Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1960-1961 — Page 9

for a career of service to the community are unexcelled by any other profession. To take a few examples of new or rapidly expanding fields: the opening of one new community centre every year offers scope for work directed towards the evolution of citizenship; there are now over 200 applications annually for the adoption of children into Hong Kong families by Order of Court, which has been possible only since 1956; last year the number of offenders entrusted by the Magistrates to the supervision of probation officers almost doubled; rehabilitation of the blind and the deaf develops apace and there are good prospects of progress in work for the physically disabled and for mental defectives; there is also much need for social investigations, surveys and practical research.

6. But despite these great opportunities and prospects, social work is still not sufficiently widely known and understood as, in H.E. the Governor's words, ‘a young but honourable profession' which should attract the best people. It is to be hoped that as the scope for academic and other training is developed and expanded, on the lines of the Younghusband Report, with increased prospects of higher training overseas at a later stage and of financial support for those who cannot afford the courses, there will be no lack of young men and women of high calibre eager to devote themselves to professional social work as

a career.

CHAPTER II

THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT

7. The Colony's growing population and the influx of refugees from China has underlined the need for Government to play a major part in social welfare work. In 1948, the Social Welfare Office was set up as a sub-department of the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs. Ten years later, the Social Welfare Office reached its maturity and detached itself from its parent to become an independent Department with an establishment of 254. On January 1, 1958, the Director of Social Welfare assumed those statutory functions and powers within the field of social work formerly exercised by the Secretary for Chinese Affairs; a list of the legislation of immediate concern to the Department appears Appendix 1.

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8. Since 1958, the Department has expanded considerably in an attempt to keep pace with the increasing demands for social welfare services; the total establishment was 361 and 66 officers joined the

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