Eric Chua
Singapore
“Chairman, thank you for your indulgence. I would like to set right a couple of points in my speech earlier before Members seek clarifications. Firstly, I mentioned that enhancements we provide additional financial relief for 3,600 PwDs accessing our residential and community disabilities services. The number should be 3,800.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for her very passionate interventions over the past years as well. First, on job redesign. Under the existing Open Door Programme, there is a Job Redesign Grant that can already be applied for, so that is one potential avenue that we can point to.”
“And I behove all Members of the Chamber to also support these home-based businesses, because many of them, for instance, Bakes by Ben and his mum. They are making a living.”
“We must treat it as solvable. We cannot eliminate temptation, but we should not normalise harm. If technology has industrialised temptation, then our response must be to industrialise resilience: thoughtfully, proportionately, with care. Let us not hesitate simply because the subject is uncomfortable.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for his clarifications. On the provisions of information in vernacular languages on the website, I think that is something that we can potentially explore and look at.”
“I am also grateful for the IJT members across the private and public sectors – lawyers, policy-makers, law enforcement officers, social service professionals, healthcare experts, community partners and caregiver representatives. Sir, to be sure, we face both challenges and disruptions, but also tremendous opportunities.”
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“At this juncture, I would like to compliment the VintageRadio team for providing one more important channel through which our seniors can stay digitally as well as emotionally connected. Sir, in conclusion, seniors and technology does not have to be like oil and water. Adopting technology does not have to mean that services automatically become less personal or high-tech and low-touch. Instead, the use of technology must be like enhancing plain water by infusing it with fruits or herbs, adding colour, taste, nutrition even. So, for colleagues in the Ministry, my final question is this: what then is our uniquely Singaporean-infused water recipe?”
“It provides subsidised smartphone and mobile plans to lower-income seniors who want to go digital but cannot afford them. To qualify, individuals must be aged 60 years and above, and a current beneficiary of the Ministry of Social and Family Development's Long-Term or Short-to-Medium-Term ComCare assistance or under HDB's Public Rental Scheme. In addition, our seniors are also encouraged to step up and pick up a basic digital skill at our Community Hubs. Eligible seniors enjoy a two-year mobile plan at $5.10 per month and can purchase a smartphone for a one-off cost of as low as $20. Given the importance of online communication today, such schemes encourage more seniors to digitalise and be plugged in to the community and stay connected with the family at the same time. So, I would like to ask the Ministry, how has the response and take-up rate been like among seniors for this scheme? As we continue to equip our seniors for the digital age, technology can be harnessed to preserve a sense of emotional connectedness. Members may have heard of VintageRadio.sg – a digital service designed for seniors to keep them informed, entertained and engaged. Through an app, VintageRadio.sg aims to build confidence in seniors to explore an unfamiliar digital world by evoking a sense of familiarity as they do so. Playing popular multilingual tunes from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and having veteran presenters such as Patrick Kwek, Brian Richmond, Rahimah Rahim and PN Bala guide them through the app are examples of how familiarity is injected into the digital-learning journey. These tunes and presenters will be familiar to many of our seniors and having them as company makes the digitalisation journey hopefully a little less intimidating.”
“Despite the proliferation of digital banking, many seniors I spoke to still preferred transacting in cash. Some have expressed unfamiliarity with digital banking apps; others feared being scammed. Their concerns are not unfounded. Understanding their concerns, I have appealed multiple times to our banks although I have not always been successful. But I am not giving up. While some seniors are hesitant, I take heart in the fact that many of them remain open to learn how to go digital and pick up tips on how to stay safe online. That is why I am appreciative that Leng Kee Community Club (CC) – located within Queenstown – has been designated by the SG Digital Office (SDO) as a SG Digital Community Hub. SG Digital Community Hubs were initiated by IMDA as part of Singapore's digitalisation push and are conveniently located in various parts of our heartlands. The hub at Leng Kee CC is open daily from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm. Seniors get one-on-one guidance in a customised fashion to equip them to go digital. The Seniors Go Digital Activity Pack gamifies the learning experience and encourages seniors to continue learning on their own with online resources. Given Singapore's rapidly ageing population and Queenstown's super-aged resident profile, SG Digital Community Hubs would become more important in equipping seniors and seniors-to-be for digital life as technology continues to evolve. To this end, I would like to ask the Ministry what percentage of seniors, islandwide, have been engaged by the SG Digital Community Hubs and what is the take-up for these Seniors Go Digital Activity Packs thus far? In addition to the Community Hubs, the Mobile Access for Vulnerable Seniors is another scheme that has been implemented in recent years.”
“To enhance safety and to allow seniors the respite of a brief pitstop, the central dividers between have been widened, amongst other enhancements. There are various programmes in Queenstown that serve seniors well too. These include mental health programmes like SafePod, workshops on future care planning and a Seniors' Festival that is currently in the works. This Festival aims to empower our seniors, show them and their family members that one does not have to fear ageing and that there are many ways through which one can still enjoy their golden years. Queenstown is also part of the Queenstown Health District pilot, which aims to leverage the diverse expertise of partners to create integrated solutions to enhance the health and wellbeing of Queenstown residents across their life stages. One such partner is the Lions Befrienders. At the Active Ageing Centre at Mei Ling, they will be launching the Gym Tonic, a strength training programme that tracks seniors' fitness and progress using senior-friendly gym machines. They have also harnessed technology to develop a system called i-Boleh, which allows seniors to self-account to Lions Befrienders' staff while offering games that help improve seniors' cognitive skills and reduce the risk of dementia. Despite the many programmes that we have put in place for our seniors, one persistent pain point they face is catching up with technology. One constant feedback that I hear from seniors is the need for automated teller machines (ATMs), especially those with the passbook update function. Many shared with me that having to travel a distance away to the next nearest ATM is of great inconvenience to them. This is especially so when they are less mobile. I feel their pain when they narrate their challenges to me.”
