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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 deal with their problems, or to prevent problems
from arising, and to provide for needs which cannot be met from within
the family. A comprehensive network of family and child welfare services
is provided by the department and NGOs.
Services for Families
The department adopts a three-pronged approach to provide a continuum
of services to support families.
At the primary level, prevention of problems and crises
is effected through publicity, education, empowerment and early identification.
The publicity campaign on Strengthening Families and Combating Violence
continues. Twenty Family Support and Resource Centres set up in community
centres provide drop-in service, mutual support and early identification
and referral of cases in need of intensive casework service. These services
are supplemented by the department's 24-hour hotline service that provides
information on social welfare services. A Family Helpline manned by social
workers provides immediate telephone counselling for individuals and families
facing a crisis.
At the secondary level, a range of support services,
from developmental programmes to intensive counselling, is provided through
a network of 66 Family Services Centres and Integrated Family Service
Centres, staffed by 746 social workers who handled a total of 87 912 cases
during the year. There are also five Single Parent Centres and eight Post-migration
Centres.
At the tertiary level, specialised services and crisis
intervention are provided through five Family and Child Protective Services
Units, the Family Crisis Support Centre, the Suicide Crisis Intervention
Centre and two projects on prevention and handling of elder abuse and
another on elderly suicide. In addition, four Refuge Centres provide 162
short-term residential places for individuals in need, including battered
spouses and their children; they accept admission on a 24-hour basis.
The problem of street-sleeping is tackled through
a continuum of outreaching, counselling and referral services provided
by the department's outreaching teams and family services centres, together
with temporary shelters, urban hostels and day relief centres operated
by NGOs. The 'Three-year Action Plan to Help Street Sleepers', targeting
street sleepers who are younger and in good health, has assisted 529 street
sleepers to live off the street since April 2001.
Services for Children
The department provides a wide range of child welfare services. The adoption
service arranges permanent homes for children abandoned by their parents
or whose parents are unable to maintain them. Residential child care services
are provided for children and young people who need care or protection
because of family crises or their behavioural or emotional problems. At
year-end, there were 745 places in foster care service, 952 places in
small group homes and 1 331 places in children's homes, boys' and girls'
homes and hostels.
Child care centres provide day care services for
children under the age of six years. At year-end, there were 28 978 aided
day nursery places, 960 aided day creche places, 717 occasional child
care places and 1 672 extended hour places provided in 272 centres. All
child care centres have to register under the Child Care Services Ordinance
and Regulations. A fee assistance scheme helps low-income families with
social needs to pay fees for child care centres.
An inter-bureau/departmental working group has been
working on the details for implementing the harmonisation of pre-primary
services currently provided by child care centres and kindergartens.
The Administration introduced the Adoption (Amendment)
Bill 2003 into the Legislative Council in June to further improve the
local adoption arrangements and give effect in Hong Kong to the Hague
Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry
Adoption. The council was expected to form a Bills Committee in January
2004 to study the bill, and to complete the legislative proceedings during
its 2003-04 session.
The Administration commissioned the Duty Lawyer Service
to run the Legal Representation Scheme — with effect from October
1, 2003 — for children and juveniles involved in care or protection
proceedings who are deprived of liberty and detained in a gazetted place
of refuge under the Protection of Children and Juveniles Ordinance.
The Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme and the Social
Security Allowance (SSA) Scheme form the mainstay of Hong Kong's social
security system. They are supplemented by three accident compensation
schemes: the Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Scheme,
the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme, and Emergency Relief.
The CSSA Scheme
The CSSA Scheme is non-contributory but means-tested. The scheme provides
cash assistance to people suffering from financial hardship, enabling
them to meet basic needs. Applicants should satisfy the stipulated residence
requirement. To help able-bodied unemployed CSSA recipients and other
socially disadvantaged groups overcome barriers to work and become self-reliant,
the department continued to implement the comprehensive package of employment-related
services and introduced measures to intensify the Support for Self-reliance
Scheme (see Major Achievements above). At year-end, there were 290 206
CSSA cases, compared with 266 571 in 2002. Total expenditure on the CSSA
during the year amounted to $17.33 billion, representing an increase of
9.9 per cent over the previous year.
