ENG-1986 — Page 173

10

Social Welfare

福社

新會

THE general rising expectations of people coupled with increasing community awareness and concern over social welfare provisions continued to generate pressures and demands for improvements in both quality and quantity. During the year, the Social Welfare Department and the subvented welfare sector continued to step up their efforts to provide services to meet these demands.

The provision of social welfare services is based on the policy objectives as laid down in three White Papers - Integrating the Disabled into the Community: A United Front (1977); Social Welfare into the 1980s (1979); and Primary Education and Pre-Primary Services (1981). Responsibility for carrying out government policies on social security and social welfare rests with the Director of Social Welfare. The government is advised by the Social Welfare Advisory Committee on social welfare policy, and the Rehabilitation Development Co-ordinating Committee on the policy and development of rehabilitation services. Members of both committees are appointed by the Governor and the committees are chaired by unofficial members. In the day-to-day planning and development of services, the Social Welfare Department works closely with subvented welfare agencies which play a major role in the provision of welfare services. The majority of these agencies are affiliated to the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.

Much attention was focused on the provision of half-way houses in the community for discharged mental patients. The combined efforts of the Social Welfare Department, the Commissioner for Rahabilitation, the City and New Territories Administration and the District Boards to enlist the participation of the public in educational programmes resulted in greater understanding by the community, and led to the establishment of half-way houses for the ex-mentally ill and the acceptance of residents in them. The exercise provided valuable experience in the planning and development of such services.

To meet the needs of the growing number of elderly people, a range of welfare services including social centres for the elderly, day care centres, homes for the aged, hostels, care and attention homes, and home help service have been developed. The demand for residential homes for the frail and aged was particularly felt, and action had been taken to increase the provision of these facilities. The Housing Authority's decision to provide sheltered housing for the elderly who are capable of self-care enabled the welfare agencies to concentrate their effort on those who need more personal care.

In services for offenders, a pilot scheme on the Community Service Order will be introduced in the beginning of 1987. The scheme, which requires offenders to render community service as an alternative to imprisonment, has received the support of voluntary welfare agencies and government departments.

To provide the basis for future development of services for children and young persons, three reviews were being carried out during the year. These reviews concerned the operation