The updated work report and Audited Accounts of the Board are as follows:

連日來，註冊局辦事處收到不少關於二零一一年選舉委員會社會福利界界別分組選舉候選人宣傳品的查詢，本人現向同工澄清如下：

（一） 近日註冊社工及一些已沒有名列註冊紀錄册的人士，收到一些由選舉委員會社會福利界界別分組選舉候選人寄發的宣傳品。註冊局從無透過郵寄或其他任何方式，為 是次選舉的任何候選人，向註冊社工傳遞任何關於選舉的訊息或寄發任何宣傳品。據選舉事務處解釋，那些宣傳品是由候選人自行寄發，而收件人的姓名及地址則由 選舉事務處按選民登記冊提供。如同工不希望收到有關宣傳品，請自行與選舉事務處聯絡。

（二） 註冊局曾在二零一零年十二月應選舉事務處的要求，提供當時最新的註冊社工名單及資料予該處，作為編製選民登記冊之用，這些資料包括註冊社工的中、英文姓 名、身份證號碼、註冊編號、註冊地址及首次（或最近重新）註冊的日期。及後，選舉事務處曾多次要求註冊局，向他們提供最新的註冊社工名單及資料，以核實選 民登記册的資料，而該處所要求的，則只包括註冊社工的中、英文姓名、註冊編號、香港身份證號碼及首次（或最近重新）註冊的日期。而註冊局最近一次的資料提 供，是在二零一一年七月。

（三） 註冊局向選舉事務處所提供註冊社工的資料，都是應該處的要求的而提供，但該處如何處理這些資料及如何更新社會福利界界別的選民名冊，註冊局無從管轄。但據 選舉事務處告知，在收到註冊局最新的註冊社工名單及資料後，該處不會自動更新選民登記册上的資料。如有同工認為在是次選舉，應被列入但並沒有被列入社會福 利界功能界別選民登記冊內，又或在選民登記冊上的任何個人資料應已更新但仍未更新，請同工按本身情況，自行向選舉事務處查詢。

（四） 註冊局剛收到選舉事務處的函件，要求註冊局提醒註冊社工及有關人士，「根據《行政長官選舉條例》（第569章）的附表第30(1)(a)條，如某人或團體 已不再有資格登記為某界別分組的投票人，他／該團體便會喪失在該界別分組選舉中投票的資格。此外，根據《選舉（舞弊及非法行為）條例》（第554章）第 16(1)(a)條，任何人明知他無權在選舉中投票卻在選舉中投票，即屬在選舉中作出舞弊行為，一經定罪，最高刑罰是罰款$500,000及監禁7年。」 因此，若任何人士已被註銷註冊，便不再符合資格登記為社會福利界界別分組的投票人，即使收到由選舉事務處發出的投票通知書，亦切勿在二零一一年選舉委員會 社會福利界界別分組選舉中投票，以免誤墮法網。

（五） 過去註冊局曾多次在「通訊」提醒同工，根據《選舉管理委員會條例》，名列註冊紀錄冊內的註冊社工，並不會自動成為社會福利界功能界別的選民，除非同工已名 列地方選區的選民登記冊內，並同時向選舉事務處登記，成為社會福利界功能界界別的選民。因此，如同工欲在是次選舉委員會社會福利界界別分組選舉中投票，除 須為註冊社工外，並須同時為社會福利界功能界別及地方選區的選民。

社會工作者註冊局

註冊主任梁瑞強

二零一一年十二月七日

The Annual Meeting with Registered Social Workers to be held on 16 December 2011 (Friday), 3:30 p.m. at Room 1114, Scout Centre, Scout Path, Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.              

The theme of the Meeting is “Social Workers in Secondary Setting”.  The Board is honoured to have Dr. Law Chi-kwong, Associate Professor of The University of Hong Kong;  Mr. Ng Sze-on, social worker of St. James Settlement for “Urban Renewal Social Service Team”; and Ms. Suen Hay-ping, Margaret, an experienced medical social worker of Caritas Medical Centre who was one of the winners of the Outstanding Social Workers Award in 2010-2011 to deliver talks on the main theme. The programme of the meeting is shown as follows:

社會工作者註冊局（下稱註冊局）乃根據《社會工作者註冊 條例》（第505章）成立的法定機構，現誠邀機構及團體（包括商業機構）競投，提供以下服務：

向註冊社工及其僱用機構推廣「註冊社 會工作者自願持續專業發展計劃」及「社會工作督導指引」

服 務合約 為期 十二個月，有意投標者請以下列任何方法索取招標文件：

1. 於辦公時間內親臨註冊局辦事處領取（地址：香港筲箕灣南安街八十三號海安商業中心二十七樓）；
2. 致函註冊局辦事處索取，並附回郵信封；及
3. 發電郵至info@swrb.org.hk索取。

截標日期：二零一一年八月二十四日正午十二 時

如有查詢，請致電2591 1955與潘悅豪先生聯絡。

Last year, the Board noticed that a social worker had been denied entry into Macau when she went there with her family for leisure.  The Board later received a letter each from the Hong Kong Social Workers' General Union and Ms. YEUNG Pui-yan, the registered social worker (RSW) involved in the incident, both asking the Board to follow up the matter.  In this connection, the Board had issued a letter to the Security Bureau to express its concern and enquire about the details of the incident, and the Security Bureau had replied the Board's letter.  After obtaining consent from the parties concerned, the Board now posts below in chronological order the letters issued by the Hong Kong Social Workers' General Union, Ms. Yeung, the Board, and the Security Bureau for the reference of RSWs and the public.