The SSA Scheme
The non-contributory SSA Scheme provides allowances to meet the special
needs of the severely disabled and elderly persons. The scheme covers
Normal Disability Allowance, Higher Disability Allowance, Normal Old Age
Allowance and Higher Old Age Allowance. At year-end, 563 880 people were
receiving social security allowances, compared with 561 078 in 2002. Total
expenditure during the year was $5.27 billion, representing a decrease
of 0.9 per cent over the previous year.
Deflationary Adjustment
To restore social security benefits to their originally intended buying
power in view of the deflation over the last four years, the Chief Executive
in Council approved in February proposals to adjust the standard payment
rates under the CSSA Scheme and those of the Disability Allowance (DA)
under the SSA Scheme downwards in accordance with the movement of the
Social Security Assistance Index of Prices. With the enactment of the
2003 Appropriation Ordinance, the CSSA standard rates for able-bodied
recipients and the DA rates were reduced by 11.1 per cent from June, and
the CSSA standard rates for the elderly, the disabled and those who are
medically certified to be in ill-health were first reduced by 6 per cent
in October, to be followed by a second-phase reduction a year later. Other
standard payment rates and asset limits under the CSSA Scheme were reduced
from June in accordance with the established mechanisms.
Accident Compensation Schemes
The Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Scheme offers
ex gratia payments on a non-means-tested basis to innocent victims
injured or to dependants of those killed in crimes of violence or through
the action of a law enforcement officer using a weapon in the execution
of his duties. During the year, a total of $9.68 million was paid out
in 635 cases, compared with $9.60 million in the previous year. The Traffic
Accident Victims Assistance (TAVA) Scheme offers early financial assistance
for people injured or for dependants of those killed in traffic accidents
on a non-means-tested basis, regardless of the element of fault leading
to the occurrence of the accident. During the year, a total of $154.70
million was paid out in 7 939 cases, compared with $150.18
million in 2002.
Emergency relief in the form of cooked meals or cash
grants in lieu of cooked meals and other essential relief articles is
provided to victims of natural and other disasters. Grants from the Emergency
Relief Fund are paid to these victims (or to their dependants in cases
of death). Emergency relief was given to 104 victims on 20 occasions during
the year.
Social Security Appeal Board
The Social Security Appeal Board considers appeals against the SWD's
decisions concerning the CSSA, SSA and TAVA. It heard a total of 147 appeals
during the year. The department continued to strengthen the function of
the Special Investigation Section and further tighten measures to reduce
fraud and abuse of welfare benefits. At the same time, a risk management
approach was being adopted in the administration of the social security
schemes.
The basic principle underlying services for elders is to provide senior
citizens with a sense of security, a sense of belonging and a feeling
of health and worthiness. The aim is to promote the well-being of those
persons aged 60 and above in all aspects of their life through provision
of services that will enable them to remain active members of the community
for as long as possible, and, to the extent necessary, to provide residential
care suited to their varying needs.
The department has been operating an Opportunities
for the Elderly Project since 1999 to provide subsidies to community
organisations to plan and implement programmes to promote a sense of worthiness
among elders and enhance community care for them. During the year, 274
programmes were implemented, with the approved grants amounting to $2.68
million. These programmes were complementary to the three-year Healthy
Ageing Campaign launched by the Elderly Commission in 2001.
In November, the department implemented a Central
Waiting List for subsidised long-term care services. Applications for
and allocation of subsidised long-term care services, including residential
care services and community care services, are centrally coordinated by
the department under the auspices of the Long Term Care Services Delivery
System. Applicants will be given a standardised assessment to ascertain
their care needs and matched with appropriate services in accordance with
the assessment results.
Community Support Services
Community support services are provided to elders who require assistance
to continue living at home. Support is also provided for their care-givers.
At year-end, there were 40 district elderly community centres, 60 district-based
integrated home care services teams, one home help team, 18 enhanced home
and community care services teams, 49 day-care centres/units for elders,
60 social centres for elders, 114 neighbourhood elderly centres, 40 support
teams for the elderly and one holiday centre for elders. Under the Senior
Citizen Card Scheme, 908 063 Senior Citizen Cards were issued by year-end.
A total of 8 070 companies, organisations, government departments with
14 614 units and outlets, and 1 767 medical units with 1 972 branches
participated in the scheme to provide concessions, discounts and priority
services to senior citizens.
