President's message
The further integration of the Pearl River Delta has posed many cross border problems but at the same time has provided many development opportunities for our social work profession. The increase of mobile population across the border has urged the social workers to redesign services to meet the needs of this specific target group. The new service package and delivery methods have required the social workers to enhance their knowledge and skills. The emerging social needs have also encouraged us to reconsider the quality of social workers to meet with new challenges. On the other hand, more than a hundred senior social workers have been attracted to take up the supervising and consulting role in the Mainland, helping the Mainland Government to develop their social work profession. The effectiveness of the supervisory and consultant services and the mutual recognition of professional qualifications have called for the attention of the Association.
To engage more social workers to be concerned about the Long Term Social Welfare Planning, The Association has joined the Platform on the Concern for the Long Term Social Welfare Planning and expressed the collective views of the welfare sector. The release of the Long Term Social Welfare Planning Report has sparked widespread discontent among social workers. The Association will continue following up the response of the Labour and Welfare Bureau on the proposed changes.
Social workers expressed views on improving the operation and long term development of welfare services in salons with the Secretary of Labour and Welfare Bureau and the Director of Social Welfare respectively. The Association also submitted its views to the Government and the Welfare Panel of the Legislative Council on matters related to the Long Term Social Welfare Planning, the Policy Address, the Budget Speech, the Charity Law, and the inadequate resources of school guidance services in primary schools.
In the past year, HKSWA kept close connection with counterparts of the Asia Pacific Region and Mainland China. Apart from sending our representatives to attend the 21st Asia Pacific Social Work Conference, we had mobilized social work students to participate in the Conference among Social Work Students held in Macau. The Association has also received a number of delegations from the Mainland and Vietnam. The Council members of the Association have also been invited to share in many seminars and training courses held in different cities of the River Delta Region, promoting the image of the social workers and enhancing mutual knowledge sharing.
Upon the invitation of Mainland colleagues, we have provided consultation services to the Guicheng Government, helping them to review the funding system and the development of social work service in Nanhai Guicheng. The consultation service proved to be very effective in strengthening our professional exchange with the Mainland.
A Conference on Social Work and Social Development jointly organized with the Nanjing University was successfully held in October. More than 200 scholars and social work practitioners from the Mainland, Taiwan, Macau, Singapore and Hong Kong attended the conference. The response was very encouraging.
The Association has registered to be one of the Continuing Professional Development Activity Organizers at the Social Workers’ Registration Board. The information of our training courses and workshops has been published in the webpage of “Voluntary Continuing Professional Development Scheme for Registered Social Workers” since Mid August. We will also input information on social workers’ completion of CPD courses onto the system. Moreover, the Association is considering a recognition system to encourage prior learning among social workers.
The successful organization of all the above activities relied totally on the dedication of members of the Council and committees as well as the support of members and partner organizations. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of them and I am looking forward to our further cooperation in the years to come.
Mr. LAI Wing Hoi, Frederick
December, 2011