ENG-1984 — Page 206

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SOCIAL WELFARE

disabled who are unable to compete in the open job market. At year-end, the department and voluntary agencies operated 2 200 places in sheltered workshops and a further 390 places will become available in 1985. The improved staffing standards, recommended in the Sheltered Workshop Working Party's report, are being implemented and preparatory work is also underway for the setting up of pilot workshops for more highly skilled workers.

Residential care is provided for those people whose disabilities are so severe that they either cannot be cared for at home adequately or have no close relatives to provide such care. There are 490 places in homes for mentally handicapped adults with plans in hand to provide an additional 220 places in the coming year. There are 400 places in homes for the physically disabled, including the elderly blind who are no longer able to care for themselves.

Following recommendations by a Working Group on Ex-mental Patients with a History of Violence or Assessed Disposition to Violence, comprising representatives of government departments and unofficials involved in the care of the ex-mentally ill, the government is taking steps to improve the co-ordination of after-care and rehabilitation services provided for discharged mental patients. These include increasing the number of medical social workers in psychiatric hospitals and out-patient clinics and providing more places in halfway houses.

Halfway houses provide an important service to help ex-mental patients adjust gradually to the pressures of independent living with the help and support of trained social workers. By the end of 1984, there were some 240 places in halfway houses. Unfortunately, one of the constraints hampering the development of this service has been a negative public attitude towards the ex-mentally ill which has been particularly evident in efforts to integrate services for them into the community. The Committee on Public Education in Rehabilitation launched a major effort during the year to promote better public under- standing of the needs of ex-mental patients and it is hoped this will encourage a more positive and sympathetic attitude towards them. This is a long-term public education exercise which will continue to be a priority of the government.

The Working Party on Pre-school Care, Training and Education of Disabled Children completed its deliberations in March. The government has accepted its report. The main recommendations include the establishment of a new service for disabled infants up to the age of two years which will include regular training and therapy for the infants as well as guidance and counselling for their parents on how best to help their children at home. The Working Party has also recommended improvements to the staffing standards in child care centres for disabled children and to the level of training of child care workers in the field.

Training

Training of social workers is the responsibility of the two universities, the polytechnics and post-secondary colleges. The Social Welfare Department and non-government welfare agencies assist in the provision of field work placements for social work students in these institutions.

The Social Welfare Department, through its Training Section at the Lady Trench Training Centre, provides in-service training programmes, refresher courses and staff development programmes both for departmental staff and for staff of subvented welfare agencies. During the year, the number of courses, programmes, seminars and workshops organised by the section totalled 116, compared with 82 in 1983. The section also operates a demonstration child care centre to provide day care for 100 children aged between two and five.