ENG-1978 — Page 160

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SOCIAL WELFARE

of Women and Juveniles Ordinance on May 12, 1978, the upper age limit of placing a young person under a supervision order was raised from 14 to 18 years, and the supervision of a female must be undertaken by a female officer.

The School Social Work Project, one of the projects included in the Green Paper on Development of Personal Social Work Among Young People published in Novem- ber, 1977, is a joint venture between the Social Welfare Department and the Education Department. School social work services were provided at 85 schools by 17 social workers working full-time in the 1977-8 academic year. During the 1978-9 academic year, the school social workers of the Family Services Division are limiting their activities to secondary schools. Assistance has been given to the Education Depart- ment to develop its own team of student guidance officers to handle the problems of pupils in the primary school sector, with the Social Welfare Department's social workers providing advice or taking over cases from the student guidance officers when complicated problems are encountered.

There is also a children's reception centre in which children up to eight years, normal or handicapped, are provided with temporary shelter and care. These children are generally admitted to the centre through police referral or referrals from various casework units. They are children who are found wandering, are abandoned, or are otherwise in need of care and protection.

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The Child Care Centres Advisory Inspectorate is responsible for enforcing the Child Care Centres Ordinance 1975 and Regulations 1976 which provide for the registra- tion, control and inspection of child care centres to ensure that children receive a satisfactory standard of care. The ordinance became effective on June 1, 1976, and the regulations are expected to be fully implemented by June, 1979. The legislation is currently under review in the light of operating experience.

Two self-supporting but non-profit-making child care centres were established by two voluntary agencies during the year. Another two day care centres for children aged between two and six years are being provided at temporary housing areas at Ha Kwai Chung and Kwun Tong. The former is already operational and the latter is scheduled for completion in early 1979.

With the assistance of subventions, voluntary agencies supplement government services and are mainly responsible for operating child care centres; residential institutions for children and young people in need of care and protection; providing home-help services; and running experimental projects. Close liaison is maintained by government officers who serve on the agencies' committees and provide regular consultative services upon request. Furthermore, to ensure that a reasonably good standard of service is maintained in voluntary homes and institutions, the Institutions Liaison Unit maintains regular contact with these agencies and gives advice and guidance where necessary.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation services are designed to help the disabled to become independent and contributing members of the community. Such services are provided at the Social Welfare Department's homes and institutions and are augmented by the work of many voluntary agencies. In 1978, an average of 1,600 disabled persons a day received full-day training or worked in sheltered workshops. A further 1,500 benefited from braille and