Objective
Training is to promote and enhance the continuous professional growth and development of staff throughout their career.

Programme Components and Target Participants
The overall objective is achieved through organisation of training courses, monitoring e-Learning Centre (eLC), arrangement of student fieldwork placements, provision of library service and professional support to committees involved in the allocation of training funds and grants.

Participants include:

• staff of Social Welfare Department (SWD) and where necessary and appropriate
• staff of other Government Departments
• social welfare personnel of non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

Training Courses
The training programmes listed in the Training and Development (T&D) Prospectus are categorised by their training areas.  Please refer to the T&D Prospectus 2011-12(Acrobat Doc) for details of the training programmes.

Orientation Courses

• to introduce the work and organisation structure as well as culture of the Department to new SWD staff
• to prepare local social work students before they start field work placement in the Department

• to equip staff new to certain fields of practice with specific skills and knowledge including family and child welfare services, medical social services, corrections services and social security services 

Staff Development Programmes

• to enhance growth, development and competence of professional and general grades staff and to meet new service requirements through organising and coordinating short courses delivered in classroom, e-learning and blended modes, seminars, workshops, overseas training courses & attachment and local part-time courses at tertiary institutes covering a wide range of topics and areas of concern including :

Training Foci on Rehabilitation and Medical Social Services

• understanding and managing different mental problems of children and adolescents  
• assessing and managing the rehabilitation needs of mentally incapacitated persons and implementing the statutory duties of Mental Health Ordinance
• understanding and implementing the Medical Fee Waiving Mechanism  
• strengthening the understanding on infection control and common infectious diseases for staff of Residential Care Home for Persons with Disabilities  
• understanding and managing the Standardised Assessment Tool for Residential Services for People with Disabilities  

Training Foci on Services for Offenders 

• understanding the operation and skills required for community-based rehabilitation, including probation service and Community Service Orders Scheme etc  
• understanding correctional home services for young offender. 

• multi-skills training on working with individual and families in crisis or encountering physical, psychosocial and interpersonal problems  
• knowledge and skills in handling domestic violence, child abuse and sexual violence cases and providing counselling to victims, batterers/abusers and their family members   
• knowledge and skills in working with young children

Training Foci on Elderly Services   

• understanding the physiological, psychological, emotional and social needs of the elderly and acquiring skills in providing counselling to elders 
• understanding dementia and taking care of the demented elders  
• multi-skilled training in taking care of elders  

Training Foci on Youth Services  

• volunteer service management 
• understanding the physiological, psychological and emotional problems of  young people and acquiring relevant counselling skills
• understanding the developmental and preventive educational programmes and the service strategies and skills in dealing with young people and their families 

Training Foci for Social Security Staff

• Understanding social security services including Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme, Support for Self-reliance Scheme, Social Security Allowance Scheme, Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme, Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Scheme, Emergency Relief Services ...etc.
• Handling applications for different types of social security services  
• Operation of the Computerised Social Security System

• knowledge and skills applicable to all or a number of service settings 

Management Training