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SOCIAL WELFARE

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they commonly frequent such as cinemas, playgrounds and fast-food shops reach those at risk and who are unlikely to participate in organised youth groups or activities. There are now 18 out-reaching teams operated by eight voluntary agencies in priority areas.

Family life education programmes are aimed at the entire population but place particular emphasis on the needs of young people and the importance of a good parent-child relationship. At present, there are 54 family life field workers subvented by the government to carry out programmes at the district level with the aim of fostering positive attitudes to social and family responsibilities. Territory-wide campaigns, making extensive use of the media, are co-ordinated at district level by the Social Welfare Department's community and youth officers. The theme of the 1982 publicity campaign, the adolescent and the family, aimed at fostering understanding of adolescents, peer group influence on young people, the roles and responsibilities of young people in the family and society, and on ways of overcoming communication problems between the generations.

The department also administers the Opportunities for Youth Scheme which, through the disbursement of small grants, encourages groups of young people to devise ways of contributing to the life of the community and helping particularly needy groups.

A major review of the Programme Plan on Personal Social Work Among Young People had been carried out during 1981 by a committee convened by the Secretary for Social Services and comprising representatives from appropriate government departments and voluntary agencies. The review recommended improvements to manning ratios in the fields of school social work and family life education, but recognised that these can only be introduced when manpower resources permit. It also recommended a closer integration of the related services and identified a need for a review of the existing co-ordinating machinery and the provision of services at the district level. During 1982, plänning began for putting into force these recommendations.

Rehabilitation

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Rehabilitation of the disabled is one of the government's prime concerns in the social welfare field. Services aim at enabling disabled people to develop their physical, mental and social capabilities to the fullest extent and assist in their integration into the community. The department is responsible for meeting the general welfare and social rehabilitation needs of the disabled, either through direct services or by providing subventions to voluntary agencies which continue to play an active role in the development of services in this field.

In line with recommendations made in the 1977 Rehabilitation White Paper, a number of changes in departmental responsibilities have taken place. The Education Department is now responsible for all aspects of the education and training of disabled children of school age and for boarding care and transport services in special schools. Also, since April 1982, the Technical Education and Industrial Training Department has assumed responsibility for vocational training of disabled young persons and adults. The Selective Placement Service of the Labour Department is now responsible for the job placement of deaf, blind and physically disabled people; during early 1983 it will take over the placement of the ex-mentally ill and the mentally handicapped.

The Social Welfare Department provides counselling services, day and residential centres, sheltered workshops, work activity centres and sport, recreational and transport arrangements for the disabled. It operates 18 centres and institutions and subvents 67 centres run by voluntary agencies, serving a total of 9 830 disabled people.