Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1961-1962 — Page 9

in which young men and women of the highest quality can find a satisfying life of service to the community, a life which can test their powers to the full. There is indeed every sign that social work in Hong Kong is winning the recognition due to it as one of the professions, such as medicine and teaching, which are essential to the well-being of the community.

CHAPTER II

THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT

7. The Social Welfare Office was established in 1948 as a sub- department of the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs, but did not come into its own until ten years later when it was set up as a separate Depart- ment; the Director of Social Welfare then 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 at Appendix 1.

8. In the 14 years of the Department's existence, the population has almost doubled, from roughly 12 millions in 1948 to its present 34 millions. About one million of these new citizens of Hong Kong are immigrants, or children born to them since they arrived, while natural increase accounts for the remaining half million. To assimilate and provide for people in such numbers, in a territory devoid of natural resources comprising less than 400 square miles, little of which is suitable for development, has presented no mean task. It is not surprising that in these conditions the Department has been obliged continually to expand in an endeavour to meet the increasing demands for its services. The establishment for 1961-62 was 490 and at the end of the year only 29 posts remained vacant. 155 officers were recruited and 28 left the Department during the year, representing a net increase of over one- third. A factor in this exceptionally rapid rate of growth has been that social work has developed later in Hong Kong than some other branches of the social services, such as education or medical and health services.

9. The Director, one Assistant Director and an Administrative Assistant are members of the Administrative Service, while the other Assistant Director is a professional social worker serving on agreement. This last post is a new one and the Department was fortunate in securing the services of a well-qualified professional officer from Canada

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