Masagos Zulkifli B M M
Singapore
“Coordination between Early Intervention (EI) centres, families and preschools is important for the continuity of support for children with developmental needs.”
“The Taxi Subsidy Scheme supports persons with disabilities (PwDs) who are unable to take public transport, by providing means-tested subsidies to offset the cost of taxi travel to school, work and employment-related training supported by SG Enable.”
“The Skills and Salary Guidelines published by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) guides social service agencies (SSAs) to pay their employees fair and competitive remuneration and maintain the sector's attractiveness. The Guidelines are adjusted so that salaries remain competitive with comparable roles in competing markets.”
“Staff turnover rates vary across social service agencies (SSAs). An individual's decision to leave an organisation is influenced by a myriad of factors, of which pay is only one.”
“Beyond the requirement of a structured daily programme, community-based SCFA administrators have the flexibility to offer programmes and additional enrichment activities that meet the needs of their students. MSF does not track staff salaries and turnover of SCCs in general nor those that administer SCFA.”
“Male preschool educators comprised about 1% of the early childhood workforce in each of the last five years. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has not issued guidelines pertaining to the rules set by preschool centres specific to the conduct of male preschool educators.”
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“We have considered the suggestion to require the Court order to state which parent is allowed to list the child as an “essential occupier” for the purposes of applying for a HDB flat, in shared care and control cases. After careful consideration, we do not intend to make this a requirement. Orders pertaining to a child are made with the overarching principle of the child’s best interests. When determining issues pertaining to a child’s welfare, the Court order focuses on the rebuilding and restoration of relationships, and for parents to focus on a shared future, instead of specific orders laying down conditions such as the one referred to. As far as possible, we want to encourage divorced parents to work through issues co-operatively and harmoniously, outside of the Court system. This is especially pertinent in cases where there is shared care and control of the child as it is not ideal for parents with shared care and control to seek or rely on Court orders to lay down all matters and details pertaining to care of their children and arrangements after divorce. Instead, they should be working on co-parenting co-operatively, in the child’s best interest. Nonetheless, we recognise that there may be cases where parents are unable to reach an agreement despite their best efforts. In such cases, they can approach HDB to discuss their options. On a case-by-case basis, HDB is prepared to exercise flexibility by waiving the requirement for the ex-spouse’s consent, in the interest of ensuring that the child has a stable housing arrangement.”
“Schools provide a nurturing and supportive environment where students (including those facing family stressors due to parental offending) are provided with social, emotional and learning support. Students can share their concerns and problems with their teachers or school counsellor and seek help. The teachers would look out for any change in the behaviour of the students and follow up with the students or parents when there is a cause for concern. Those without a conducive home environment are supported through after-school care and engagement, with Student Care Centres at every Primary school and the GEAR-UP programme in Secondary schools. The Singapore Prison Service has also put in place measures to support inmates and their families. New inmates are encouraged to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Community Project where volunteers reach out to and support their families and link them up with various social support and community programmes such as study programmes for the children. Prisons also collaborates widely with community partners specialising in children’s work. For instance, The Salvation Army, Industrial & Services Co-operative Society Ltd and The Singapore Children’s Society run initiatives like Kids-in-Play, Fairy Godparent and Project Relate, which are targeted at inmates and families-in-need, especially those involving children. The children are also supported through counselling, bursary awards, tuition assistance and family bonding programmes.”
“A whole-of-society approach is taken to support families in need, including those impacted by offending or incarceration. Such families can access a range of social support, including ComCare financial assistance from MSF and socio-emotional and educational support from community partners. At the point of arrest, law enforcement agencies will check if the accused person has any children who require immediate childcare arrangements and ensure that suitable caregivers are identified to care for the children where needed. If there are child protection concerns (for example, abuse or neglect), the law enforcement agencies will alert MSF’s Child Protective Service who will step in as needed to ensure the safety and welfare of the children. If the investigators identify other social needs, such as the children’s emotional distress or lack of supervision due to the absence of the parent/caregiver, a referral will be made to the Family Service Centres (FSCs). The FSCs will coordinate intervention and support across different agencies, including the schools and youth centres, depending on the family’s needs. The support provided could include counselling the children, helping them develop problem-solving skills and keeping them meaningfully engaged in their studies or work. Mentoring can also provide the children with positive role models in the absence of an adult/parental figure. Where financial assistance is needed, law enforcement agencies, FSCs and any touchpoint agencies whom the family is known to can link up with the Social Service Offices so that the families can be provided financial support for their basic living expenses.”
