ENG-2005 — Page 247

Social Welfare | 205

These services are coordinated by the Commissioner for Rehabilitation on the advice of the Rehabilitation Advisory Committee.

Services for Children with Disabilities

Integrated programme places provided by NGOs in ordinary kindergarten-cum- child care centres totalled 1 854 by the end of the year. They also provided 1 344 special child care centre places (inclusive of 102 residential places) and 1 957 early education and training centre places for pre-school disabled children. An enhanced training programme with input from clinical psychologists was provided for autistic children in special child care centres. In addition, NGOs provided 56 small group home places for school-age mentally handicapped children requiring residential service.

Services for Adults with Disabilities

The Marketing Consultancy Office (Rehabilitation) of the SWD provides assistance in the marketing and business development of sheltered workshops and supported employment services. In 2005, 1 655 supported employment places were provided for people with disabilities able to work in open settings assisted by counselling and support services with the aim of promoting integration into society. In addition, 432 On-the-Job Training Programme for People with Disabilities places and 311 places for disabled young people under the Sunnyway programme were made available to assist disabled job seekers secure employment. Those not yet ready to compete in the open job market were provided with 5 138 sheltered workshop places to help them develop work skills.

The 453 places in integrated vocational training centres and 2 914 places in integrated vocational rehabilitation services centres, were provided to give a series of integrated and seamless vocational training and rehabilitation services. Under the 'Enhancing Employment of People with Disabilities through Small Enterprises' Project which aims to assist NGOs set up small businesses employing disabled people 35 businesses from 20 NGOs were approved for funding. These businesses were expected to create around 480 jobs, of which 340 would be for people with disabilities. There were 4 033 day activity centre places for mentally handicapped people provided during the year to train the handicapped to be more independent in their daily lives and 230 training and activity centre places for ex-mentally ill people to help them to readjust to community living. Five social clubs for ex-mentally ill people and 17 social and recreational centres for others with disabilities were set up to encourage their participation in the community through various leisure activities.

As for residential services, 5 891 hostel and home places, and 289 supported hostel places for people with disabilities who could neither live independently nor be adequately cared for by their families were provided during the year. Elderly blind people unable to look after themselves adequately, or in need of care and attention, were provided with 811 places in care-and-attention homes. For chronic and ex-mentally ill patients, there were 1 005 long stay care home places and 1 429 halfway house places.