ENG-1985 — Page 185

SOCIAL WELFARE

133

To equip staff with updated and specialised skills in the various areas of welfare service, the Social Welfare Department sponsors experienced personnel to attend advanced training courses and international seminars. During the year, 37 officers attended 21 such courses and seminars. The Social Work Training Fund and other scholarships also provide funds to promote advanced social work training.

Research and Evaluation

The Research and Statistics Section of the Social Welfare Department conducts studies to support the planning and monitoring of services provided by the department, and in 1985 nine such studies were undertaken. These studies were geared to obtaining statistical information for planning and review of the social security schemes, and family and other services.

The Evaluation Section of the department is responsible for monitoring and assessing services provided by the subvented welfare agencies. For this purpose, departmental staff make regular visits to these agencies and the agencies are required to submit service statistics to the department at regular intervals. Where appropriate, findings are submitted to the Subventions and Lotteries Fund Advisory Committee which advises on allocation of subventions. During the year, the department conducted five in-depth evaluations of the service programmes of individual subvented agencies as well as experimental projects financed by the Lotteries Fund.

Community Building

'Community building' aims at fostering among the people of Hong Kong a sense of belonging, mutual care and civic responsibility so that the society as a whole will be more cohesive and harmonious. This is necessary because of rapid social and economic development over the years resulting in the creation of new communities, population relocation and high density living. In addition, imported culture has helped to break up

the traditional Chinese family system and the clan's existence as a social entity, thus weakening the social and human ties among the people of Hong Kong. Community building efforts involve the provision of purpose-built facilities for group and community activities, formation of citizens' organisations and encouragement of community participation in the administration of public affairs, in solving community problems, in promoting social stability and in improving the quality of life.

A number of government departments and voluntary organisations contribute towards the community building programme which is monitored and co-ordinated by the Com- munity Building Policy Committee, established in 1977. The City and New Territories Administration and the Social Welfare Department are the two departments principally responsible for this programme. The former implements the specific objectives of com- munity building through a network of district offices, and is primarily concerned with promoting mutual care and community spirit through local organisations such as area committees, mutual aid committees, rural committees, kaifong welfare associations, women's organisations and local arts and sports associations. The Social Welfare Depart- ment is responsible for various aspects of group and community work aimed at promoting the development of individuals and groups and at fostering a sense of community responsibility.

Community centres, run by either the government or voluntary agencies, are provided throughout the territory to serve as bases for community building work. In June, the City and New Territories Administration took over from the Social Welfare Department