*************************************************
The Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, today (April 7) visited the Social Welfare Department (SWD) to gain a better understanding of the social security and integrated family services provided by the department.
The Chief Executive first met directorate officers to discuss developmental and management issues of the department. He was also briefed by staff of the department﷿s Fraud Investigation Team on measures to prevent social security fraud and the related investigative work in combating fraud. The staff also explained the difficulties they faced during an investigation.
The Chief Executive said the department was this year planning to hire four retired police inspectors to assist the department﷿s Special Investigation Section in handling more complicated cases. The department would also strengthen training of frontline staff and step up publicity against social security fraud.
䩕I believe these measures will help frontline staff in discharging their duties,蒅 he said. Mr Tsang also praised the investigation staff for their vigilance in ensuring the effective use of public resources to help people in need.
Accompanied by the Director of Social Welfare, Mr Paul Tang Kwok-wai, and the Deputy Director of Social Welfare (Administration), Miss Nancy Law Tak-yin, Mr Tsang also visited the Lai Chi Kok Social Security Field Unit where frontline staff showed him the services provided to social security recipients and the daily operation of the office.
Mr Tsang acknowledged the pressure faced by frontline staff in the processing and vetting of applications of such a huge system involving as many as 870,000 social security cases and 1.1 million recipients.
䩕I fully understand frontline staff have to cope with enormous work pressure. But with an improved economy and the intensified efforts of the Government to help the able-bodied recipients with working ability rejoin the workforce, I hope the caseload of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance will be stabilised. The department has also helped ease the manpower strain of individual units through internal re-deployment of resources,蒅 the Chief Executive said.
Mr Tsang stressed that the frontline staff had to serve the public with the 䩕people-based governance蒅 concept and provide appropriate services to people in need.
The Chief Executive visited the Cheung Sha Wan Integrated Family Service Centre to better understand various services provided by the centre to people in the district. He toured the resource corner for the public and the interview room. He chatted with people using the facilities in the family activity centre and the computer room to hear their views on the services provided.
The Chief Executive met some professional social workers who outlined their experiences and challenges in delivering integrated family service.
Offering encouragement to staff and their professionalism, he said that in the face of growing complexity of social and family problems, social workers had to continue to serve needy families through effective intervention and the one-stop service offered by the integrated family service centre.
Mr Tsang also watched how clinical supervision was done on site while a social worker was counselling a client in an interview room installed with audio-visual recording and one-way mirror.
He ended his visit by chatting with a group of women and elderly volunteers who were preparing gifts for their visits to vulnerable families in the district. Mr Tsang was presented with a small potted plant by the elderly.
䩕I am impressed by the dedication of various grades of the SWD and the selflessness of the volunteers who have been helping people in need. I hope society as a whole can continue to work together to build a caring and harmonious community,蒅 Mr Tsang said.
Ends/Friday, April 7, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:49
NNNN
Windows Media format
Real Media format