An in situ expansion exercise was conducted
in day care centres for the elderly to strengthen their allied health
support and caring capability to provide a continuum of care for elders
with different levels of frailty and dementia. A total of 220 additional
day care places have been created in this exercise since April.
Residential Care Services
Residential care is provided for elders who need care in their daily
living and are unable to live at home for various reasons. At year-end,
there were 97 subsidised hostel places, 7 343 subsidised home for the
aged places, 5 931 bought places from private residential care homes for
the elderly, 11 499 subsidised care-and-attention home places and 1 699
subsidised nursing home places.
The Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance,
which provides legislative control over all residential care homes for
the elderly (RCHEs), has been in full operation since June 1, 1996. Upon
all RCHEs meeting the required licensing standard in 2002, a number of
service improvement measures have been taken to further upgrade the service
quality, particularly that of private homes. These initiatives include
provision of subsidised training for RCHE staff, dissemination of information
to the public and stepping up prosecution action against non-compliant
homes.
To further promote the quality of residential care
services for elders, the department commissioned the Hong Kong Association
of Gerontology in July 2002 to conduct a two-year pilot programme on the
development and establishment of an accreditation system for residential
care services for elders. The pilot programme will be completed in mid-2004,
and the Government will consider the way forward, taking into account
the recommendations of the association.
Rehabilitation services are provided by government departments and NGOs
with the objective of integrating people with disabilities into society
and helping them to fully develop their capabilities. These services are
coordinated by the Commissioner for Rehabilitation on the advice of the
Rehabilitation Advisory Committee.
Services for Children with Disabilities
At year-end, the NGOs provided 1 716 integrated programme
places in ordinary child care centres, 1 341 special child
care centre places (inclusive of 108 residential places) and 1 749
early education and training centre places for pre-school disabled children.
For autistic children, an enhanced training programme with input from
clinical psychologists was provided in special child care centres. In
addition, there were 96 small group home places for school-age mentally
handicapped children requiring residential service.
Services for Adults with Disabilities
The Marketing Consultancy Office (Rehabilitation) assists in the marketing
and business development of sheltered workshops and supported employment
services. With a view to promoting integration of people with disabilities
into society, 1 810 supported employment places were provided
in 2003 for those who were able to work in open settings with the necessary
counselling and support service. For those who were not yet ready to compete
in the open job market, 7 417 sheltered workshop places were provided
to help them develop work skills. In addition, 453 places in the integrated
vocational training centres provided a continuum of vocational rehabilitation
services in a one-stop setting. There were 3 881 day activity
centre places for mentally handicapped persons and 230 training and activity
centre places for ex-mentally ill persons to help them become more independent
in daily living. Five social clubs for ex-mentally ill persons and 17
social and recreational centres for other groups of people with disabilities
were set up to encourage their participation in the community through
various leisure activities.
As for residential services, there were 5 501 hostel
and home places, and 241 supported hostel places for people with disabilities
who could neither live independently nor be adequately cared for by their
families. For aged blind people who were unable to look after themselves
adequately, or in need of care and attention, 899 places were provided
in homes for the aged blind and in care-and-attention homes. For chronic
and ex-mentally ill patients, there were 980 long stay care home places
and 1 349 halfway house places.
Professional Back-up and Support Services
Professional back-up services from clinical psychologists, occupational
therapists and physiotherapists are provided for people with disabilities
in rehabilitation day centres and hostels. Speech therapy service is also
provided for disabled children attending pre-school rehabilitation centres.
Various support services are provided in the community. These include
home-based training and support service for mentally handicapped persons,
a community mental health link and after-care service for dischargees
of halfway houses, and a community rehabilitation network for persons
with a visceral disability or chronic illness. Furthermore, a respite
service for handicapped persons, occasional child care service for disabled
pre-schoolers and six parents resource centres are provided to meet the
special needs of families with disabled members.
Medical social workers provide patients and their families with individual
and group counselling, financial aid, housing assistance or referral to
other community resources to facilitate their treatment, rehabilitation
and reintegration into society. To provide easy access to patients and
their family members, medical social workers are stationed in public hospitals
and specialist clinics so that immediate advice and assistance can be
given to those in need. During the year, 137 681 cases received services
from 349 medical social workers.
