THE FIVE YEAR PLAN FOR SOCIAL WELFARE DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG-REVIEW 1998 CONTENTS Page Chapter 1 : Introduction 1 Chapter 2 : General Philosophy and Strategies 3 Chapter 3 : Major Developments in 1995/96 - 1997/98 9 Chapter 4 : Family and Child Welfare Services 25 Chapter 5 : Services for Children and Youth 47 Chapter 6 : Services for the Elderly 59 Chapter 7 : Services for Offenders 75 Chapter 8 : Rehabilitation Services 90 Chapter 9 : Community Development 110 Chapter 10 : Social Security 117 Chapter 11 : Support Services 130 LIST OF APPENDICES Page 3.1 Expenditure of Subvented Sector from 1993-94 to 1997-98 147 3.2 Social Welfare Subventions 148 Actual Expenditure 1993 - 94 to 1997 - 98 4.1 Family & Child Welfare Services 149 Distribution of Current Provision as at 31.3.1998 4.2 Distribution of Medical Social Services Units under SWD 171 (as at 31.3.1998) 4.3 Family & Child Welfare Services 175 Staffing Standards 5.1 Services for Children and Youth 177 Resources have been allocated to the following new projects through reprovisioning of existing centres from 1995/96 to 1997/98 5.2 List of Integrated Teams (IT) as at 31.3.1998 178 5.3 List of Community Support Service Scheme Projects 180 5.4 Non-governmental Organizations Providing School Social 181 Work Service in Secondary Schools with Social Welfare Subvention (as at 31.3.1998) 5.5 Outreaching Social Work 182 Distribution of Provision as at 31.3.1998 5.6 Projection of Uniformed Organizations (1998-2002) 184 5.7 Services for Children and Youth 185 Staffing Standards 6.1 Multi-service Centres for the Elderly 187 (as at 31.3.1998) Page 6.2 Day Care Centres for the Elderly 189 (as at 31.3.1998) 6.3 Social Centres for the Elderly 191 (Government and Subvented) (as at 31.3.1998) Social Centres for the Elderly (Non-subvented) 203 (as at 31.3.1998) 6.4 Residential Services for the Elderly 204 (Government and Subvented Homes) (as at 31.3.1998) Residential Services for the Elderly 212 (Self-financing Homes) (as at 31.3.1998) 6.5 Services for the Elderly 215 Staffing Standards 6.6 Services for the Elderly 221 Planned Provision for 1998/99 6.7 Services for the Elderly 223 Planned Provision for 1999/2000 8.1 Planned Rehabilitation Services (1998/99) 226 9.1 Community Development 228 Staffing Standards 9.2 Community Development 229 Standard Schedule of Accommodation for District Community Centres, Area Community Centres and Neighbourhood Community Centres 9.3 Criteria for Selecting Priority Area for Neighbourhood Level 231 Community Development Project 9.4 Community Development 232 Distribution of Current Provision as at 31.3.1998 Neighbourhood Level Community Development Projects Page 9.5 Community Development 239 Distribution of Current Provision as at 31.3.1998 Community Centre Facilities 10.1 Eligibility Criteria of the Social Security Schemes 243 10.2 The Level of Assistance of the Various Social Security 249 Schemes and the Standards Under Which They Are Operated 10.3 Major Special Grants Payable to Recipients under the 256 Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme 10.4 Emergency Relief Fund 260 Chapter 1103 of The Laws of Hong Kong Payment of Grants 11.1 Existing Services on 262 Modified Standard Cost Subvention 11.2 Subventions for Recurrent Expenditure by Programme Areas, 263 1995/96 and 1997/98 11.3 Lotteries Fund Allocations by Programme Areas, 1995/96 and 264 1997/98 11.4 Projections for Degree Graduates 265 (Extracted from Social Welfare Manpower Planning System Report No. 10) 11.5 Projections for Diploma Graduates 266 (Extracted from Social Welfare Manpower Planning System Report No. 10) 11.6 Research Studies Completed from 1995/96 to 1997/98 and 267 Data Systems Developed/Maintained in 1997/98 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The policies and objectives governing the provision and further development of social welfare and rehabilitation services in Hong Kong are laid down mainly in the White Paper “Social Welfare into the 1990s and Beyond” (1991) and the “White Paper on Rehabilitation” (1995). Responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation and delivery of social welfare services rests with the Social Welfare Department. Policy co-ordination towards the achievement of the White Paper objectives is primarily the responsibility of the Health and Welfare Bureau of the Government Secretariat. Other bureaux and departments responsible for related areas include the Home Affairs Bureau (for community development), the Security Bureau (for services for ex-drug addicts and ex-prisoners), and the Education and Manpower Bureau (special education, pre-primary education, retirement schemes etc.). Progress towards attaining the White Paper planning targets is monitored through the reviews of the Five Year Plan for Social Welfare Development and relevant committees and working groups. 