TNAG-0991-FCO40-1210-Policy-on-salaries-and-pensions-for-civil-service-in-Hong-Ko-1980 — Page 237

Appendix

Welfare Class Review in Social Welfare Department

In May 1977, the Director of Social Welfare appointed an

internal Working Party to conduct an overall review of the structures

and pay scales of the various grades in the Welfare Class in the Social

Welfare Department. The Working Party reported in May 1978 and recommen-

ded the introduction of a new grade structure and pay revisions for certain ranks. The Working Party's recommendations were discussed exhaustively among the Social Welfare Department, Government Secretariat branches

and staff associations concerned. As a result, a package proposing the

introduction of a new grade structure and revision of pay scales for certain ranks was formulated. This package was approved by the Finance Committee

on 11 April 1979 to take effect from 1 April 1979.

2.

The Welfare Class Review was essentially an internal exercise

to restructure the Social Welfare Department in order to provide, through

an improved grade structure and pay scales, an enhancement of social welfare services to the public and a solution to the staff problems in

the Department. The main recommendations, which were accepted by the

Government, were:

(a) the separation of social security from social work in

order to maximise the use of trained social workers; (b) the creation of a new grade of Social Work Assistant

to which social work graduates of post-secondary

colleges, the Polytechnic and the former Institute of Social Work Training could be appointed to perform

the less specialised social work tasks which do not

require the professional knowledge possessed by

University trained social workers;

(c) the abolition of the Welfare Supervisor grade whose

officers previously worked exclusively in correctional

and rehabilitation institutions and who will now be

absorbed into the Social Work Assistant grade;

(d) the revised salary scales for the Welfare Assistant

grade officers who will be limited to work in the social security stream of the Social Welfare

Department and involved in investigations into appli- cations for social security and accident compensation;

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