Social Welfare | 193
Improved Arrangements for Disregarded Earnings under CSSA Scheme
To encourage CSSA recipients to rejoin the labour force and to become self- reliant, the arrangements for disregarded earnings were improved in December 2007 by raising the 'no-deduction' limit of the monthly disregarded earnings from $600 to $800 and relaxing the criteria for allowing CSSA recipients to be eligible for disregarded earnings from not less than three months on CSSA to not less than two months.
Enrolled Nurse Training Programme for the Welfare Sector
To alleviate the shortage of nurses in the welfare sector, particularly where services are provided for the elderly and for the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, the SWD, in collaboration with the Hospital Authority (HA), launched the third batch of the Enrolled Nurse (General)/Enrolled Nurse (Psychiatric) Training Programme. Together with the first two classes launched in 2006, the programme provided a total of 330 training places, with priority given to those currently working in the welfare sector. Tuition fees were fully subsidised by the SWD. Trainees would have to work in the welfare sector for at least two consecutive years after graduation.
Enhanced support for elderly people and carers
The SWD has enhanced the resources of the District Elderly Community Centres. (DECCs) and the Neighbourhood Elderly Centres (NECs) to reach out to singleton and hidden elders. A trial scheme with seed money from the LWB was launched in three administrative districts of the SWD, namely, Eastern and Wan Chai, Wong Tai Sin and Sai Kung, Kowloon City and Yau Tsim Mong districts for the DECCs to collaborate with community organisations to run carers' training courses and develop 'carer' services. The LWB, SWD and the EC jointly organised a territory-wide campaign to give recognition to the contributions of carers of elderly people.
Community Mental Health Intervention Project
The SWD together with the HA launched the Community Mental Health Intervention Project in October 2007 to provide specialised care including casework, therapeutic and supportive group services to persons in the community with suspected mental health problems and/or their family members, to help them cope. with problems arising from their poor mental health conditions.
Social Welfare Programmes
Family and Child Welfare
To preserve and strengthen family unity and harmony, a range of family and child. welfare services is provided by the SWD and NGOs.
Family Services
The SWD adopts a three-pronged approach to providing services to families in need.
At the primary level, attempts are made through early detection, public education, publicity and empowerment to prevent family problems from occurring. A territory-wide publicity campaign called 'Strengthening Families and Combating
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