“The third set: laugh in the face of fear and danger versus being vulnerable about thoughts and feelings. In your opinion, Members of the Chamber, which group better describes masculinity? You do not have to make known your position or your answers to me, much less take a vote on this – you do not have to reach for the buttons. I hope this simple exercise illustrates the effect of stereotypes at work. Admittedly, this is a difficult conversation to have. To some, even talking about redefining masculinity is perhaps effeminate and even emasculating. We are increasingly seeing arrangements that go against the strand of what traditional masculinity looks like: stay-home dads who step into primary caretaking roles; dating down where the woman in heterosexual relationships has a higher earning power, all of which come with their challenges and stigma to tackle. Rounding back, the concerns I have expressed on online harms and its impact on society, especially young men, is something we collectively need to tackle: from Government, community, families, parents and that is a work-in-progress. But at the heart of it all, we also need to have a mindful dialogue on what it means to be man enough in today's context. Technology and Seniors Sir, Queenstown is the first Housing and Development Board (HDB) satellite public housing estate in Singapore and is home to many residents who are seniors. With almost a third of Queenstown's residents age 60 and above, we have implemented several programmes and municipal enhancements to ensure that seniors can age well in place. For instance, the hilly terrain and wide roads of Mei Ling Street and Stirling Road pose a safety concern for seniors when they cross the roads.”
“So, I sometimes hit the gym after midnight, determined to squeeze in a workout before the end of a long day. However, I am almost always surprised by the fact that I always have company at the gym by the number of young people, most of whom are young men, who remain seriously committed to sculpting their bodies even at unearthly hours. Yes, for as long as we can remember, traditional media like the big and small screens – that is, film and TV – has led the charge in peddling unrealistic body standards. However, the proliferation of social media and the democratisation of content creation has only intensified peer comparison and hyper-fuelled unrealistic expectations of our own body image. Simply put, the need to be that perfect bod is as real as it gets. Much of the conversation thus far, frames body image insecurities as a women's issue, but we know that is far from the truth. Men too face pressures and in the process, are actively discouraged to acknowledge or share about their own insecurities. At its core, we need to begin a conversation on what masculinity means in Singapore society today. I recently chanced upon an article on NPR.org and I thought would like to leverage its content and run a little thought experiment with Members in this Chamber today. I hope many of you are listening to me. I am going to read out three pairs of descriptors and Members can decide for yourself, which set of descriptors, either the former or the latter, more aptly describes what it means to be masculine. Here we go. The first set: expressing anger over expressing sadness. The second set: swearing that we are fine even when we are actually not versus reaching out to loved ones and trusted friends when in need.”
“While I do not claim a direct causality between pornography use and juvenile crime, extensive research has shown that adolescents' pornography use is related to more sexual aggression, both in terms of perpetuation and victimisation. A 2019 study conducted with high school youths in US found that male adolescents exposed to violent pornography were over three times as likely to perpetuate sexual teen-dating violence. The use of online pornography has also been linked to youth self-development and beliefs, influencing one's internalisation of appearance ideals and body surveillance. Simply put, sexual offending as a consequence and endpoint is just the tip of the iceberg. Pornography addiction, for instance, while not actually manifesting in a crime in most instances, can continue to plague an individual's life, damaging relationships, disrupting daily routines. It is akin to a persistent, low-grade fever, symptomatic of a slew of deep-seated problems, which if left untackled can leave potentials untapped and productivity flagging. Society pays the bill in the form of a weakened family institution and in the most extreme scenarios, an increased rate of perverse and violent crimes. With the high internet and social media adoption rates in Singapore, it is high time that we paid much closer attention to online harms and the widespread spillover impacts it has on society at large. On a separate but related note, unrealistic body standards paraded on the internet fuel a mindless pursuit of perfection and external validation. Nearly 20%, or one in five Singaporean adults who are active social media users are at risk of body image anxiety – with men representing some 40% of this at-risk group. I admit I personally feel some pressure to stay in the right shape.”
“There have been recent media headlines: "Youth committed series of sexual offences involving multiple victims, including minors"; "Eight weeks’ jail for voyeur who filmed female colleague using toilet"; "Teen admits to sexually assaulting his two younger sisters multiple times"; "A 12.3% increase in voyeurism cases from 2022 to 2023: one of five things the Singapore Police Force wants us to know from their recent annual crime brief". I could go on, but Members would be well aware of these recent high profile headlines. What raises the alarm for me is this: while there is a general decrease in the overall number of youth arrests over the last decade, youth sexual offending has bucked the trend. According to SPF, the number of youth offenders who committed outrage of modesty and rape offences climbed by 48.6% from 109 cases 2016 to 162 in 2020. 4.45 pm To better understand this, I asked to speak with some youth sexual offenders some time ago. I separately spoke to three young offenders at length, spending about an hour with each of them. The three I spoke to came from diverse backgrounds, but not all had challenging family situations. Based on what they shared with me, one commonality struck me: how each of them struggled with addiction to the consumption of sexually explicit materials. To be sure, we are talking about anecdotes from the experiences shared by three individuals. While this is by no means representative, one also should not simply wave this revelation away. The pervasiveness of digital technology has opened new avenues for exposure to and consumption of sexually explicit materials, especially ones of a violent nature.”
