XN000022-1988-05-04 — Page 19

17

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 1988

"IN ADDITION TO PURPOSE BUILT HOMES, HOMES FOR THE AGED WITH CARE-AND-ATTENTION PLACES WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED IN NEW PUBLIC HOUSING

ESTATES.

14

REFERRING TO THE LEGISLATIVE CONTROL OF PRIVATE HOMES FOR THE ELDERLY, MR CHAMBERS REITERATED HIS REPLY то A QUESTION IN THE COUNCIL LAST WEEK THAT THE TARGET DATE FOR INTRODUCTION OF THIS WAS MID-1990.

ON SOCIAL WORK MANPOWER AND TRAINING, MR CHAMBERS SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN A CONTINUING SHORTAGE OF TRAINED SOCIAL WORKERS DURING THE 1980'S AND UNFORTUNATELY THIS SITUATION WAS EXPECTED то PERSIST DURING THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

HE SAID.

"PLANNING OF NEW SERVICES WILL HAVE TO TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT,

P+

"THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL WORK TRAINING IS TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE IN JUNE AND WILL, I HOPE, GIVE ADVICE ON BOTH A SHORT-TERM AND A LONG-TERM STRATEGY TO COPE WITH THIS PROBLEM.

MR CHAMBERS POINTED OUT THAT SPECIALISED AND ADVANCED TRAINING IN THE FORM OF FULL-TIME OVERSEAS COURSES WERK PROVIDED BUT INEVITABLY ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF STAFF COULD BE SO TRAINED EACH YEAR.

BEING

"IN ADDITION, SHORT COURSES AND WORKSHOPS ARE CONSTANTLY PROVIDED LOCALLY IN SPECIALIST AREAS SUCH AS CHILD ABUSE AND DELINQUENCY, HE ADDED.

MR CHAMBERS NOTED THAT A MEMBER HAD CLAIMED THAT THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES RECEIVED ONLY 20 PER CENT OF THE FUNDS PROVIDED FOR SOCIAL WELFARE PURPOSES, WHILE PROVIDING MORE THAN 70 PER CENT OF WELFARE SERVICES, A STATE OF AFFAIRS WHICH WAS ASCRIBED TO THE INADEQUACY OF THE CURRENT SUBVENTION POLICY.

HE EXPLAINED, HOWEVER, THAT THE MEMBER HAD NOT TAKEN ACCOUNT OF THE FACT THAT A LARGE PROPORTION OF THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE IN THE SWD AND SUBVENTION HEADS WAS IN THE FORM OF SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS AND NOT DIRECT WELFARE SERVICES.

"IF WE EXCLUDE THE SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS FROM THE CALCULATION AND COMPARE LIKE WITH LIKE WE FIND THAT OF THE TOTAL BUDGET ALLOCATED FOR THE PROVISION OF WELFARE SERVICES, ABOUT 69 PER CENT CONSISTS OF SUBVENTIONS TO THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, VERY CLOSE TO THE 70 PER CENT QUOTED.

H

IN

RESPONDING TO A CALL FOR THE NEED TO STUDY THE IMPACT OF CHANGES IN POPULATION DISTRIBUTION WHEN CONSIDERING THE PROVISION OF WELFARE SERVICES, MR CHAMBERS SAID THAT PLANNING OF SUCH SERVICES GENERAL, AND IN PARTICULAR FOR THE NEW TOWNS, ALREADY TOOK ACCOUNT THE DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH AREA.

OF

"EXAMPLES OF