONAL BASIS IN APRIL THIS YEAR, HE ADDED.

MR. LAW POINTED OUT THAT THE WELFARE CLASS REVIEW WAS ESSENTIALLY AN INTERNAL RE-STRUCTURING EXERCISE INVOLVING SOME 1 300 OFFICERS.

IT IS A COMPLEX ADMINISTRATIVE AND ESTABLISHMENT EXERCISE ON A SCALE WHICH HAS NOT BEEN ATTEMPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN RECENT HISTORY, HE SAID.

+ IT HAS TAKEN TWO YEARS TO DISCUSS AND AGREE THE CHANGES IN THE DEPARTMENT ALONE AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION WILL TAKE ANOTHER TWO YEARS,+ HE SAID,

IN VIEW OF THE MANY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES INVOLVED, THE GREATER NUMBER OF STAFF EMPLOYED, THE DIVERSITY OF SERVICES PROVIDED AND THE LACK OF UNIFORMITY IN STANDARDS OF SERVICES, MR. LAW SAID, IT WAS DECIDED THAT A SEPARATE REVIEW OF THE STAFFING STRUCTURE IN THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT IN THE LIGHT OF CHANGES RECOMMENDED AND ACCEPTED FOR THE DEPARTMENT.

HE EXPLAINED THAT THE WELFARE CLASS REVIEW MAINLY INVOLVED THE SEPARATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY AND SOCIAL WORK FUNCTIONS WITH ITS OWN SEPARATE CADRE OF STAFF, THE RE-DEFINING OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS WELL AS THE CREATION OF NEW GRADES LEADING TO CHANGES IN THE SALARY SCALES FOR CERTAIN RANKS.

/HOWEVER HE