“(c) The level of subsidies and social transfers received by lower-income families may not be fully reflected, as the study did not factor in non-cash assistance such as rebates for Service & Conservancy Charges. It also would not be able to reflect the flexibility that agencies exercise to provide greater assistance to families with extenuating circumstances. Every study has inherent limitations as assumptions must be made which do not always pan out in reality. However, studies like the recent MIS study are useful in encouraging conversations on the kind of society we desire and how to get there collectively. The Government will certainly continue to strengthen social support and the delivery of social services to help those in need. At the same time, we hope that greater awareness of the various needs in our society will lead many individuals, groups and corporates who care to also step forth to play an active part in meeting these needs and help to build a more caring and inclusive society.”
“MSF reviews the ComCare cash assistance rates regularly to ensure that it keeps pace with the cost of living to help recipients meet their daily needs and that ComCare objectives are being met. In our reviews, we look at daily living expenditure data of low-income families collected by the Department of Statistics. We also consider input from stakeholders such as social workers, frontline officers, and beneficiaries. We last increased our ComCare cash assistance rates in July 2019. The "Minimum Income Standards for Households in Singapore" study published by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and NTU, like other studies and reports, offers an additional data point for Government on Singaporean households’ expectations and aspirations in terms of their well-being. When considering such studies, it is important to understand their strengths and limitations in their design, methodology or conclusions, so that we draw the right learning points. For instance: (a) The study was done through focus group discussions that involved around 200 participants across 24 focus groups, with most of them having post-Secondary education and about 15% living in private properties. Therefore, the study and findings are: firstly, not representative of the opinion of the national population; secondly, not just merely reflective of the opinions of what low-income families see as basic needs. (b) The study’s estimates include discretionary expenditure items such as private enrichment classes, overseas holidays and jewellery and perfumes. For lower-income families, there are alternatives to some of these items, such as Government-subsidised student care centres or enrichment and tuition classes provided by self-help groups at low cost.”
“The Government provides multiple lines of assistance to support individuals and families in a holistic manner. These range from broad-based subsidies in housing, healthcare and education, to more targeted forms of support like ComCare financial assistance for those who require additional support for their basic living expenses. Our taxes and transfers are progressive. Low-income households receive the highest level of transfers. We keep the tax burden as low as possible for the middle-income, so that they get to keep more of their pay and have the freedom of choice in spending, including to give back to those with less. Together, this complements family support and the generosity of the community as key pillars of our Social Compact to uplift those in need. ComCare Long-Term Assistance (LTA), also referred to as Public Assistance, is provided to those who are permanently unable to work due to old age, illness or disability and have little or no means of income and family support. Households that require help to tide over temporary financial difficulty are provided with ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA). When assessing ComCare applications, our Social Service Offices (SSOs) work with the family to understand their needs holistically and the streams of support that they have. ComCare beneficiaries receive comprehensive support that includes cash assistance to help the family meet the income shortfall for their daily living expenses on basic needs, such as food, transport and communications. Depending on the household’s needs, they may also receive free medical treatment at public healthcare institutions and be referred to relevant Government agencies or our community partners for further support.”
“Between 2016 and 2020, the Syariah Court received an annual average of about 3,300 registrations for the Marriage Counselling Programme and 1,900 applications for divorce. On average, about 1,600 of these cases ultimately ended in divorce. The top three reasons for causes of Muslim divorces within that period are infidelity, financial problems and desertion.”
