XN000022-1993-05-21 — Page 18

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FRIDAY, MAY 21, 1993

AT PRESENT BACH SOCIAL WORKER IN A FAMILY SERVICE CENTRE HAS TO LOOK AFTER ABOUT 80 CASES.

*T

HAVE

'ACHIEVING A CASELOAD OF 1:70 WOULD REQUIRE A FURTHER 90 CASEWORKERS. IF WE ARE TO REDUCE THE CASELOAD TO 1:50 WE WOULD TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SOCIAL WORKERS FROM 436 THIS YEAR TO ABOUT 800 BY 1997.

"IF THESE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE PROVIDED WE MUST ENSURE EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF CASES AND THE PROVISION OF A COMPUTER DATABASE SYSTEM, HE SAID.

**

SECOND, THE DEPARTMENT IS ABOUT TO RECONVENE THE WORKING GROUP ON CHILD ABUSE WHICH WILL REVIEW RECENT IMPROVEMENTS MADE AND PROPOSE WHETHER ADDITIONAL MEASURES ARE NECESSARY IN THE REPORTING, RECORDING AND HANDLING OF CHILD ABUSE CASES.

THIRD, THE DEPARTMENT HAS AN AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME TO MOVE CHILDREN, WHO CANNOT CONTINUE TO LIVE AT HOME WITH THEIR PARENTS FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, FROM LARGE INSTITUTIONS INTO SMALL GROUP HOMES AND FOSTER CARE. EACH HOME WILL LOOK AFTER EIGHT CHILDREN IN A FAMILY- LIKE SETTING.

"THIS YEAR ALONE, WE ESTABLISH 24 NEW SMALL GROUP HOMES AND BY 1994 ONLY A SMALL MINORITY OF CHILDREN WILL BE IN LARGER INSTITUTIONS.

"WE ALSO HAVE FUNDS TO RAPIDLY EXPAND FOSTER CARE. AT PRESENT WE HAVE 320 FOSTER PARENTS AND HOPE ΤΟ PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 160 PLACES DURING THIS YEAR, HE SAID.

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FINALLY THE NUMBER OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS WILL BE INCREASED FROM 13 AT PRESENT TO 34 BY 1997 IN THE DEPARTMENT AND NGO'S, то HELP WITH CHILD ABUSE, CHILD CUSTODY AND FAMILY

TRAGEDIES IN PARTICULAR.

AIS DEPARTMENT'S POLICIES

THE FAMILY RATHER

AND THAN

MR STRACHAN STRESSED THAT PROGRAMMES SUPPORTED AND SUPPLEMENTED SUBSTITUTING FOR FAMILY FUNCTIONING,

"WE RECOGNISE THAT EVEN THE MOST TROUBLED FAMILIES CAN CHANGE WITH HELP THAT MEETS THEM WHERE THEY ARE.

"WE TREAT FAMILIES AS PARTNERS IN PROVIDING SERVICES TO THEM. WE RECOGNISE THE DIVERSITY OF FAMILY LIFE.

"THROUGH OUR SOCIAL SECURITY PROGRAMMES WE HELP THOSE FAMILIES IN GREATEST ECONOMIC NEED.

"SUCH FAMILIES WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE HIGH PRIORITY THEY RIGHTLY DESERVE FROM A CARING GOVERNMENT.

BILLION THIS HE SAID.

"IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE WILL SPEND $5 YEAR ON SOCIAL SECURITY TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES,

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THE

MR STRACHAN NOTED THAT A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FAMILY WOULD BE HELD IN HONG KONG ΤΟ COMMEMORATE THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE FAMILY NEXT YEAR.

"WE MUST DEMONSTRATE BOTH WITHIN HONG KONG AND TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD THAT WE TAKE THE FAMILY SERIOUSLY," HE ADDED.

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