Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1962-1963 — Page 11

work training, and have outlined the steps taken to achieve this objec- tive. Two landmarks on the road have been the 1960 Report by Dr. Eileen YOUNGHUSBAND on 'Training for Social Work in Hong Kong' in which she made proposals designed to produce a sufficient number of appropriately trained social welfare staff; and the arrival in 1962 of three expert consultants to advise and assist in developing a suitable programme. The past year has seen a quickening and intensifying of the pace of social work training at both the in-service and the academic levels.

11. The work of the academic social work training consultants, Professor Alan KLEIN and Mrs. Josephine CHAISSON, has been directed towards two facets of academic training. Firstly, a study of the present full-time courses in relation to social welfare services and staffing needs, leading to the preparation of a comprehensive report with recommenda- tions for the future structure of social work education; secondly, the improvement and extension of selected courses now in operation, with special emphasis on practical field work training. The Consultants' Report was approaching completion at the end of the year.

12. The attention given by the Consultants to the existing academic courses was a necessary preliminary to laying the groundwork for the form and content of the social work education programme for Hong Kong, which it is hoped will result from their recommendations. Work- ing in close collaboration with the staff at the University of Hong Kong and at Chung Chi College, they advised on interim changes in the curricula, including some new courses, and on the revision of existing courses. A major objective, which was largely attained, was to re- organize and strengthen the practical field work training component of the social work courses. Recognizing that this is an essential element in professional training for social work and serves as a means of integrating and relating the students' understanding of theory and practice, the field work co-ordinators at Hong Kong University and Chung Chi College, with the guidance and active assistance of Mrs. CHAISSON, prepared notes for field work agencies and supervisors, held regular supervisors' meetings and made substantial advances in relating the practical train- ing of students to their classroom work. Mrs. CHAISSON also produced, with the help of a group of senior social workers, a number of local case records designed to provide sorely needed teaching material based on local practice. Because of the shortage of qualified supervisors for field work, it was found advisable to set up two special field work units in voluntary agencies, each of which provided practical training under

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