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SOCIAL WELFARE

The Social Welfare Department co-ordinates efforts in the provision of a wide range of family life education programmes. These are designed to improve the quality of family life, prevent family breakdowns and promote understanding of inter-personal relationships. A territory-wide publicity campaign is held each year to promote a particular theme. The 1984 theme of Building a Happy Family incorporated specific messages on preparing for marriage, learning to be a parent, understanding roles and responsibilities in the family, strengthening family ties and child rearing. Apart from the major publicity campaign, family life education programmes are organised by social workers at the district level. Fifty-six family life education workers operate from 14 non-government agencies.

Care of the Elderly

As specified in the White Paper entitled Social Welfare into the 1980s, the guiding principle for the planning of services for the elderly is 'care in the community'. A range of community services and improved cash benefits is provided to encourage families to look after their elderly members, or to enable old people to live on their own in the community for as long as possible. Such community services include home help, provision of meals, home visiting, community education, day care and social and recreational activities. At the end of 1984, there were 270 home helpers, 70 special centres for the elderly, eight multi-service centres and two day care centres. A priority housing scheme exists to benefit those families applying for public housing who have elderly family members living with them. Priority is also given to housing old people in public housing estates under a special quota system and the compassionate rehousing scheme.

Residential institutional facilities are established for those elderly people who, for health or other reasons, can no longer live with their families or on their own. More homes have been built for elderly people with various needs. During the year, 85 additional subvented places were provided and, by year-end, there were 5 370 places in self-care homes (including 1 720 non-subvented places) and 880 places in care-and-attention homes. In addition, flats have been purchased in two private housing developments to provide accommodation for elderly people who are still in good health and can live independently with minimum assistance.

Social Work Among Young People

Nearly 44 per cent of the population is under the age of 25 and a wide range of services has been designed for the young. The overall objective is to assist and encourage young people to become mature and responsible members of the community by fostering the development of their personality, character, sense of civic responsibility, social attitudes, and ability to use their leisure time constructively.

A network of children's and youth centres is being developed within easy reach of all young people. These centres, which are mainly run by subvented welfare agencies, provide a venue for young people to meet together, to develop hobbies and interests and to receive guidance and counselling from social work staff. Five children's centres, five youth centres and nine combined children's and youth centres opened during 1984. At year-end, there were 136 children's centres, 147 youth centres and 90 combined children's and youth centres.

The Opportunities for Youth Scheme, which is administered by the Social Welfare Department, continues to provide activities to promote personal and social development and to encourage participation in community activities. The scheme attracted an en- thusiastic response from young people, and a total of $230,000 was granted to youth groups to carry out about 100 community projects during the year.