ENG-2001 — Page 246

SOCIAL WELFARE

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The 2001 Budget also contained a $177 million package of new initiatives to help young people at risk. From the 2001-02 school year, the Understanding Adolescent Project was implemented amongst Form 1 students in 150 secondary schools with an objective of early identification of those young people who need special support and assistance in developing skills for meeting life's challenges. To address issues concerning juvenile gangs, a Reference Kit for parents was developed, and training for youth workers in handling juvenile gangs enhanced. Existing integrated teams dealing with youth services were strengthened to provide an outreaching service to young people at night as well as to those cautioned under the Police Superintendents' Discretion Scheme.

To echo the International Year of Volunteers 2001 proclaimed by the United Nations, promotional volunteer programmes and activities were held throughout the year. A web site on the Volunteer Movement provides a good forum for sharing information and on-line registration. At year-end, 752 organisations and 265 000 individuals had registered with the movement.

Social Welfare Programmes

There are seven social welfare programmes: family and child welfare services, social security, services for elders, rehabilitation and medical social services, services for offenders, community development, and services for young people.

Family and Child Welfare

The overall objective of the family and child welfare programme is to preserve and strengthen the family as a unit through assisting individuals and families to identify and prevent or deal with their problems, and to provide for needs which cannot be met from within the family. A comprehensive network of family and child welfare services are provided by the SWD and NGOs.

Services for Families

There are 65 family services centres, with a staff of 726 social workers. These provided counselling, referral for child care, elder and rehabilitation services, and financial and housing assistance for a total of 80 000 cases during the year.

To protect children and families from domestic violence, co-ordinated services are provided by five regionally based Family and Child Protective Services Units. Three refuges provide 120 short-term residential places for battered spouses and their children who are victims of domestic violence and for girls at risk. All of them accept admission on a 24-hour basis. The fourth refuge centre will commence operation in March 2002.

An NGO was commissioned to operate a Family Crisis Support Centre which provides timely professional intervention, short-term accommodation, temporary retreat and other support services to assist individuals and families facing marital and family conflicts.

The SWD's hotline service provides 24-hour information on social welfare services. A Family Helpline manned by social workers provides individuals and families facing a crisis with immediate telephone counselling. A crisis centre aimed at preventing suicides will be set up in 2001-02 on a three-year pilot basis. The centre will provide outreaching service, immediate crisis intervention, and intensive counselling on a