XN000022-1981-05-04 — Page 4

MONDAY, MAY 4, 1981

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NEED TO EXAMINE OUTREACHING SOCIAL WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE

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OUTREACHING SOCIAL WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IS A COMPARATIVELY NEW APPROACH IN HONG KONG AND ITS METHOD AND SKILLS NEED TO BE CRITICALLY EXAMINED AND TESTED SO AS TO DEVELOP A SYSTEM OF WORK APPROPRIATE TO LOCAL CONDITIONS.

THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR SELWYN ALLEYNE, SAID THIS TODAY (MONDAY) AT THE GRADUATION CEREMONY OF A TRAINING COURSE FOR OUTREACHING SOCIAL WORKERS, AT THE SHUE YAN COLLEGE.

HE SAID OUTREACHING SOCIAL WORK WAS A DEMANDING TASK FOR FIELD WORKERS, CALLING FOR A HIGH LEVEL OF PROFESSIONAL SKILLS, AN OUTGOING PERSONALITY AS WELL AS DEVOTION AND COURAGE.

+ IT REQUIRES SYSTEMATIC PLANNING AND CONTINUOUS EVALUATION TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE MODELS OF WORK, AND ALSO NEEDS AN ADEQUATE SUPPORT SYSTEM TO ENABLE FIELD WORKERS TO DISCHARGE THEIR FUNCTIONS, + HE SAID.

MR ALLEYNE SAID OUTREACHING WORK AIMS AT UNATTACHED YOUNG PEOPLE AGED SIX TO 20 YEARS, WHO PREFER TO SPEND THEIR TIME AT PLAYGROUNDS, STREET CORNERS AND OTHER PLACES OTHER THAN CHILDREN'S

AND YOUTH CENTRES.

+DELIVERY OF A SERVICE AT SUCH PLACES CALLS FOR THE SKILLS OF A SOCIAL WORKER WHO WILL BE ABLE TO REACH THEM AND SO TO PROVIDE THE GUIDANCE, INFORMATION AND OTHER ASSISTANCE THEY NEED,+ HE SAID.

AT PRESENT, EIGHT VOLUNTARY WELFARE AGENCIES ARE PROVIDING 18 OUTREACHING SOCIAL WORK TEAMS IN 16 HIGH PRIORITY AREAS, WITH MORE THAN 120 SOCIAL WORKERS ENGAGED IN THE TASK.

SPEAKING OF THE SHORTAGE OF TRAINED SOCIAL WORKERS, HE SAID, +THE PRESENT INTENTION IS TO INCREASE THE PROVISION BY TWO TEAMS EACH YEAR, BUT THE ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT WILL HAVE TO DEPEND ON THE AVAILABILITY OF WORKERS, HE SAID.

MR ALLEYNE TOLD THE GRADUATES THAT THEIR WORK WAS BOTH CHALLENGING AND DEMANDING, BUT IT COULD ALSO BE FRUSTRATING AND EXHAUSTING IF THEY COULD NOT FIND CONTINUOUS WAYS TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES - AND CONTINUOUS LEARNING WAS ONE WAY.

+YOU HAVE CHOSEN THIS MEANINGFUL JOB AND SOUGHT TO IMPROVE YOUR PERFORMANCE, AND I FULLY SUPPORT YOUR ENDEAVOUR, PARTICULARLY IN THE LIGHT OF THE CURRENT INCREASE IN THE INVOLVEMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN CRIMES, HE ADDED.

HE COMMENDED THE SHUE YAN COLLEGE FOR PROVIDING THE TRAINING COURSE WHICH, COMPRISING 14 WEEKS' LECTURES AND FIELD WORK, WAS ORGANISED PRIMARILY FOR EXPERIENCED WORKERS FROM SIX YOUTH WORK AGENCIES.

IT COVERS THE BASE OF KNOWLEDGE FOR THE OUTREACHING SOCIAL WORKER, AND IS A TIMELY PROVISION TO EQUIP FIELD WORKERS TO DO A BETTER JOB, HE SAID.

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