“Sir, I would like to clarify. The point I was trying to make was that actually anybody can raise the alarm. So, it could well be the medical social worker at the point of a visit to the hospital or the clinic by the person in view, by the teenage mom, or it could well be the family members who raise the alarm, or it could well be teachers and staff from the school. So, what I was trying to say earlier in my reply to the Member's supplementary question was that anyone, any number of stakeholders and parties within this figurative "village", has to step up and raise the alert to social service agencies, to social service officers, so that we can all provide a wrap-around 360-degree-support for each of these cases.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. I would refer the Member to file a PQ with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for a breakdown of the statistics as they reside in ICA. Regarding the Member's second supplementary question, I think he will agree with me that the nature of such cases are that, in each case, the conditions are complex and there are many stakeholders, many parties involved. And it is not enough for us to take each case and take an approach that is not just sensible, but also sensitive, and delicately handle the situation. So, I think it really calls upon the entire village, if you will, to detect such cases early and for each of us – it could be the social worker or grassroots leaders on the ground or anyone who raises the alarm – to alert us to such a case, so that we can assess each unique case and then provide that wrap-around. The provision of a dedicated social worker is one example of how we can journey together with each of these cases, but I think there is more to it than just the provision of social workers. We are talking about a multidimensional approach so that there is a better chance that this problem does not persist, as in the case that Mr Louis Ng brought up, across generations.”
“Third, professionals from different industries, when serving PwDs and their caregivers, can also collaborate more closely to provide a seamless service, focusing on the PwDs. (In English): Mr Speaker, our journey in disability-inclusion has been built upon the hard work, sweat and tears of many professionals in the social service, healthcare, education and many other sectors, as well as the many PwDs and their caregivers who have worked tirelessly to get us to where we are today. Standing on the shoulders of those who have come before us, it is now up to us to pick up the mantle, carry the torch and strive towards the day we work the word "inclusion" into obsolescence. Mr Speaker, I support the Budget.”
“One last point on cross-sectoral collaboration. When PwDs move across different service sectors in the course of their lives, there almost always exist, today, an inevitable resolution loss in terms of what each successive organisation knows about the PwDs. Information such as unique circumstances that might trigger a meltdown, habits or routines unique to each person, the loss of such information along the way, among others, that affords each organisation working with the PwDs and their caregivers a better chance of providing a more person-centric service has to be minimised. This goes back to the point I made last year about taking on a case management perspective for each PwDs and how we should support them and their caregivers more systematically throughout the course of their lives. Mr Speaker, in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, the Enabling Masterplan 2030 has outlined our country's vision and plan to build a more inclusive society over the coming years. We hope that every individual in our nation will have the opportunity to reach their full potential. In my speech today, I would like to propose three key points for consideration and discussion. First, in supporting the journey of PwDs, caregivers play a pivotal role. Where feasible, we should allow caregivers to participate in professional processes, such as medical consultations. Secondly, if healthcare professionals can have more information about PwDs, such as their individual circumstances and medical condition, they can better plan services and provide better care for PwDs and their caregivers.”
“We sometimes hear anecdotes of PwDs being taken off such medication prematurely, sometimes due to caregivers’ concerns or purely streetside hearsay about the potential side effects of such medication. Having non-healthcare professionals who interface with the PwDs and their caregivers on a more frequent basis – for instance, their speech therapists – can help to allay unfounded concerns of family members and overall, this represents a net positive for the PwDs. In other instances, tools such as visual scheduling used by social service professionals to communicate a sense of routine and rhythm, particularly for autistic individuals, might unfortunately not be well understood and, hence, much less deployed as a communication strategy by healthcare practitioners when working with these individuals. My wish, therefore, is to see more sharing of professional practices across domains, so that there is not only better appreciation of each other’s work, but the opportunity to enlist one another in mutually reinforcing each other’s work is not lost. There are obvious benefits to be had if professionals in different sectors could understand and help reinforce key messages among PwDs and their caregivers. For instance, having healthcare professionals take a more 360° view of the patients and caregivers they serve, by reinforcing messages, such as the importance of future care planning where opportune or, even better, refer them to organisations like the Special Needs Trust Company (SNTC). In other instances, having social work professionals help clear up doubts that PwDs and their caregivers might have about policies, such as CareShield Life, would only benefit the very individuals and families that these professionals from the different sectors are all trying to serve.”
“Better capture of disability data and sharing across sectors, including social services, healthcare and transport, would enable professionals to plan and do better for PwDs that they serve, according to their unique circumstances. For instance, in healthcare, a longer stretch of consultation may be scheduled for patients who may face difficulty expressing themselves. A fixed rhythm of consultation sessions may be planned for patients that are used to certain set routines, for instance, seeing a doctor only in the mornings or scheduling patients only at the start or the end of a shift to significantly reduce wait time. All of these are plausible, and these tweaks can be quite easily made, so the service experiences that PwDs and their caregivers have with the healthcare system can overall be more positive. Finally, my third and last point on tighter cross-sectoral professional collaboration. In their life course, PwDs and their caregivers interact with professionals and organisations from different sectors – doctors and nurses in the hospital or clinic, teachers and allied educators in the special education (SPED) schools and occupational or speech therapists in the social service agencies (SSAs). Across different sectors, we need to grow a culture of tighter collaboration. Cross-disciplinary sharing of professional practices would be a great start. Take, for instance, medication. For some PwDs, medication is sometimes prescribed to help them manage behavioural outbursts. For example, risperidone is an anti-psychotic medication quite commonly prescribed to manage psychosis-induced agitation.”
“According to an article in the Canadian Medical Education Journal, the "art of medicine" is simply a clinician's way of being when interacting with patients and family members. How doctors, nurses and allied healthcare professionals diagnose, explore treatment options, communicate and promote healing, these are examples of "the art of medicine". This made a lot of sense to me. After all, we are first and foremost, human beings, not merely humans doing. For patients with disabilities, particularly those who cannot effectively express their own thoughts and feelings, the practice of the "art of medicine" becomes even more cogent. How a patient with disabilities respond to prescribed medication, side effects they may experience and so on, is often told through the keen lens of the observer, and that is their caregivers. Therefore, how healthcare professionals interact with and co-opt caregivers in the process of promoting healing is instrumental. Caregivers are also often best placed to advise healthcare professionals on potential triggers, for example, bright lights, colours or sudden loud sounds, that might spark adverse reactions in their charges. Triggers differs from patient to patient and, therefore, including and intimately involving caregivers when working with patients with disabilities would, in many instances, aid the work of healthcare professionals. Second, information and awareness. To be sure, there are many well-meaning healthcare professionals who want to better serve patients with disabilities and their caregivers by planning out their service experience in advance. They can be supported to do so if they have more ready access to information, such as an individual’s disability status, and are more aware of their accommodation needs.”
