XN000022-1986-06-04 — Page 17

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 1986

ON A QUESTION WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER RAISING THE BASIC QUALIFICATION OF SPECIAL CHILD CARE WORKERS FROM FORM ? TO FORM 5, MR HENDERSON NOTED THAT THIS HAD BEEN RECOMMENDED BY THE REPORT OF THE WORKING PARTY ON PRE-SCHOOL CARE, EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF DISABLED CHILDREN PUBLISHED IN 1984, IT WAS PROPOSED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE MASTER PAY SCALE (MPS) ENTRY POINT FOR SPECIAL CHILD CARE WORKERS WOULD BE RAISED FROM MPS 7 TO MPS 9, AND THAT THERE WOULD BE A TWO-YEAR PRE-SERVICE TRAINING COURSE.

HOWEVER, THE IMPROVED SALARY SCALE HAD YET TO BE IMPLEMENTED DUE TO FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS AND THE TWO-YEAR PRE-SERVICE TRAINING COURSE WAS CONSIDERED NOT PRACTICAL, AND THEREFORE THIS RECOMMENDATION WOULD HAVE TO BE RECONSIDERED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.

REFERRING TO THREE NEW SPECIAL CHILD CARE CENTRES ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO BE IN OPERATION IN 1984, MR HENDERSON SAID THESE INVOLVED TWO AT SHEK KIP MEI AND LUNG HANG ESTATES TO BE RUN BY THE SPASTICS ASSOCIATION OF HONG KONG AND ONE AT CHUN SHEK ESTATE IN SHA TIN TO BE RUN BY THE HEEP HONG SOCIETY FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN.

THE FIRST TWO WERE GIVEN POLICY APPROVAL ON JULY 22, 1983 AND THE APPLICATION FOR GRANTS FROM THE LOTTERIES FUND TO COVER THE CAPITAL COST WAS ENDORSED BY SUBVENTIONS AND LOTTERIES FUND ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SLFAC) ON NOVEMBER 18 LAST YEAR.

+ BOTH PROJECTS ARE NOW BEING PROCESSED BY THE FINANCE BRANCH. ONCE FUNDING HAS BEEN APPROVED, THE AGENCY WILL BE ABLE TO PROCEED WITH THE PROJECTS,+ HE SAID.

THE THIRD SPÉCIAL CHILD CARE CENTRE, AT CHUN SHEK ESTATE, RECEIVED POLICY SUPPORT IN MARCH 1984 AND THE AGENCY SUBMITTED ITS APPLICATION FOR A GRANT FROM THE LOTTERIES FUND IN OCTOBER THAT YEAR,

HOWEVER, SLFAC MEMBERS CONSIDERED THE PROPOSED FITTING-OUT COSTS TO BE ON THE HIGH SIDE AND ADVISED THAT THE CASE BE DEFERRED UNTIL THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR THE OTHER TWO CENTRES HAD BEEN AGREED UPON.

IN VIEW OF THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF DISABLED CHILDREN, SPECIAL CHILD CARE CENTRES REQUIRED CERTAIN SPECIALISED EQUIPMENT AND NON-STANDARD FINISHES, HE POINTED OUT.

+THUS, THE STANDARD OF FITTING-OUT OF THESE CENTRES IS HIGHER THAN THAT OF ORDINARY CHILD CARE CENTRES.+

/AS TO