*******************************************************
The Director of Social Welfare, Mr Paul Tang Kwok-wai, has urged the community to work together to combat domestic violence.
Mr Tang was speaking this morning (November 26) at the opening ceremony of the Training Programme on Understanding of Family Violence.
To enhance the community's understanding and awareness of family violence, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) has commissioned the Hong Kong University Family Institute (HKUFI) and Sau Po Centre on Ageing to conduct a territory-wide Training Programme on Understanding of Family Violence.
These training classes will be conducted in Tai Po, Tuen Mun, Kwun Tong, Wan Chai, Yuen Long, Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin and Yau Ma Tai from today to January 26, 2006.
It will provide more than 2,400 places for related professionals and district personnel, including social workers, clinical psychologists, police officers, teachers, doctors, staff of Housing Department and District Council members.
Through the training on the characteristics of different types of family violence, the handling procedures, related legislations etc., the programme aims to help frontline professionals and district personnel identify family violence at an early stage and refer needy families to the appropriate services. The training content includes understanding child abuse, spouse battering, elder abuse, gender sensitivity, the legal provisions on family violence, multi-disciplinary collaboration and district co-ordination.
The speakers of the training programme include social workers, clinical psychologist, paediatrician, gerontologist, psychiatrist, police officers, public prosecutors and academics.
The programme is free and limited spaces are still available in some of the districts. People are welcome to apply and spaces will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. More than 2,800 applicants have so far applied for the course.
For details of application procedures, please browse the homepage of the HKUFI (http://hkufi.hku.hk/ufv.htm) or contact the Institute at 2859 5300 or by fax: 2964 9475.
The officiating guests were Associate Director of HKUFI, Mrs Patricia Chu; Honorary Associate Director of HKU Sau Po Centre on Ageing, Mrs Eliza Leung; Chairman of Tai Po District Council, Mr Cheng Chun-ping; and member of Women's Commission, Mrs Joanna Li Lau Lai-hing.
Ends/Saturday, November 26, 2005
Issued at HKT 11:30
NNNN