“As we continue pushing in this direction, I hope that as a society, we can work together to empower our brothers and sisters of all abilities, enable them to realise their maximum potential and to lead meaningful lives. To do so, policies and programmes alone are not enough. We also need persistence and participation – your participation, everyone's participation – to make disability-inclusion a hallmark of Singapore society. In many areas, such as inclusive employment and availing of independent living options, the Government can and will take the lead. Yet, in other domains, such as the shifting of mindsets, everyday accommodations, community organisations, social service agencies, individuals like you and I, we all have a role to play. Today, I dedicate my speech to the sharing of some everyday challenges that PwDs and their caregivers face, particularly those that exist at the intersections of service provision. I recently spent good time talking with Dr Lim Hong Huay, a developmental and behavioural paediatrician. Beyond her professional credentials, she is a mother and caregiver to two children with special needs and, to her, I owe a vote of thanks for the central ideas in my speech today. I will touch upon three key ideas, namely: one, the critical role of the caregiver; two, better information and awareness; and three, stronger professional collaboration. First, on caregivers. All of us, disability or otherwise, visit a doctor occasionally. How differently then does a PwD experience the healthcare system? A point Dr Lim made left a deep impression in me. The difference, she said, "was in the medical professional's practice of "the art of medicine"".”
“Mr Speaker, last year in April, when this House debated on a Motion of thanks for the address made by the former President, I made a case for adopting a life course, case management approach to support persons with disabilities (PwDs) and their caregivers. A familiar face that a PwD and their caregivers can talk to, candidly on future-care planning, employment or, perhaps, even where they could pick up a recreational sport in the community. To enable PwDs to flourish, our national roadmap for disability inclusion, the Enabling Masterplan 2030 (EMP2030), identified three strategic themes: one, to strengthen support for lifelong learning; two, to enable independent living; and three, to create inclusive physical and social environments for persons of all abilities. Along with that, 14 focal areas, such as "learning beyond schooling years", "inclusive employment" and "inclusive public spaces" were highlighted. Consistent with the recommendations of the masterplan, I maintain that more can be done for this community. Since the launch of EMP2030, we have continued to push ahead with our agenda of disability-inclusion. The first Enabling Services Hub (ESH) in the Tampines West Community Club and the Enabling Business Hub (EBH) in Jurong launched last year, were a few examples. The ESH and EBH symbolise our ambition to do better as a society. One where PwDs can partake freely in the community, just as any other abled-bodied person can and would without fear of stigma. It also paints our vision for a more inclusive workplace, one where more PwDs can sustain gainful employment, thrive and flourish.”
“Sir, I thank Assoc Prof Razwana for her supplementary questions. On the first supplementary question, SGPO actually collaborates with various Government as well as non-Government entities to take in the viewpoints of all stakeholders, and that includes children and young persons as well. While direct engagement may be a challenge for certain age groups, we remain committed to create avenues for representation, including partnerships with youth-focused organisations, grassroots organisations, grassroots' initiatives and through surveys, as well as other outreach mechanisms. So, like the Member, we want to ensure that there is meaningful inclusion as well as consideration of children and young persons' views and perspectives. My answer to the second supplementary question is broadly linked to the first one and the answer is yes, we will be working to scope possible avenues to take in the views of children and young persons.”
“Mr Speaker, I think that the Member might have misheard me, because I mentioned that from FY2021, it was an aggregate total number of 20,500 cases and for FY2022, it was 18,900. If you compare these two years, actually, there was a decrease.”
“Our national mental health strategy lays the foundation and gives us direction so that we can collectively get to a better place in terms of our mental health. Beyond plans, policies and programmes, perhaps, more importantly so, we need a further shift in mindsets surrounding mental health and people with mental health conditions. Much has been done, but more work remains. With the help of Members of this Chamber from both sides of the aisle and beyond, I have every confidence that Singapore can be a paragon where stigma surrounding mental health is a thing of the past and where help-seeking is well-facilitated. With that, I support the Motion.”
“To help raise overall practice standards and the experience for those seeking help, the practice guide will clearly lay out the kinds of services different agencies in the social and health sector should provide and how they should work with one another to serve clients with mental health needs. At the end of the day, it is all about serving individuals with mental health support needs better. Mr Speaker, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, we hope that any Singaporean in need of mental health support will not have to navigate their help-seeking journey alone and as a result, feel lost or afraid. Seeking help should not be a lonely experience. To address this, we will establish first-stop touchpoints to help Singaporeans find appropriate mental health services. These include: first, a number to call or text; second, a comprehensive website for self-help; and third, a place for Singaporeans to seek help. Further, social service professionals often encounter individuals with mental health needs in the course of their work. Many of these individuals may not even be aware of their own mental health needs. To address this, we will provide basic mental health training for 1,500 social service professionals. Finally, we will also develop a practice guide, so that both healthcare and social service professionals can collaborate more seamlessly in screening, assessment, referral, IT and data sharing practices. There is only one ultimate goal: to provide more comprehensive and client-centric services for Singaporeans with mental health needs. (In English): Mr Speaker, our mission at hand is one that is salient and pressing.”
