Historical Development of Social Work in Hong Kong

• 1937 Committee of Voluntary Emergency Relief Council
• 1947 Hong Kong Social Workers' Association was first formed.
• 1947 Social Welfare Office under the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs
• 1947 Social Welfare Advisory Committee (SWAC) [still exists today]
• 1947 Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) formed from the Committee of Voluntary Emergency Relief Council
• 1949 Hong Kong Social Workers' Association registered under the Society Ordinance
• 1950 Social study courses initiated at the University of Hong Kong under the Department of Economics in the Faculty of Arts.-
  - 1 year diploma courses for graduates preferably majoring in social science subjects
  - 2 years certificate course for non-graduate students who fulfilled university matriculation requirements. (graduates ended up with a certificate but not a degree.)
• 1953 social study courses were offered in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, H.K.U. (until 1967).
• 1956 Chung Chi College set up a diploma in social work
• 1958 The Social Welfare Office turned into the Social Welfare Department (SWD)
• 1960 Chung Chi College - department of social work
• 1960 Eileen Younghusband's report "Training for Social Work in Hong Kong - a report prepared for the Government of Hong Kong, 1960".
• 1961 Social Work Training Fund was established
• 1962 Training Unit in SWD was set up.
• Advisory Committee on Social Work Training (ACSWT) under the SWAC was set up. In 1990, the ACSWT was renamed Advisory Committee on Social Work Training and Manpower Planning, ACSWTMP.
• 1963 Alan F. Klien; Josephine D. Chaisson; & Martha E. Moscrop's report "Training for Social Work in Hong Kong"
• 1964 Department of Social Work - United College of Chinese University
• 1964 First White Paper Aims and Policy in Social Welfare
• 1966 First batch of degree holders in social work from Chinese University
• 1967 Department of Social Work - H.K.U.
• 1970 First batch of degree holders in social work from H.K.U.
• 1971 Eileen Younghusband, "A Report on Employment and Training for Social Workers in HK"
• 1972 Eileen Younghusband, "Some Comments on Proposals for a 2-year Social Work Course"
• 1972 Irving A. Spergel "Planning for Youth Development : The Hong Kong Experience"
• 1972 Only those degree holders with acceptable professional social work qualifications should enter the post Assistant Social Welfare Officer (currently called Assistant Social Work Officer).
• 1979 (SWD) Welfare Class Review - major restructuring of social work posts. The posts Social Work Assistant was established for those with a post-secondary diploma in social work.
• 1980 Hong Kong Social Workers' General Union formed
• 1982 (Voluntary Agencies) Welfare Class Review completed
• 1991 Hong Kong Social Welfare Personnel Registration Council formed
• 1997 The Social Workers Registration Bill passed.
• 1998 The Social Workers Registration Board was formed.