“Social workers in Family Service Centres (FSCs) partner individuals and families to address their social needs. FSCs refer to the FSC-Code of Social Work Practice (FSC-CSWP) to classify each case into one of four case groups based on its assessed risk and complexity. Cases with higher risks and complexity of needs are assigned higher CSWP groupings. FSCs review the cases regularly and adjust the CSWP classifications accordingly. From FY2018 to FY2020, the total number of active cases in each grouping1 managed by FSCs is in Table 1 below. We do not have data for the period before FY2018. The total number of social workers handling cases2 in FSCs has increased steadily over the past five years, from 658 in FY2016 to 673 in FY2017, 680 in FY2018, 925 in FY2019 and 1,015 in FY2020.”
“FSCs are funded for case work, group work and community work, and have the flexibility to internally reallocate resources amongst these interventions according to their needs. The resourcing required for specific community work projects varies, given the diverse nature of the assessed needs and projects. FSCs also tap on community partnerships and resources to deliver community work projects. MSF conducts regular reviews of funding to FSCs to ensure they have the resources they need to carry out their work. Over and above the funded community work services, FSCs have also been able to contribute to areas of community needs through their parent organisations’ services and cooperation with other community partners and member organisations of the National Council of Social Service.”
“Family Service Centres (FSCs) partner individuals and families to address their social needs. FSC social workers carry out social work intervention through case work, group work and community work. Community work involves FSCs tapping on local community strengths and networks to build the community, promote individual and community’s well-being, as well as support individuals and families in need. Community work can range from outreach activities and assessment of community needs and assets, to community projects such as food distribution for low-income families, in collaboration with other agencies and partners. One example is the FSCs’ partnership with the SG Cares Community Network to conduct outreach to public rental households during the COVID-19 pandemic last year. In view of the diversity of community needs, FSCs have the flexibility to determine the type and nature of community work required based on the needs of their local community. Given the variation of practices, MSF does not currently use a standardised rubric to evaluate the effectiveness of community work. That said, MSF convened a workgroup in 2019 comprising social work professionals from the FSCs and academia to develop an FSC-Code of Social Work Practice (CSWP) Community Work practice guide. This guide further elaborates on how to operationalise and evaluate community work within an FSC setting and seeks to document best practices in community work. MSF intends to roll out this practice guide in 2022. After the guide is rolled out, MSF intends to work with FSCs to review the impact and effectiveness of their various community work projects.”
“We will not only connect families with food needs to food support, but also support them in addressing the underlying causes of their food insecurity, such as unemployment or health issues. It takes a whole-of-society effort to look out for one another. If anyone encounters a neighbour, friend or family member who needs support, they can call the ComCare hotline at 1800-222-0000 or refer them to the nearest SSO or Family Service Centre for assistance.”
“As part of the support to households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government distributed grocery and food vouchers to lower-income families under the Care and Support Package and the Community Development Councils Vouchers Scheme. These measures were part of the suite of Budget relief schemes, such as the COVID-19 Recovery Grant, for affected workers suffering income or job loss and helped the lower-income cope with household expenditures, including food expenses. MSF works closely with our community partners to strengthen support for food insecure households. In 2019, MSF convened a cross-sector Charity Food Workgroup, comprising food charities, Government agencies, corporates and volunteers. The workgroup is developing a food directory and database, and piloting "local food coordinators". The objective of these initiatives is to better identify and match households with food needs to food support organisations, and ensure that beneficiaries receive the correct type and amount of food support that meets their dietary needs. During the 2020 circuit breaker, the Charity Food Workgroup worked closely with Government agencies, social service agencies, food charities and volunteer groups to ensure the continuity of food support. The SG Cares Community Network subsequently activated agencies and volunteers to proactively reach out to all 50,000 rental households across Singapore. Households that indicated food needs were linked up to further support, including food charities or meal delivery services for those with mobility or health issues. Going forward, MSF will be scaling up Community Link to strengthen support for 14,000 families with young children living in rental housing.”