“Today, different providers have different screening, assessment, collaboration, referral, IT and data-sharing practices. To provide a more seamless experience for those seeking mental health services, the task force brought together professionals from both social service and healthcare sectors to develop a practice guide, which we aim to launch by the end of this year. The practice guide will standardise: one, common mental health screening and assessment tools, essentially, common language and tools to help service providers identify their clients' level of mental health needs; two, common collaboration and referral workflows, to guide service providers to determine which service provider to refer their client to, depending on their level of mental health needs and other factors, such as age and cost and how they can collaborate to serve the best interests of the client; and three, common IT system and data sharing guidelines, to streamline referral processes while safeguarding and addressing clients' concerns about confidentiality. The practice guide will help to better ensure that clients are referred to and receive mental health resources or interventions appropriate to their needs. When their needs change, the support for them can be adjusted accordingly, that is, stepped up to higher-intensity services or stepped down to lower-intensity services, as needed. While there are good examples of collaboration and coordination across social service and healthcare sectors today, not all cases are handled in a systematic and consistent manner.”
“Mindline also has an online forum named "Ask a Therapist", where users can engage with verified professionals and a Wysa AI-enabled chatbot, where users can share their emotions safely and anonymously without the fear of being judged, anywhere and anytime. Third, a place to seek help. We will build up and promote in-person touchpoints, including community mental health teams such as CREST, as in-person first-stop touchpoints, so that the public knows where to seek help. With this move, we hope that the public will become more aware of the existence of the many social service agencies in our community providing psychotherapy and emotional support and not just clinics and hospitals. While first-stop touchpoints are more specialised in delivering mental health services, we also want to equip 1,500 frontline social service professionals with basic mental health capabilities. In the course of their work, social service professionals often encounter clients with unmet mental health needs. In fact, many may not recognise that they are in need of mental health support themselves. For our 500 frontline staff across our Social Service Offices, we plan to train them in psychological first aid. We also intend to train another 1,000 frontline social service professionals to be capable of identifying mental health concerns, provide casework and counselling and refer clients to appropriate services. These social service professionals will be trained by 2030. Directing clients to appropriate services at the get-go does not mean the job is done. An individual's mental health needs can change over time. To provide a seamless care experience for clients, service providers across the social service and health sectors need to work ever closer together.”
“Many who need help are not getting the help that they need; and far too many get help far later than they should. The complex web of services available can, indeed, have the unintended consequence of deterring help-seeking. We want to make it easy for anyone to seek help. No going at it alone or figuring out your way by yourself. We will set up first-stop touchpoints; essentially "go-to places" for mental health support. Our first-stop touchpoints will identify their clients' mental health needs and provide the appropriate service. This can mean relevant information, immediate mental health support and intervention, or referrals. We want to make sure that individuals with mental health conditions are well-supported, especially when they have taken the crucial first step to reach out for help. Our first-stop touchpoints will include the following. One, a number to call or text. We will set up a new National Mental Health Hotline and Text Service by 2025, which will connect callers and texters to the most appropriate support or services to meet their needs. For example, callers and texters with no or minimal mental health needs and want to learn well-being skills can be referred to Well-being Circles in the community. On the other end of the spectrum, those with suicidal tendencies may be connected to the Samaritans of Singapore's (SOS') Hotline and Care Text for support. Two, a digital platform, such as Mindline or MindSG. It does not matter which resource users visit first, since both link to each other. Both websites contain curated content by mental health experts, self-assessment tools and links to other resources, including our in-person touchpoints for mental health support.”
“Mr Speaker, I support this Motion and thank my Parliamentary colleagues for their continued advocacy and ideas to improve the mental health and well-being of our people. As mentioned by the Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam, the tiered care model is the foundation of our National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy. I will elaborate further on our initiatives to implement the tiered care model. We will (a) set up first-stop touchpoints to facilitate help-seeking; (b) train frontline social service professionals; and (c) develop a practice guide to enhance service integration between health and social service providers. Mr Speaker, we have a vibrant and thriving mental health services landscape today, with over 200 different services available, including hotlines, websites and in-person services. These services target different levels of mental health needs – from community-led mental health promotion, self-help and peer support at Tier 1, to the most intensive level of care in hospitals and specialist clinics at Tier 4 of our tiered care model. There are also many ground-up initiatives across sectors, such as those under the Beyond the Label Collective, to address the mental health and well-being needs of our people and reduce stigma. I thank all for your passion, determination and for rising to the occasion. These services and ground-up initiatives serve as the foundation of our work, building upon the larger National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy. In spite of our vibrant mental health services landscape, we have heard feedback, however, that help-seeking can be overwhelming as many do not know where, when and how to seek help. This is a key issue for us, as there remains a treatment gap.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. I think there is a plan for us to recruit more officers. In terms of remuneration, again, I share that this is one of several components that we need to look at, in order to make sure that we can better support our officers in child protection so that they can succeed in their work. I would be happy to share more details if I can. But I think off the top of my head, I had checked in with CPS before coming to this Sitting and the average caseload that each officer handles is 40 or less. I can confirm that. There may be some officers who are more experienced, who are more senior, in terms of years in service, who are handling more than this average number. But I think those will be fewer and farther between.”
“The number of new officers. I do not have the numbers on hand, but what the Member is concerned about is caseload. In previous Sittings, we were talking about whether 40 is the right number and, 40 is too high. I remember agreeing with Mr Louis Ng that 40 is a number that is too high. We are trying to bring that number down by making sure that we can recruit as well as retain good CPOs. Mr Louis Ng would, perhaps, be heartened to know that for newer CPOs who join us in the service, the supervisors would take a very caring approach to make sure that they do not immediately go to the level of workload and the level of complexity, in terms of the cases that they handle. Again, I thank the Member for his concern for our CPOs. The Ministry of Social and Family Development share them as well and we want to help in every way possible for them to succeed as well.”
