ENG-2019 — Page 222

11

Social Welfare

Children with Special Needs

At the year end, the SWD was providing 1,980 integrated programme places in kindergarten- cum-child care centres; 2,020 places in special child care centres, including 122 residential places; 3,708 places in early education and training centres; and 7,074 places for on-site pre- school rehabilitation services for children with special needs. Small group homes for mildly mentally handicapped children and integrated small group homes provided 128 places for mildly mentally handicapped children not receiving adequate care from their families.

Children with special needs on the waiting list of SWD-subvented pre-school rehabilitation services may apply for a subsidy under a Training Subsidy Programme to acquire self-financing training provided by NGOs. The programme provided 2,947 training places in 2019.

Day Training and Vocational Rehabilitation

In 2019, day activity centres had 5,646 day training places for people with intellectual disabilities. The department also provided 1,633 supported employment places for people with disabilities to work in open settings under assistance, 432 places in an On the Job Training Programme for People with Disabilities, and 311 places for young people with disabilities or early signs of mental illness under a Sunnyway - On the Job Training Programme for Young People with Disabilities. For people with disabilities not yet ready for open employment, the department provided 5,399 places in sheltered workshops and 5,288 places in integrated vocational rehabilitation services centres. Integrated vocational training centres had another 453 places.

As at the year end, an Enhancing Employment of People with Disabilities through Small Enterprise Project had allocated more than $127 million to 36 NGOs to set up 124 small businesses providing 897 job opportunities for people with disabilities. A Marketing Consultancy Office (Rehabilitation) helps NGOs set up such small businesses and manages the brand 'Let Them Shine' to promote products and services provided by people with disabilities.

A Support Programme for Employees with Disabilities offers employers a one-off subsidy of up to $20,000 to buy assistive devices for each employee with disabilities and modify the workplace so as to facilitate the employment and improve the work efficiency of people with disabilities. The programme also subsidises up to $40,000 for the purchase of one single assistive device costing more than $20,000 and its essential accessories.

Residential Care Homes for Persons with Disabilities

The department regulates Residential Care Homes for Persons with Disabilities (RCHDs) under the Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities) Ordinance and implements measures to enhance their service quality. In 2019, it provided 13,388 subvented residential service places to people with disabilities who were unable to live independently in the community, or whose families could not offer them adequate care. Another 860 residential places were provided under the Bought Place Scheme (BPS) for private RCHDs. The department also provided 828 places at care-and-attention homes for the aged blind, as well as 1,534 halfway house places and 1,587 long-stay care home places for ex-mentally ill people.

176