The Advisory Committee on Social Work Training and Manpower Planning, an advisory body on the education and training of social workers, notes that in the newly released Guidelines on Code of Practice for Registered Social Workers, the Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB) recommends social workers to attend professional enhancement activities of not less than 24 hours a year aiming at upgrading their professional skills and knowledge. The committee believes that the social work profession is a progressive profession that strives for improvement and excellence. Like other professions that share the mission of enhancing the well-being of the community, the social work profession, in view of the rapid changes in Hong Kong, should be aware of the need to refresh and consolidate the existing knowledge and practice through training and should also constantly upgrade and advance itself to better serve the community and facilitate positive social development. Social workers, being professionally trained, should always keep themselves abreast of the changes impacting on the community and the profession, and explore new approaches in discharging their competence to meeting the new and changing demands on, and the rising expectation of the profession.

As stipulated in the Reform Proposals for the Education System in Hong Kong issued by the Education Commission in September 2000, Hong Kong needs to develop into a society that values lifelong learning. Everyone should have the attitude and ability for lifelong learning and a willingness to advance further beyond the existing knowledge level, and to continuously consolidate and upgrade their knowledge and ability. Continuing education is therefore crucial for the social work profession in facing the challenges ahead.

The Committee considers that now is the opportune time to promote continuing professional development among social workers, and strongly supports the recommendation of the SWRB that social workers should attend professional enhancement activities of not less than 24 hours a year.

The Board has recently received enquiries from RSWs seeking clarification on the interpretation of section 35 of the Social Workers Registration Ordinance and the interpretation of the Judgement handed down by Mr. Justice Stone on the judicial review sought by en ex-social worker. After seeking legal advice, the Board has issued a reply which is extracted hereunder for general information:-

Interpretation of the Ordinance

   1. Under section 35 of the Ordinance,
      "Any person who-
      ...

         (h) not being a registered social worker...knowingly permits the use of, or uses, in connection with his business or profession.

              (i) the description "registered social worker" or "註冊社會工作者"
              (ii) the initials "R.S.W."
              (iii) the description "social work" or "社會工作" or "social worker" or 社會工作者 or "社工"; or
              (iv) any initials or abbreviation of words intended to cause, or which may reasonably cause, any person to believe that the person using the initials or abbreviations, as the case may be, is on the Register,

          (i) not being on the Register, advertises or represents himself as a registered social worker or knowingly permits himself to be so advertised or represented;
          ...
          commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine at level 5..."

2. According to the afore-quoted section of the Ordinance, a person who is not registered under the Ordinance but describes himself as a "registered social worker", or "social worker", or uses the description of "social work", or permits the use of these terms with his rank title, is liable to be prosecuted.

3. A non registered person practicing social work or occupying the post of a social worker would have, if not directly used, permitted the use of the term "social work", or even "registered social worker" in his rank title in the course of his job, and therefore might trigger section 35 of the Ordinance.

4. The Board is fully aware that aware that any use of the terms "social work" or "social worker" etc. will not constitute an offence under the Ordinance if such use is within sections 34(3) and (4) of the Ordinance, i.e. using the terms "social work" etc. to describe his academic qualification or past working experience (as envisaged by section 34(3) and (4) of the Ordinance). However, such exceptions will not apply to the situation which a person actually practices social work by engaging a social worker's post.

5. The Board is also fully aware that it is not a statutory requirement for person to any person to register under the Ordinance provided always that such person does not describe himself or permit himself if to be described in connection with the terms "social work", "social worker" etc.


Interpretation of the Judgment delivered by Mr. Justice Stone


6. The Board appreciates that Mr. Justice Stone has clarified that the Ordinance dose impose a statutory requirement for all social workers to register. The Bored also notes that Mr. Justice Stone has clarified how an unregistered social worker could be held liable of a criminal offence under the Ordinance.:-

      "...it is plain on a fair reading of the sequence of correspondence that the criminal aspect which was principally arousing concern lay not in failure to register per se but in the event that social workers in the relevant grades continued to use their rank titles in the course of their jobs absent such registration" (page 19)


7. It is under such circumstances that a social worker who fails to register or fails to renew his registration status whilst practicing social work and occupying social work post may trigger section 35 under the Ordinance.

On 3 December 1999 the Court has handed down its judgement on the judicial review sought by Miss Cheung Man-wai, Florence. The Court's judgement is posted on the Homepage for your information.