ENG-1996 — Page 245

SOCIAL WELFARE

Staff Training and Development

Fifteen qualifying social work training courses at degree and sub-degree levels were provided by five local universities and one post-secondary college. Together they produced 872 graduates in 1996 to meet service needs.

The department's Lady Trench Training Centre provides in-service training programmes for various grades of social welfare personnel. During the year, 15 728 participants attended 448 seminars, workshops and courses.

Having built up a strong and all-embracing social service network and a large professional body of more than 5 500 social workers over the past few decades, in 1996 the government introduced into the Legislative Council a Bill to provide for statutory registration of social workers. This is to ensure a high professional standard of practice in the best interest of the public. When the legislation is enacted, a statutory Registration Board will be set up to register qualified social workers, set qualification standards and codes of practice, and exercise discipline over the professional conduct of social workers.

The Advisory Committee on Social Work Training and Manpower Planning, which advises the government through the Social Welfare Advisory Committee on all matters relating to social work training and manpower planning, has initiated in the year a research project to obtain employers' feedback on the competence level of social work graduates.

Research and Statistics

The department conducts surveys and research studies, develops and maintains data systems and undertakes statistical compilation and estimation for the monitoring, planning, development and review of social welfare services. The data systems provide management information over a wide range of areas including planned welfare projects, social welfare manpower and customers awaiting and receiving various social welfare services.

Subvention and Evaluation

Financial assistance is given to 174 non-governmental organisations for the provision of social welfare services in accordance with government policies. Financial assistance for capital and special expenditure is also provided through the Lotteries Fund. The Subventions and Lotteries Fund Advisory Committee advises on the allocation of Subventions and Lotteries Fund grants to agencies providing social welfare and rehabilitation services.

The department's Evaluation Unit is responsible for monitoring and assessing services provided by subvented non-governmental organisations. Departmental staff make regular visits to the agencies which, in turn, submit service statistics quarterly. In March 1995, the government commissioned consultants to conduct an 18-month review with a view to improving the administration of the social welfare subvention system so that subvented non-governmental organisations will be given greater flexibility to provide their services cost-effectively and with better accountability through individual administrators of these non-governmental organisations and the Director of Social Welfare.

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