XN000022-1988-11-16 — Page 47

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1988

MEASURES TO EASE SHORTAGE OF SOCIAL WORKERS

PROBLEM OF A SHORTAGE OF A PACKAGE OF MEASURES TO EASE THE

WORKED OUT AND NEW PROJECTS WERE TRAINED SOCIAL WORKERS HAD BEEN

CURRENT AND

DEMAND BEING PLANNED TO MEET

ANTICIPATED

IN WELFARE THE HON T.H. CHAU, SERVICES, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THE

NOTING THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT AND PRESSING PROBLEM FACING SOCIAL WELFARE SECTOR WAS THE SHORTAGE OF TRAINED SOCIAL WORKERS, COMMITTEE HAD EARLIER MR CHAU SAID THAT THE SOCIAL WELFARE ADVISORY

THIS PROBLEM IN THIS YEAR ENDORSED A PACKAGE OF MEASURES TO REDRESS BOTH THE LONG AND THE SHORT TERM.

CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT

THE PRINCIPAL MEASURES PROPOSED WERE THE OF NON-SOCIAL WORK TRAINED GRADUATES AND AN EXPANSION OF SOCIAL WORK PLACES IN THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS, RESUMED POLICY DEBATE.

IN THE NUMBER HE SAID IN THE

EDUCATION AND MANPOWER IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SECRETARY FOR

THE HEALTH AND AND THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE,

THE NUMBER OF WELFARE BRANCH WAS PLANNING A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN

IN THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS SOCIAL WORK DEGREE AND DIPLOMA PLACES OVER A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS, COMMENCING IN SEPTEMBER 1989.

"IT WILL TAKE TIME TO REDUCE THE SHORTFALL, BUT I BELIEVE WE ARE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, " HE SAID.

THAT

TO

ON THE SUGGESTION THAT A CENTRAL BODY SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED

SAID PLAN THE SUPPLY AND DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL WORK MANPOWER, MR CHAU

ALREADY BEING PERFORMED BY THE ADVISORY THIS RESPONSIBILITY COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL WORK TRAINING.

WAS

PLANNING WAS DIFFICULT AT HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT MANPOWER

WAS DEPENDENT ON THE BEST OF TIMES AS THE DEMAND FOR SOCIAL WORKERS

WHICH COULD FACTORS SUCH AS EXPANSION OF SERVICES AND WASTAGE RATES, NOT ALWAYS BE ACCURATELY FORECAST SEVERAL YEARS IN ADVANCE.

SHORTAGE WAS MANNING

MR CHAU NOTED THAT ONE UNFORTUNATE EFFECT OF THE THAT IT MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO IMPLEMENT ALL OF THE AGREED RATIOS.

RATIO IN HE QUOTED THE EXAMPLE OF THE CURRENT FAMILY CASEWORK

CASEWORKER ΤΟ 90 CASES THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, WHICH AT ONE WAS UNACCEPTABLY HIGH.

CASEWORKERS CONCERNED WERE AND THAT SOME CASES MIGHT

NOT

THE HIGH CASELOADS MEANT THAT THE PLACED UNDER CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE RECEIVE AS MUCH ATTENTION AS THEY DESERVED.

THE SOCIAL