FAMILY AND WOMEN'S WELFARE SECTION

Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Acting Minister for Community Development (a) how many officers are employed in the Family and Women's Welfare Section; (b) what training and qualification these officers have; (c) whether they have the right training; (d) what are their salary scales; and (e) whether the present staff strength is adequate.

Mr Abdullah Tarmugi: (a) Manpower of Family and Women's Welfare (FWW) Section

The Family and Women's Welfare (FWW) Section of the Ministry of Community Development is manned by a team of 10 Welfare Officers. The team is led by an Assistant Director and 3 Supervisors.

(b) Training & Qualifications of FWW Staff

The Assistant Director and Supervisors hold degrees in social work or psychology. One other officer, a graduate, had training and work experience in crisis counselling before joining the Ministry. Five others are experienced officers, each of whom has 20 to 30 years of service in the field.

(c) Whether FWW Staff have the right training

All Welfare Officers in the Ministry have opportunities for training and skills upgrading. Orientation courses provided by the Ministry introduce officers to all facets of the Ministry. Work related generic courses provide them with the basic knowledge and essential skills for effective operation in any direct service setting. In addition, Welfare Officers are sent for specialized training courses and workshops in their area of work either locally or overseas, to enhance their skills and knowledge and to keep abreast with developments in the field.

(d) Salary Scales

All Welfare Officers in the Ministry, including those in the FWW Section, come under the Welfare Officers Scheme of Service. The salary scale varies from officer to officer as it is dependent on the officer's qualification, grade and years of service. The salary scales of the officers in the FWW Section range from Welfare Officer Grade VI to Welfare Officer Grade IVA. A table showing the salary scales is given below. All graduate officers are recruited at Grade V. Movement up the hierarchy is through promotion.

(e) Adequacy of Staff

Based on the caseload and workload, the current number of officers in the FWW Section is adequate. WELFARE OFFICER GRADE GROSS SALARY RANGE Welfare Officer Grade IVA $2738.96-$4246.41 Welfare Officer Grade IV $2044.00-$3842.72 (Next promotion to Grade III) Welfare Officer Grade V (Div I) $1517.67-$2953.58 (Next promotion to Grade IVA) Welfare Officer Grade VA (Div II) $1808.94-$2871.82 Welfare Officer Grade VI $ 894.25-$2340.38