Hong Kong Christian Service has always bear special
burden toward the development of social services in the Mainland
China. May of last year, Shanghai Pudong New Area Social Worker
Association established four social work stations. At the time,
HKCS signed a joint working agreement with the association.
Our responsibilities were in the areas of project design, implementation
and training for workers of the stations. Ever since then, our
social workers had been to Pudong several times to develop different
kinds of projects. A complete volume of our publications was
given as a gift to the association for their reference. Also,
in November last year, we helped to arrange three officer-in-charge
from their three social work stations to spend a month in Hong
Kong for observation and learning.
Additionally,
we had several discussions with the Department of Social Work
of East China University of Science and Technology regarding
possible joint projects on providing support to fieldwork instructors
as well as to the placement students. In November last year
HKCS arranged a Shanghai study tour for those of our staff who
had expressed their interest in the development of social work
in the Mainland China, to gain the experience directly.
June
of this year, the Head of our Corporate Affairs and Community
Relations, Mr. Barry Wong, together with two Project Officers
visited Shanghai to conduct a three-day workshop. The target
group for this workshop was the third year students and their
lecturers of the Department of Social Work at the East China
University of Science and Technology in order that they would
gain a thorough understanding and be well equipped before the
commencement of their fieldwork placement.
The
participants responded positively to the workshop in that they
were able to grasp the concept of fieldwork placement and the
basic roles of involved parties namely the fieldwork instructor,
the department, the placement unit and the students. Their knowledge
and confidence on handling fieldwork were specially strengthened.
Mr. Wong and his colleagues had spent another
three days with four social work stations in the Pudong New
Area to lead in some organized activities. These activities
included: Panel-discussions on "Social-work Stations Development",
"Community Care for the Elderly", a workshop on "The
Mechanics on Team-work" and a seminar on "Social Workers'
Practical Work.
All participants were enthusiastically involved
and were inspired to explore, examine and implement possibilities
for future developments in the areas of elderly service, youth
service, community work and medical social work.