“While MSF does not specifically track the number of Singaporean households experiencing food insecurity, Singapore has performed favourably in international comparisons of food insecurity. For instance, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s 2021 report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World estimated that 4.5% of Singapore’s population in Singapore faced at least moderate food insecurity. This was lower than other developed economies like Australia, New Zealand and the United States. MSF recognises that there are vulnerable groups within our community who require assistance and we support them in a number of ways. Low-income households with difficulties meeting their basic living needs can approach the Social Service Offices (SSOs) for assistance. Those who are eligible for ComCare will receive comprehensive support, which include cash assistance for basic living expenses such as food-related expenditures, employment assistance, as well as support with household and medical bills. SSOs also link households up with other Government agencies and Social Service Agencies (SSAs) for additional support. Examples include MOH’s Meals-on-Wheels programme, which delivers cooked meals to homebound seniors with limited social support, and MOE’s School Meals Programme for Primary and Secondary school students on the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS). SSOs, Family Service Centres, Community Justice Centre and Citizens’ Consultative Committees also provide interim cash and supermarket vouchers for households facing immediate needs.”
“MSF has rolled out the Family Violence Awareness Training to more partners this year, including staff and volunteers from educational institutions, grassroots and religious organisations. These included PCF Sparkletots, ITE College Central, EtonHouse Community Fund, the People’s Association, MUIS and the Presbyterian Church in Singapore. Beyond training various partners to recognise signs and symptoms of family violence, MSF has also worked with FairPrice and Unity Pharmacy to make available brochures and posters on family violence across their retail outlets, to reach out to customers who may not feel comfortable approaching staff members directly for help. MSF will continue to expand our outreach to more organisations, particularly partners that are likely to have direct contact with survivors of family violence or with groups that are at a higher risk of family violence. MSF is reaching out to other pharmacies to explore such efforts and welcomes other organisations to step forward and partner us. I would also like to thank the Member for his earlier suggestion in March this year on the use of non-verbal cues, such as a discreet "signal for help", by students during virtual lessons to indicate that they are experiencing abuse at home. The Taskforce agrees that this is something worth doing and has included this in its recommendations. MSF has already started looking into ways to make it easier for persons experiencing family violence to signal that they need help promptly and discreetly. We will release further details later this year.”
“I will address both the Member’s questions on family violence in this reply. It takes a whole-of-society effort to tackle family violence. The multi-stakeholder Taskforce on Family Violence (Taskforce), which I co-chaired with Minister of State for Home Affairs, Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, released its report late last month, detailing a set of 16 recommendations aimed at improving immediate support for survivors of family violence, enhancing protection for them, preventing violence from recurring and raising awareness of early warning signs. The Taskforce’s report and recommendations, which build on the existing work by the Government and community partners in the area of family violence, seek to strengthen efforts in tackling family violence over the next few years. We do not condone violence against any person and these recommendations are intended to support all persons affected by family violence, regardless of nationality, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. The Government is considering the set of recommendations carefully and will respond to the Taskforce’s report thereafter. It is heartening to know that many community partners, agencies and individuals feel strongly about tackling family violence. MSF actively seeks out and collaborates with community partners and organisations to strengthen community detection of violence and refers persons experiencing violence to available support. For instance, MSF worked with Unity Pharmacy to provide Family Violence Awareness Training to over 40 pharmacists in November 2020 and more than 120 retail assistants in April 2021. The intent is to equip them with skills to detect signs and symptoms of family violence among customers who approach them for medication or advice.”