“To address the workload of our CPOs, to help them work more effectively and more efficiently, we have also tried our level best to implement solutions, including technology, such as data analytics, robotic process automation. These tools are really meant to optimise our operations, so that they can focus on the core mission and, that is, child protection; and less so on the more mundane tasks of administration. He asked about endpoint. I do not see an endpoint in sight, because it has got to be an ongoing process. With regard to the last point – if we can just ask the Member to repeat the last point that he made.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. I share as well as appreciate his concern for our CPOs. To his first question on the mean and median salaries, it is not quite possible for us to look at exact numbers, exact salary points, because we are talking about a range of officers with different years in service, with different seniority levels in the Public Service. So, what I have answered in my main reply, was to demonstrate that there is a whole range of officers with different levels of proficiencies. That is to the first point that he made. On the second point about review that was mentioned earlier, I think what Mr Louis Ng was trying to allude to was, what kind of support, more broadly, are we offering to our CPOs. We understand that, as I have mentioned before in a previous Sitting, in a reply to Mr Ng as well, we should look at the entire stream of both recruitment as well as retention; and in the retention phase, the training that we can provide to each CPO as well as the support, in terms of the wellness services that we can provide to each officer. If I can take this opportunity to reiterate some of the initiatives that we have put in place. To support the growth and the wellness of our CPOs, I mentioned before that they undergo a comprehensive training programme. They also receive professional support on mental wellness and development, through structured supervisions, coaching as well as peer support. I know Mr Louis Ng is also very concerned about workload. I think this is a point that he has mentioned a number of times in this Chamber.”
“I thank the Member Dr Tan for his supplementary question. In my private exchanges with Member Mr Ong Hua Han, as well as other persons with disabilities and caregivers, I understand that DPS is a matter of concern to the community. But as I mentioned in my main reply, we do need the means-tested tiering to keep up with the PCHI of today's levels. And as I mentioned earlier in my supplementary reply to Mr Ong Hua Han, we are reviewing DPS. We understand that we need to keep the scheme relevant, but in the context of our more holistic review of the entire transport ecosystem for persons with disabilities and the caregivers. So, this is our commitment.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. The last review of DPS was actually conducted in 2017 and, in that exercise, we updated the income ceiling for the scheme so that we can keep up with the changes in per capita incomes of Singaporeans. And as I have mentioned in my main reply, what we commit to do is to make sure that we review DPS. I think it is timely as part of the larger transport ecosystem, so that it can make public transport more accessible to more and, if we can, all persons with disability.”
“I can agree that 40 is perhaps a tad high. We are trying to go below 40. But for us to commit to a firm number is probably going to be quite hard because of the complexity and the different challenges faced in each case. So, how do you define 40 cases or 38 cases? And what do 38 cases comprise, if 38 is the magic number? Is it made up of 32 complex and six easy cases? Is it going to be six complex and 32 easy cases? It is not going to be a hard number that we can reach. So, I hope the Member can see where I am coming from. I also think that 40 is a little bit too high. We are trying to bring that number for the caseload down, but I do not think we can arrive at a magic number.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. I appreciate and share the Member's concern. I trust the Member would agree with me that, actually, the situation is a function of several factors, one of which is the number of CPOs retiring or leaving service prematurely; two, our ability to recruit more CPOs; and three, there is a lag in time due to the need for professional and proper training for our CPOs. The challenges and complexities that our CPOs face in their daily work, I think that I do not have to say more and the nerve that the CPO actually needs to exhibit just to discharge his or her duty, I believe many Members of the House, members of the public and the Member Mr Louis Ng himself are able to appreciate. So, it is definitely not a job for the faint-hearted and it is not a job that all that many would readily take on, given the high level of dedication and a strong sense of mission that one needs to really show as a CPO. So, we also do not want to just loosen our requirements just to make sure that we can make up the numbers because we want to enforce a higher standard so that our children and our families are properly protected. So, I hope the Member does not misconstrue the situation as the Ministry being reticent to act. Quite the contrary; we are aware of the situation. We salute our CPOs, they are doing good work and we want to support them so that they have every chance to do their work well. But given the compendium of the three factors that we are talking about, we are trying to ramp up recruitment and, at the same time, retain our officers. So, I am afraid I cannot commit to a very firm and hard target for the Member.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his supplementary question. Some of that work is already ongoing. In the reply by MOH to hon Member Mr Gan Thiam Poh's Parliamentary Question in May 2022, MOH has made clear that the outreach by AIC on LPA awareness, on things such as future care planning, is already ongoing. AIC, together with the community partners on the ground, is already doing a lot of work to make sure that the drawing up of an LPA and other related end-of-life or future care planning instruments are as well-known or as propagated as possible. But I do note that there is always capacity to do more. Also, in addition, the fee waiver that has been announced in March 2023 and the extension of an additional three years, these are further incentives on the ground to help encourage the drawing up of LPAs in advance. There has been some momentum, from what I know, there has been quite a bit of community ground-up efforts as well to encourage the drawing up of LPAs as well as advanced care plans. But we note that there is always room and capacity to do more.”
“I thank the Member for her supplementary question. I think we are aligned in terms of wanting to use some of the outcomes and some of the end goals that we want to reach through ComLink and to showcase to more corporates. But bear in mind that we are now at the infancy stage of ComLink rollout. We started the pilots in 2019 in four towns. We ramped it up in 2021 across the whole of Singapore. So, in many ComLink towns today, we are, in fact, in our infancy. But in time to come, we hope to be able to show some of these, not just outcomes, because in terms of outcomes of achieving stability, self-reliance and social mobility, some of these indicators will take some time for us to bear fruit. So, we do want to also look at some of the throughput and output indicators and, eventually, hopefully, have some good outcome indications to show for it. So, we are aligned in the sense that we want to show some of this progress and some of these achievements along the way to more corporates and to more volunteers so that they can all step forward.”
