TNAG-0991-FCO40-1210-Policy-on-salaries-and-pensions-for-civil-service-in-Hong-Ko-1980 — Page 67

Volfare Class Review

Introduction

Ii Mev 1977, the Diretor of Social Welfare appointed a 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 Hay 1978 and recommended the introduct: on of a now gredo atructure and pay revisions for certain ranks. The working party's recommendations were discussed exhaustively between the Department, 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 Fanco Committee on 11 April 1979.

2+ This paper outlines the main changes brought about in the Social Welfare Department by the implementation of the Welfare Class review.

The Welfare Class Review in the Social Welfare Department

3.

The Welfare Class review was essentially an internal exercise to restructure the Social Welfare Department in order to provide an enhancement of social welfare services to the public and a solution to the current staff problems. The main terms of reference of the departmental working party were:

ch

3.) to examine the prosent duties and responsibilities of each

11)

grade and rank in the Welfare Class, and to identify the problems árising from the prosent grade structure; and

to consider what changes should be made in the Welfare Class in the best interests of the Department, regaiding

grade structure;

the number of ranks in cach grade;

pay. scales;

St

ext

career pattern;

a

entry qualifications; and

-the use of university trained, non-graduate trained and

untrained officers.

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The main proposals in the final package approved by Finance Committee woret-

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1)

the separation of social security from social work in order to meke the best use of trained social workers;

ii) the replacement of the existing ranks of Welfare Assistant

(WA) and Principal Welfare Assistant (FA) by a new rank of Social Work Assistant (SVA), to which social work graduates of the post-secondary colleges, the Polytechnic and the former Institute of Social Work Training could be appointed, to perform the less specialised social work tacks which do not require