ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the way in which legitimacy in social work and the government is constructed and the potential that exists for governmental control and exploitation. It provides the way in which some of the changes may be beneficial for social welfare and social work. Early social welfare services focused mainly on providing services to the less fortunate groups in the society and social problems such as poverty, child abandonment and prostitution were tackled. Historically, voluntary agencies (VAs) were the pioneers of social welfare in Hong Kong. Funded primarily by overseas donations in the 1940s and 1950s, VAs provided the major welfare services. Relationships between the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the Hong Kong Government can be traced back to the late 1940s, where voluntary agencies were the main providers of welfare services. The aim of quality management is to improve services and promote welfare. Partnership characterised the relationship between the Social Welfare Departments and the NGOs.
