BACKGROUND

1. The Chief Executive in his last Election Platform agreed to study the long-term development planning for social welfare in Hong Kong, and has tasked the Social Welfare Advisory Committee (SWAC) to lead the exercise. SWAC issued an invitation for written submissions to all NGOs (subvented and non-subvented), social workers' orgnaisations and self-help / users groups, to collect initial public views and has promised to organize consultation sessions for various stakeholders beginning the 3rd quarter of 2008.
2. IIn response to the invitation, the Council has organized an open forum on 2nd June, summary of the discussion, including views of key speakers like Prof, Nelson Chow could be found in the Council's website: http://www.hkcss.org.hk/LTWP/index.asp.
3. The following paper is drafted based on the wide consultation with the sector since 2004, encompassing the views revised in the latest forum on developing a blueprint for our welfare system, that identifies the “core values” that underpin our welfare services, “addresses social issues at a strategic and holistic manner” and proposes a “more macro, forward-looking planning mechanism” that can strengthen collaborative efforts to steer our social welfare development in the longer term.
4. This paper also includes recommendations to SWAC on the engagement process in planning the consultation sessions with the sector.