15.19 Training on handling family violence and crises for SWD staff and related disciplines in the Government and NGOs was still a priority in 2009-10 and 2010-11. A total of 68 training programmes on handling of child abuse, spouse battering, elder abuse, sexual violence, suicide and family crises were organised in 2009-10 for 2 600 SWD staff and 1 200 participants from NGOs, Hospital Authority and other government departments and 69 training programmes were conducted in 2010-11 for 2 500 SWD staff and 1 200 participants from NGOs and other sectors. On top of basic training, advanced programmes with focus on risk assessment, crisis intervention, treatment and clinical skills, and post-trauma care for victims were conducted specifically for building up expertise of frontline practitioners in face of the growing complexity of cases.     15.20 To enhance closer links with the Mainland, apart from receiving visiting tours from the Mainland, STDS has organised two study tours to Beijing and Shenzhen for 65 middle managers and social work staff in 2009-10. In 2010-11, another two study tours were organised for 70 social work and social security staff to Shanghai and Shenzhen. During the year, a one-month attachment programme in the Department was arranged for four Mainland officials.     15.21 To facilitate our new recruits in understanding the Department’s core values and integrating into respective service units, specific orientation programmes for different grades were developed with topics ranging from professional knowledge to staff conduct. Eight such enhanced programmes were conducted in 2010-11 for 262 new appointees from different grades.     15.22 With a view to equipping the middle managers with necessary administrative and managerial knowledge and skills in meeting the challenges ahead, a tailor-made management development programme has been conducted for Social Work Officers and Senior Social Security Officers since 2010-11. Advanced management and leadership training were also arranged for senior staff members.     15.23 SDTS also delivered a series of training programmes covering areas in relation to professional, management and legal knowledge as well as customer services and communication skills for staff working in social security work settings in 2009-10 and 2010-11 with a view to enhancing their job competency in meeting work challenges. A total of 63 and 59 training programmes were organised for over 1 800 social security staff in 2009-10 and 2010-11 respectively. Among them, around 23 training programmes were arranged each year with a training focus to equip and enhance staff’s knowledge and skills on social investigation and verification for proper management of social security applications.     15.24 In order to enhance the effectiveness of performance management of Social Work Assistant grade staff, a competency-based performance appraisal system (CPAS) in respect of the grade has been developed and implemented starting from the 2009-10 reporting cycle. At present, five departmental grades have their own CPAS, including Clinical Psychologist, Social Work Officer, Social Work Assistant, Social Security Officer and Social Security Assistant. With this initiative put in place, the SDTS took the opportunity to launch a training and development (T&D) roadmap for Social Work Assistant grade staff in February 2011. The roadmap will provide grade members with a systematic mechanism for identifying suitable T&D focus and possible training opportunities so as to build up their core competencies along their career path.