XN000022-1986-02-06 — Page 8

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1986

IN FUTURE THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SHELTERED HOUSING PROGRAMME WITH WARDEN SERVICE FOR THE ABLE-BODIED ELDERLY; WHILE THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND WELFARE AGENCIES WILL CONCENTRATE THEIR EFFORTS ON SUPPORT AND RESIDENTIAL CARE SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY IN NEED OF CARE.

IN THE LIGHT OF THIS ARRANGEMENT. THE SWAC ENDORSED A RECOMMENDATION NOT TO EXTEND THE SHELTERED HOUSING PROGRAMME (ALSO KNOWN AS THE GOLD COIN HOUSING SCHEME) AT PRESENT OPERATED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.

IT ALSO ENDORSED PLANS BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO SET UP SMALLER SCALE CARE-AND-ATTENTION UNITS IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, AND TO INCORPORATE SUCH FACILITIES IN HOMES FOR THE AGED.

THE MEETING SUPPORTED THE EARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPLEX FOR THE ELDERLY AT WONG CHUK HANG AS A PILOT SCHEME PROVIDING AN INTEGRATED SERVICE APPROACH TO THE DELIVERY OF RESIDENTIAL CARE SERVICES FOR THE FRAIL AND SENILE ELDERLY.

MEMBERS EXPRESSED CONERN AT THE LACK OF RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES FOR THE ELDERLY IN THE OLDER BUILT-UP URBAN AREAS, AND ADVISED THAT MORE EFFORTS SHOULD BE MADE TO LOCATE SUCH SERVICES IN URBAN AREAS.

THE COMMITTEE ALSO CONSIDERED A REPORT ON THE 1984 SURVEY ON SOCIAL WELFARE MANPOWER PREPARED JOINTLY BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE, TOGETHER WITH THE COMMENTS FROM THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL WORK TRAINING AND THE GOVERNMENT,

THE MEETING NOTED THAT THE OVERALL WASTAGE RATE FELL SIGNIFICANTLY FROM 10.5 PER CENT IN 1981 TO 4.7 PER CENT IN 1984.

WITH THE IMPROVED SUPPLY SITUATION, THE COMMITTEE NOTED THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE NEED TO RECRUIT A LARGE NUMBER OF NON-SOCIAL WORK TRAINED GRADUATES, BUT ADVISED THAT THE CURRENT RECRUITMENT FLEXIBILITY SHOULD BE RETAINED IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT VACANCIES WERE FILLED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

IN THIS CONNECTION. MEMBERS NOTED THAT THERE WOULD CONTINUE TO BE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE TWO UNIVERSITIES FOR SUCH RECRUITS.

THE SWAC ALSO ENDORSED A RECOMMENDATION IN THE REPORT THAT A SOCIAL WELFARE PERSONNEL INFORMATION SYSTEM BE SET UP TO COLLECT BASIC INFORMATION ON THE MANPOWER SITUATION.

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