“I thank the Member for her supplementary question. When going out and talking to these ComLink families, what we need to remember is that the volunteer befrienders are always paired with a Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) Family Coach, who is a professional in this case. So, they always go out in pairs, work with these families, talk through their strengths as well as their weaknesses and then, at the end of each session, there will be a debrief and they can look at what are the services, packages, schemes or grants that the families are probably suited and qualify for. So, it is a considered and paired approach that we are taking. So, the befriender is not one who is left to his or her own devices and he is always benefiting from the help of the MSF Family Coach. I hope that gives some assurance to the Member.”
“Sir, the Families100 Programme is a corporate contribution by OCBC for its staff to volunteer as ComLink befrienders and be paired with an MSF Family Coach, to journey with our ComLink families. The objective is to help the ComLink family achieve the three "S" outcomes of Stability, Self-reliance and Social Mobility. Volunteers are introduced to issues and challenges faced by ComLink families. These include mental health issues, substance misuse and domestic violence or abuse. However, the volunteer befrienders are not expected to provide intervention. Such cases should rightfully be managed by social service or healthcare professionals to whom the families would be referred as needed. The progress of all 14,000 families with young children in rental housing, including those under the Family100 Programme, will be tracked under ComLink. Hence, there is no need for separate evaluations. We welcome more corporate partners and community groups to volunteer and join us as ComLink befrienders.”
“As a parent of a young three-year-old myself, I appreciate and echo the Member's call for the nation to continue to listen to the voices of our young ones on how Singapore can move forward and do things better. As the Member noted, the Forward Singapore roadmap recently launched by Deputy Prime Minister Wong is one such example, with numerous consultations held with over 200,000 members of the public over the last 16 months, including youngsters, who voiced their views on issues of concern to them. This is an important part of building a stronger society, and Singapore will continue to engage our children and youth to hear their voices and consider their best interests as we move forward. In conclusion, I thank the Member for her commitment to improving children safety and well-being in Singapore. All of us have, indeed, a role to play to create a safer and better environment for our children, and support them to fulfil their hopes and dreams. Singapore has done well. And as a society, we will continue to press on to create a better future for our children and for our nation. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." (proc text)]”
“MSF, as the lead agency, works with other agencies to ensure that Singapore's policies and practices consider the child's best interests. We have explained this to the United Nations Committee on the Convention on the Rights of the Child in our reports to and constructive dialogues with the Committee, with the assurance that safeguarding the best interests of our children is a shared objective that we will continue to uphold vigorously. To the Member's suggestion to develop a national framework for protecting children, the Government already adopts the principles of the child's best interest and welfare in our laws and policies. These are enshrined in our legislation such as the Children and Young Persons Act and the Adoption of Children Act. Outside of legislation, the various Ministries set targets and approaches on children-related policies and practices in their respective domains of expertise. For instance, the inter-agency taskforce for Child and Maternal Health and Well-being Strategy and Action Plan reviews and develops approaches to achieve better health outcomes for children. For children with disabilities, the Enabling Masterplan 2030 outlines the Government's priorities to scale up learning support and capacity for preschoolers and students in mainstream schools. As for the Member's suggestion to introduce child impact assessments, we engage stakeholders who work closely with children to account for the child's perspective and lived experience and we adopt an outcomes-based approach when developing our policies for children to ensure that they are made in the child's best interest. Over the years, we have found this approach to be effective and sufficient.”
“When parents continue to fail or are unable to keep their child safe, MSF's Child Protective Service (CPS) will intervene to remove the child as a last resort. CPS, together with relevant professionals and community partners, works to stabilise and rebuild family relationships so that the children can be safely reunited, wherever possible. We note the Member's suggestion to set up a dedicated Office for Child Safety. Our efforts over the years have helped to keep the incidence rates of child abuse low, at fewer than three for every 1,000 children. This is much lower compared to other countries, including those that have opted for a standalone Child Safety agency. For example, the incidence rate of children who experienced some form of maltreatment in 2021 was 21 per 1,000 children in Australia and 8.1 per 1,000 children in the United States. Today, we already have a specialised agency for child protection in the form of the Child Protective Service (CPS). At the same time, we recognise that child safety takes place in the context of a family situation. That is why the CPS is part of a larger Rehabilitation and Protection Group in MSF, which also includes the Adult Protective Service as well as the Probation and Community Rehabilitation Service, to help youths who are in the justice system. MSF will continue to work closely with agencies and community partners to detect, identify and provide care and support for child survivors of different forms of abuse. Our policies are also well coordinated in Singapore through an Inter-Ministry Committee that oversees the implementation of national policies relating to children and their progress.”
“These provide marriage support programmes for young couples and family counselling to help families navigate marital and parent-child relationship issues. We give additional support to lower income parents through KidSTART. KidSTART equips parents with the knowledge and skills to nurture their children's development and helps them build stronger bonds with their children. KidSTART, which now comes under the larger umbrella of ComLink+, helps to better ensure that the needs of the children from lower-income households are met, in partnership with preschools and other community partners. Through ComLink+, we assign the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) family coaches to journey with these families and partner them in navigating life's challenges and seize opportunities to build a better future. Our ultimate goal is to enable ComLink+ families to achieve stability, self-reliance and, eventually, social mobility. To ensure the safety and well-being of vulnerable children, MSF has strengthened information-sharing and coordination protocols with various touchpoints in the community. Frontline professionals in preschools, schools, healthcare institutions and social service agencies are trained to identify and report child abuse. The Break the Silence campaign educates and encourages the public to report suspected violence or neglect. To strengthen protection for family violence survivors, including children, the Family Violence (Amendment) Bill was passed in this House in July this year. The amendments strengthen powers for the Government to rehabilitate perpetrators, which is crucial to helping families reconcile once protection and safety for victim-survivors, including children, have been achieved.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank Assoc Prof Razwana Begum for her speech. Indeed, we are united in our goal to advance our children's safety and well-being. In fact, it is this approach that enabled Singapore to make strides in online safety, education, security and child protection. In Singapore, our children are thriving. The National Council of Social Service surveys the quality of life of children and youths, using a common global standard. In its study published in 2022, our children and youths report a high quality of life, comparable to their peers in developed countries. In 2021, the UK charity Save the Children ranked Singapore as the top country where childhood is most protected. The Government has been and will continue to commit to ensure the safety and well-being of our children. We offer good, affordable and accessible healthcare to keep our children healthy. We also provide accessible, affordable and quality education that starts from preschool. We have developed national mental health and well-being strategies to address risks and promote mental health and well-being for youths with such concerns. We also have robust protocols and processes for our child protection ecosystem. From this strong foundation, we must indeed move forward for Singapore's children. In doing so, we must not forget that strong families are the bedrock of our efforts. Strong and resilient families nurture children to become strong individuals and active and compassionate members of our society. As families navigate various milestones in their life journey, we want to ensure parents are equipped with skills to build safe havens for their children. Families can receive support from the Strengthening Families Programme @ Family Service Centres.”
