XN000022-1993-05-21 — Page 15

FRIDAY, MAY 21, 1993

14

INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOUTH SERVICES URGED

A

A WORKING PARTY APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT HAS RECOMMENDED THAT SERVICES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD BE INTEGRATED AND PROVIDED IN

CATCHMENT SPECIFIC

AREA BY A TEAM OF SOCIAL WORKERS UNDER ONE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE.

THE SERVICES TO BE INTEGRATED ARE CHILDREN AND YOUTH CENTRES, OUTREACHING SOCIAL WORK, SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK AND, WHERE POSSIBLE, FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION.

TEAM

THE WORKING PARTY HAS FURTHER RECOMMENDED THAT AN INTEGRATED SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED FOR A CATCHMENT AREA WITH A YOUTH POPULATION OF 12,000 AND THAT CHILDREN AND YOUTH CENTRE SERVICES SHOULD BR PLANNED ACCORDING TO YOUTH POPULATION AND NOT GENERAL POPULATION.

IN ADDITION, PROGRAMMES OFFERED BY CHILDREN AND YOUTH CENTRES THAT SHOULD BE MORE TARGET-ORIENTED AND MORE SOCIAL WORK-ORIENTED AND A PILOT COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICE SCHEME SHOULD BE INTRODUCED FOR YOUTH AT RISK.

THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE CONTAINED IN A DRAFT REPORT BY THE WORKING PARTY ON REVIEW OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH CENTRE SERVICES, WHICH WILL BE RELEASED FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION NEXT MONTH.

WAS

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (FRIDAY) THE WORKING PARTY APPOINTED BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE IN MARCH

TO REVIEW THE POLICY, OBJECTIVES AND OPERATION OF CHILDREN YEAR YOUTH

NEEDS CENTRES AND RELATED SERVICES IN VIEW OF THE CHANGING YOUNG PEOPLE AND A DECLINING YOUTH POPULATION, THAT IS THOSE AGED BETWEEN SIX AND 24.

LAST

AND

OF

IT IS

CHAIRED BY PROFESSOR FELICE LIEH-MAK AND HAS MEMBERSHIP WITH BOTH OFFICIALS AND NON-OFFICIALS.

A

BROAD

THE MAIN FINDINGS OF THE WORKING PARTY'S STUDY ARE:

*

THE YOUTH POPULATION IN HONG KONG IS DECLINING IN BOTH ABSOLUTE AND RELATIVE TERMS;

*

THE SERVICES OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH CENTRES NEED TO BE EXAMINED IN VIEW OF CHANGING NEEDS;

RE-

WITH THE PREVALENCE OF NUCLEAR FAMILIES AND WORKING COUPLES, YOUNG PEOPLE NEED MORE GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT TO DEVELOP HEALTHY AND BALANCED INDIVIDUALS;

INTO

THE LACK

OF PERFORMANCE-BASED EVALUATION HAS RESULTED IN WIDE DISPARITIES IN THE QUALITY OF SERVICES OFFERED; AND

THERE IS A NEED FOR BETTER CO-ORDINATION YOUTH SERVICES.

BETWEEN

VARIOUS

/THE SPOKESMAN