Highlights of the Year 2020-21

• The main themes of 68 professional social work training programmes organised by the Staff Development and Training Section (SDTS) in 2020-21 included professional knowledge and skills in promoting service users’ psychological wellness and building up stress resilience; helping elders with dementia and their carers; and risk assessment and intervention skills in handling complicated child protection cases.
• SDTS continued to deliver a series of training programmes covering areas in job-related knowledge and skills on investigation and verification of cases for proper handling of social security applications, as well as management, customer services and communication skills, etc. for staff working in social security work settings. A total of 50 training programmes were organised for 1132 social security staff in 2020-21.
• To facilitate new recruits in understanding the scope of work under different core services and the administrative matters, the Department organised specific orientation programmes for different grades with topics ranging from job-related knowledge to staff conduct. In 2020-21, a total of 6 programmes were conducted for 189 new appointees from different grades. Induction training programmes on 6 core services were also conducted for social work and social security staff newly posted to the respective service units so as to equip them with the knowledge and skills required for carrying out the duties of the new posts.
• Aiming at developing the leadership and managerial competence of social work and social security officers at different levels, a series of multi-pronged management and leadership training programmes were arranged. In 2020-21, a Management Development Programme for Middle Managers was arranged for 21 supervisory officers. Advanced management and leadership training were also arranged for senior staff members to enhance their management skills and facilitate their exchange with senior personnel in other sectors.