2. The Five Year Plan for Social Welfare Development was first published in 1973 following the publication of the White Paper “Social Welfare in Hong Kong: The Way Ahead” in the same year. It is essentially a working document for implementation. It shows the extent to which the White Paper policy objectives relating to the various services have been achieved and sets specific targets for further expansion within the policy framework. The agreed plan provides a basis for estimating the financial implication of social welfare development and a source of data for the Government’ s Resource Allocation Exercise. 3. The Five Year Plan is reviewed periodically by the Social Welfare Department in conjunction with the Hong Kong Council of Social Service under the auspices of the Social Welfare Advisory Committee. From 1973 to 1985, the Plan was reviewed annually. Starting from 1985, the reviews have been a biennial exercise. This not only allows reasonable time for work between reviews but also enables greater in- depth examination of issues. Mid-term meetings are held in the years where there is no formal review to monitor progress. 4. The regular review mechanism serves to assess the extent to which services are effectively meeting the respective policy objectives, monitor the progress of the implementation of agreed plans for service development, determine specific targets of expansion for each service over a five-year period, and identify possible areas for change and improving the effectiveness of the service. - 2 - 1997 and 1998 Review 5. As in previous years, the 1997 Review was conducted by the Social Welfare Department, in conjunction with the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and its member agencies through a series of Review Committee Meetings, in which the concerned policy bureaux were represented. The major biennial review was completed in early 1997. The updated Hong Kong Population Projections 1997-2016 was released in mid-1997. In order to adopt the latest population figures for the projections of demand for population-based services, it was agreed that the 1997 review exercise be extended to include the mini-review in 1998. The majority of the activities or projects carried out by welfare agencies which come under the current and planned provisions of the individual programmes in this Review are subventable. However, some projects may not yet have funding provision or specific financial approval. 6. The revised chapters of the Review, with the exception of Chapter 8 on Rehabilitation Services, were subsequently endorsed by the Social Welfare Advisory Committee. The role of monitoring and guiding the development of rehabilitation services has, since 1977, rested with the Rehabilitation Advisory Committee (formerly known as the Rehabilitation Development Co-ordinating Committee) whose responsibilities include overseeing regular reviews of the Rehabilitation Programme Plan which was introduced in 1977. The current Rehabilitation Programme Plan review has commenced in January 1998 and a series of meetings have been held to study and review the provision and demand of various rehabilitation services. The chapter on rehabilitation services is based on the White Paper on Rehabilitation published in June 1995 and the Rehabilitation Programme Plan (1994/95 - 1998/99). - 3 - CHAPTER 2 GENERAL PHILOSOPHY AND STRATEGIES This chapter sets out the general philosophy of social welfare as promulgated in the White Paper “Social Welfare into the 1990s and Beyond” (1991) and the strategies to be adopted in the development of social welfare services. How these concepts and strategies are being operationalized will be elaborated as appropriate in the subsequent chapters on respective services. General Philosophy 2. Social welfare in Hong Kong is based on the premise that society has an obligation to assist its members to overcome personal and social problems, and to fulfil their role in life to the optimum extent in accordance with the particular social and cultural circumstances of their society. In particular, it recognizes a responsibility to help its disadvantaged members to attain an acceptable standard of living. The extent to which society can meet its obligations and the way in which it does so depends very much on its system of values and the resources available. 3. The means by which the above obligations are discharged is mainly through the provision of social welfare services. In a wider context, social services include social welfare, medical and health services, education, housing and other services which contribute to the well-being of individuals, families and the society in which they live. The development of social services such as health services, education and housing will have implications for social welfare, and vice versa. 4. Social welfare embraces laws, programmes, benefits and services which address social needs accepted as essential to the well-being of a society. It focuses on personal and social problems, both existing and potential. It also plays an important developmental role by providing an organized system of services and institutions which are designed to aid individuals and groups to achieve satisfying roles in life and personal relationships which permit them to develop their full capacities and to promote their well-being in harmony with the needs and aspirations of their families and the community.