Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1970-1971 — Page 11

people who wish to take up nursery work or child care service as their career. 15 graduates from secondary schools were selected for the course.

STAFF TRAINING

13. During the year 6 orientation courses were provided for 138 newly employed staff. These courses are of one week's duration and are intended to familiarize the staff with the work of the Department. Three special courses were also provided for 129 staff members responsible for implementing the revised public assistance scheme. In May 1970, a departmental working group, represented by one senior member of staff from each division was formed to advise and assist the Training Section in identifying staff training needs, planning and implementing adequate training programmes to meet such needs, and in exploring resources for staff training purposes. (See Appendix 22).

14. The Department continued to provide opportunities for a number of selected officers to pursue formal professional training both locally and overseas. During the year, 10 officers were sent to the United Kingdom and Canada for training in community work; in work with the mentally retarded; and in residential care for children and young persons. The University of Hong Kong accepted 4 officers for training in Social Work. 8 officers who went on study leave in the previous year returned to work in the Department.

POLICY AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

15. The Advisory Committee on Social Work Training whose com- position and terms of reference are set out in Appendix 2, generally co-ordinates and offers advice to government, voluntary welfare agencies and the universities on matters concerning social work education. It met six times during the year, and considered a series of questions in connection with its own terms of reference, the system of social work bursaries, and the use of social work training funds.

16. Apart from Government bursaries and various scholarships for social studies tenable at the Universities, the Social Work Train- ing Fund, which was set up by the Social Work Training Fund Ordinance, Cap. 1100, provided during the year financial assistance of $134,428 which enabled 10 social workers to pursue courses of social studies at both local and overseas universities, and assisted a delega- tion of 90 people from Hong Kong to attend the 15th International Conference of Social Work in Manila in September 1970.

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