XN000022-1981-11-16 — Page 11

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1981

+HOTLINE+ PROVES EFFECTIVE

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THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S HOTLINE HAS PROVED TO BE EFFECTIVE IN SUPPLEMENTING SERVICES PROVIDED BY FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES, SOCIAL SECURITY FIELD UNITS AND OTHER OFFICES OF THE DEPARTMENT.

A STUDY OF THE HOTLINE'S FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION SHOWED THAT 46 PER CENT OF THE CALLS WERE RECEIVED OUTSIDE OFFICE HOURS.

+THIS INDICATES THAT THE HOTLINE HAS PROVED TO BE AN EFFECTIVE MACHINERY SUPPLEMENTING OUR EXISTING SERVICES UNITS, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID.

BETWEEN OCTOBER 1 LAST YEAR AND THE END OF SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR, 25 285 CALLS WERE RECEIVED, AVERAGING 2 107 A MONTH.

+ IT IS ENCOURAGING TO NOTE THAT CALLS RELEVANT TO SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT ARE ON THE INCREASE, ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF NON-ACTIONABLE CALLS REMAINS HIGH, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW, 45 PER CENT OF THE CALLS WERE RELEVANT TO SWD SERVICES AND IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS OF THE PERIOD, SUCH CALLS SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN ON THE RISE.

ABOUT 15 PER CENT OF THE CALLS ENQUIRED ABOUT OTHER

GOVERNMENT SERVICES OR SERVICES PROVIDED BY VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS.

THE REMAINING 40 PER CENT OF THE CALLS WERE NON-ACTIONABLE BECAUSE OF INCOMPLETE INFORMATION OR OTHER REASONS.

AMONG CALLS RELEVANT TO SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT, 25 PER CENT CONCERNED FAMILY RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS.

+HOWEVER, IT SEEMED THAT CALLS CONCERNING THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM

HAD BEEN GRADUALLY DECREASING, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

ABOUT 37 PER CENT OF THESE CALLS WERE GENERAL ENQUIRIES AND MOST OF THEM CONCERNED PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCALE RATES AND PROCEDURES FOR APPLYING FOR DISABILITY ALLOWANCE.

APART FROM ANSWERING GENERAL ENQUIRIES, STAFF MANNING THE HOTLINE HAD REFERRED 244 CASES TO SOCIAL SECURITY FIELD UNITS AND FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES FOR FOLLOW-UP ACTION.

THE HOTLINE, 3-32255, HAS BEEN IN OPERATION SINCE OCTOBER 1 LAST YEAR. IT IS OPERATED FROM 9 AM TO 10 PM ON WEEKDAYS AND SATURDAYS AND FROM 1 PM TO 10 PM ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS. OVERNIGHT CALLS ARE MACHINE-RECORDED FOR FOLLOW-UP ACTION THE NEXT DAY.

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