“I thank the Leader of Opposition for his supplementary question. I think the short answer is yes. MSF officers do look at the comprehensive situation of each family, each individual, each household, before rendering the appropriate assistance.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for his supplementary question. I do not have an exact number with me right now but suffice to say we do review this. We do revisit the question of what is needed or what is sufficient for different archetypes, from time to time.”
“" I provided some multiple-choice question (MCQ) options, "Is it through gainful employment or perhaps would you want that to be part of Government assistance?" Again, both of them told me, without coordinating their replies, "Boss, get a job. Earn money. Work hard for these things lor." So, my takeaway earlier from these two conversations is this. Let us not underestimate the agency, the strength and the dignity of our lower-income families and the ability to turn things around and to break the cycle of poverty – with them clearly in the loop, with them clearly holding on to the levers of their own lives.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. I also thank him for making me go through an exercise to jog my memory about what I said yesterday. I remember saying in my reply to a Parliamentary Question (PQ) on ComCare that, actually, we assess our basket of products and services that are needed in a basic package for our ComCare families from time to time. And we have included mobile data plans because they provide for digital connectivity which, in turn, provides for human connection, which is a basic need we assessed. And that is consistent with what I have said today. And I knew about this idea about discretionary items and perfumes, but I am also not aware of how perfumes would add to how we will present ourselves better in our climate which is hot and humid. My point really is, I agree with the Member that we do need to be presentable. But because I knew that I was going to be taking this PQ today, I made two calls this morning to two of my rental flat residents. Both are single mothers; both are in this category of residents that we are discussing about. And I do understand that this is not statistically significant. These are perhaps anecdotes, but these are anecdotes that I thought are instructive. I have sought their permission to share this with the House. I asked them, perfume, jewellery, overseas holidays; what do these items mean to you? How would you describe them? Both of them told me in separate phone conversations without coordination, they tell me almost similar words, and I quote them, "Boss, these are good to have lah." I followed up and I asked, "So, ideally how would you like to be able to afford these items?”
“This is clearly not correct. Lower-income families qualify for and receive more financial help than median households. This is a fact that bears repeating, and I shall say it again. Lower-income households qualify for and receive more financial help than median households. This is not something that has been recognised by the MIS study. The last point I will make: the Member mentioned $6,693 translated into per capita is $1,680 per person – quite a nice number. Under the MIS study, that is perhaps closer, as the Member rightly pointed out, to the average monthly expenditure of $1,650 per person for all families with children – rather than reflecting basic needs. So, this is in line with the spirit of the MIS study, because they are going beyond what are basic needs. They are measuring something that is aspirational, something that is perhaps more than basic. As I mentioned in my main reply, what we cater for in ComCare, in our subsidies and in our financial assistance schemes cater for basic needs. We do need to look at the entirety of what is given or what is provided to the families – not just what the Government gives in terms of financial assistance but also what the community, the corporates give. As I mentioned in the earlier reply in yesterday's Sitting, how we take a "many helping hands" approach in making sure that those with less among us are well catered for. Finally, the last point, I think the Member made reference to a press release. Indeed, a fuller exposition was set out in a joint press release by the Ministry of Finance (MOF), Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and MSF. This was released on 14 September. I refer Members to this press release for a fuller exposition.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. I might want to, just perhaps, remind the Member of two points in my main reply. The first statement in my main reply reads, "We regularly review assistance coverage to ensure adequate assistance for lower-income families to meet their basic living needs." The second point, in the last statement of my short reply, I mentioned that we reference different sources: price data from DOS, views from domain experts, community stakeholders as well as academic studies and research studies that have been commissioned by us in MSF. I thank the Member for raising the spotlight on this MIS study. I just want to quote what the MIS study report stated, and I quote, "It is not just about basic needs like housing, food, clothing but also what it takes to enable a sense of belonging, respect, security, independence." So, quite clearly, even the MIS report itself has defined what they have found as going beyond basic needs. Hence, what they are describing is really about what is aspirational, what perhaps one, or families, would like to have. On this premise, now that we have set it clear, I would also like to raise a few points about the MIS study. The study's methodology – 300 participants, small group discussions – is highly dependent on respondent profile and group dynamics. So, I understand that many respondents themselves in the study are not from lower-income households. And, when in a group, group dynamics is real and, oftentimes, minority participants may find it hard to articulate their views. I shall leave it at that. Also, another assumption that has been made in the study is that lower-income households or lower-income families receive the same amount of financial help as median-income households.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Member Ms Denise Phua for her question. I think I will summarise it into two parts. Firstly, spectrum, yes, we recognise the diversity of this community and we do want to be able to support them in a very targeted fashion. Secondly, in terms of tracking, we do take that feedback and we will see how best we can do it between SG Enable and MSF.”
“I think we do need to initiate a conversation around these issues – not that we have not already, but we need to push the conversation even further so that we can drive this cause to a maximal effect.”