ENG-2008 — Page 239

Social Welfare | 187

The two-year pilot Batterer Intervention Programme (BIP) launched by the SWD and an NGO was completed in March. Specialised treatment was provided to a total of 267 batterers in 33 groups. The BIP has proved effective in helping abusers change their behaviour. The SWD will further develop suitable treatment models to cater for different types of abusers, their spouses or partners and their children.

Separately, following the enactment of the Domestic Violence (Amendment) Ordinance 2008, the SWD has launched a new Anti-Violence Programme (AVP) as provided for under the Ordinance which seeks to change the abusers' attitude and behaviour. The AVP is psycho-educational in nature and suitable for different types. of abusers. NGOs have been engaged in delivering the programme.

A two-year Pilot Project on Child Fatality Review was launched in February to examine all cases of children who died of non-natural causes, including domestic violence, in order to identify patterns and trends and formulate prevention strategies. This project will also promote multi-disciplinary and inter-agency co-operation in the prevention of child death. An evaluation will be conducted at the end of the two-year pilot period to determine how the review mechanism might be improved.

To enhance timely intervention for families in crisis, in October the SWD commissioned an NGO team to run the SWD Departmental Hotline and arrange immediate intervention for needy individuals or families outside the operating hours. of the SWD's departmental hotline service unit.

In order to strengthen support services for people with emotional and family problems arising from personal financial crisis amid the global financial turmoil, the SWD has injected additional funding of $2.16 million into the CEASE Crisis Centre and Family Crisis Support Centre to set up a 24-hour Financial Crisis Emotional Support Hotline manned by registered social workers and provide counselling service, support groups and referral service, also with effect from October.

With an allocation of $100 million, the SWD worked with NGOs to provide short-term food assistance for individuals and families in need by launching five. service projects covering the whole territory. The target service users are individuals and families having proven difficulties in coping with daily food expenditure. These include the unemployed, low-income earners, new arrivals and street sleepers, as well as those encountering sudden changes and facing immediate financial hardship. The services are also intended to assist those who did not benefit from any of the relief measures announced by the Government earlier in the year.

The SWD launched a pilot 'Neighbourhood Support Child Care Project' (NSCCP) in October. Operated by local charitable organisations, the NSCCP serves children. under six and comprises a centre-based care group and a home-based child care service. The operating hours of the NSCCP are more flexible, covering evenings, some weekends and some public holidays. The project will run until March 2011.