To help offenders become law-abiding citizens and reintegrate into the
community, the department discharges statutory functions under related
ordinances and provides community-based and residential services for the
offenders. Under the Juvenile Offenders (Amendment) Ordinance, which took
effect on July 1, 2003, the minimum age of criminal responsibility has
been raised from seven to 10 and the age of offenders placed in rehabilitation
programmes run by the department has been revised accordingly.
Probation officers assess the offenders' suitability
for probation supervision and make recommendations to the courts. They
also supervise probationers to monitor their compliance with probation
orders. During the year, 2 591 offenders were placed on probation. Officers
also prepare reports on long-term prisoners, for consideration of early
release, and on prisoners who submit petitions for early release.
Offenders aged 14 or above and convicted of an offence
punishable by imprisonment may be placed on Community Service Orders to
perform unpaid work of benefit to the community under statutory supervision.
During the year, 1 659 offenders were put under such orders.
Seven residential homes, with a total capacity of
440 places, provide educational, prevocational and character training
for young offenders and children and juveniles with behavioural or family
problems.
The Young Offender Assessment Panel, jointly operated
by the department and the Correctional Services Department (CSD), provides
the courts with coordinated professional views on sentencing options for
young offenders aged 14 to under 25.
The Post-Release Supervision of Prisoners Scheme,
another joint service of the department and the CSD, assists discharged
prisoners in their rehabilitation and reintegration into the community.
During the year, 441 ex-prisoners were placed under supervision. One NGO
is subvented to provide hostel and supportive services for ex-prisoners
and ex-offenders.
The overall objective of welfare services for young people is to help
those aged between six and 24 years to develop into mature, responsible
and contributing members of society through the provision of a range of
preventive, supportive and remedial services.
At year-end, 131 Integrated Children and Youth Services
Centres (ICYSCs) were providing children and youth service, outreaching
social work service, school social work service and, where possible, family
life education under one management to address the changing needs of youth
in an integrated, holistic manner. During the year, joint funding from
the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and the Lotteries Fund was approved
for a total of 34 ICYSCs throughout the territory to undergo modernisation.
Through improving the physical environment and the provision of modern
furniture and equipment, these centres have been made more appealing to
contemporary youth.
At year-end, 473 secondary schools were each provided
with one school social worker unit, which identifies and helps students
with academic, social and emotional problems, maximises their educational
opportunities, develops their potential and prepares them for responsible
adulthood. Sixteen District Youth Outreaching Social Work Teams provide
services to address the needs of high-risk youth and also deal with juvenile
gang issues.
For early identification of the developmental needs
of students and, where necessary, timely intervention with a primary preventive
programme, the Understanding the Adolescent Project was implemented
in 308 secondary schools in the 2003-04 school year.
The Community Support Services Scheme (CSSS) assists
young people who have broken the law or are at-risk. By year-end, six
CSSS teams, one operated by the department and five by NGOs, had served
4 343 young people.
In order to strengthen support for young offenders,
the SWD and the Police Force jointly developed a formalised system of
conducting a 'Family Conference' for juveniles cautioned under the Police
Superintendent's Discretion Scheme. Implemented in October, the 'Family
Conference' aims at engaging relevant professionals at an early stage,
together with family members, to decide on appropriate intervention strategies
to meet the needs of young offenders.
With the aim of helping young drug abusers abstain
from drug-taking habits and reintegrate into the community, a multi-modality
approach is adopted to provide drug treatment and rehabilitation services.
At year-end, the department was subventing 15 voluntary drug treatment
and rehabilitation centres/halfway houses, five counselling centres for
psychotropic substance abusers and two social clubs for ex-drug abusers.
Under the requirements of the Drug Dependent Persons Treatment and Rehabilitation
Centres (Licensing) Ordinance, 44 certificates of exemption and one licence
valid for drug dependence treatment centres had been issued or renewed
by year-end.
To enhance cooperation among relevant youth services,
18 Local Committees on Services for Young People, chaired by the District
Social Welfare Officers, coordinate the provision of youth services at
district level.
The department and NGOs employ a total of 69 clinical psychologists who
provide a range of services to family casework, rehabilitation and correctional
units in the social service sector. These services include psychological
assessment, treatment, consultation, staff training and public education
services. During the year, a total of 3 722 cases were served, and 2 585
assessments and 16 218 treatment sessions conducted. |
