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The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, paid a visit to the Social Welfare Department's (SWD) Probation and Community Service Orders Office (PCSO) and Co-ordinating Office of Community Service Orders (COCSO) in Sha Tin today (August 6) to see the integrated community-based services provided by SWD to help offenders lead a new life and reintegrate into the community.
The SWD has merged its Probation Offices, Community Service Order Offices and Community Support Service Centres into seven PCSOs to serve their respective Magistrates' Courts in the territory since July last year to provide more comprehensive and convenient one-stop services for offenders under probation orders and community service orders.
Accompanied by acting Assistant Director (Youth and Corrections), Ms Wendy Chau, and acting District Social Welfare Officer (Sha Tin), Mr Hung Wai-lun, Mr Cheung visited the two offices where he was briefed on how the service users and their family members could receive professional casework and group work service in a more convenient manner under the new integrated model. The setting up of the COCSO also helped to source and arrange community service work projects in a more effective manner.
During the visit, Mr Cheung met and heard from an ex-probationer who had experienced a change in attitude to life and successfully reintegrated into the community after serving the probation order, and was also actively providing volunteer support to help other delinquent youths.
Mr Cheung also visited Ma On Shan Ling Liang Primary School to see the school beautification projects, with wall paintings and mosaic pictures done by those serving community service orders. He thanked the school principal, Ms Chan May-kuen, for offering such meaningful placement opportunities for persons under community service orders through which they were able to contribute to society and undergo reform and rehabilitation.
Ends/Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Issued at HKT 16:43
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