“Currently, there are about 38,000 applicants who have registered with the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) to perform Haj in the coming years. Out of this group, there are approximately 34,500 first-time applicants, of which (a) 7,500 applicants are 40 years old and below, (b) 18,000 applicants are between the ages of 41 and 60 years old, and (c) 9,000 applicants are 61 years old and above. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has yet to announce the status and arrangements for Haj 2022 and beyond. Since the onset of COVID-19, the KSA has restricted Haj to a limited number of pilgrims who were citizens and residents within the KSA. With the deferment of international Haj in the past two years, Singapore has been reiterating its requests to the Ministry for Haj and Umrah in the KSA for additional Haj places, beyond the official quota allocated to Singapore, so that more Singaporean pilgrims will be able to perform the Haj when it resumes for international pilgrims. Should Haj be allowed for international pilgrims in 2022, MUIS, in consultation with our Ministry of Health, will assess the prevailing public health situation in Singapore and around the world, and the health risks of sending a delegation. Our priority will be to safeguard the health and well-being of our Singapore pilgrims and our community in Singapore.”
“With the expanded Progressive Wage approach, including the new LQS requirements, we expect more families to see an improvement in their financial circumstances and achieve self-reliance in the long run.”
“The Government uplifts our lower-wage workers through a multi-pronged approach. Workfare boosts income and retirement savings, and encourages skills upgrading. Progressive Wages provides job and training progression pathways for lower-wage workers, and grows their wages as they improve their skills and productivity. From 1 September 2022, firms that hire foreign workers will have to pay all their Singaporean employees at least the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS). This is part of the recent recommendations by the Tripartite Workgroup on Lower-Wage Workers that the Government has accepted, which includes expanding the coverage of Progressive Wages, and introducing the Progressive Wage Mark. The Government has also committed to enhancing the Workfare Income Supplement scheme by 2023. Households with lower-wage workers can therefore expect to see an increase in their household income over the next two years. The Government provides multiple layers of assistance to support lower-income individuals and their families. The eligibility criteria, including income thresholds, vary for different schemes as they serve different purposes and channel support towards different target groups. These eligibility criteria are reviewed from time to time to ensure that the schemes continue to meet their intended objectives. The new LQS requirements have no bearing on the eligibility criteria of social support schemes or how individuals and families are assessed for such schemes. Our social support grants, such as ComCare assistance, are intended to tide families through temporary periods of need, as they work towards improving their circumstances.”
“Grandparents may be the main caregiver of their grandchildren due to various circumstances. Some of these circumstances could include neglect, abuse, or abandonment of the child by his or her parents. The parents may also be unable to care for their children due to death, incarceration, or serious medical issues. For grandparents who are MSF-appointed kin carers of abused, neglected or abandoned children, they will be supported by case workers from MSF or selected social service agencies that have been appointed as Child Protection Specialist Centres or Fostering Agencies. Since 1 July 2020, MSF-appointed kin carers have also been entitled to childcare leave to support them in their caregiving role. Grandparents and non-parent caregivers experiencing financial difficulties in caring for children may be eligible for financial assistance to defray the basic living expenses and additional costs for the child’s needs under their care. In addition, grandparents who require financial assistance with their basic living expenses may also apply for ComCare support. They could approach their nearest Social Service Office (SSO) or call the ComCare hotline at 1800-222-000 for support and further details. Grandparents may also approach Family Service Centres (FSCs)1 for support to address their family and socio-emotional issues. FSCs will provide case management and coordinate support with various agencies where necessary, such as schools and childcare centres. Grandparents caring for their grandchildren may also approach Parenting Support Providers (PSPs)2 to be equipped with parenting and grandparenting skills and knowledge. In addition, counselling services are available at Strengthening Families Programme @ FSCs (FAM@FSCs) if they face family relationship issues.”
“The extended post-care support commenced in 2019 with a small group of youths discharged from the Homes, but has been extended to all youths discharged from MSF Youth Homes since February 2021. NCPR has also introduced programmes to enhance support for children and families impacted by incarceration. In October 2020, Singapore Prison Service (SPS) worked with MSF to strengthen case coordination and information exchange between the Family Service Centres (FSCs) and SPS to enable offenders’ families to receive timely support from FSCs and community partners. Under this initiative, SPS systematically identifies newly admitted inmates whose families need more support, including families with young children. With their consent, the families are referred to the FSC nearest to their residence so that social workers can assess their needs and develop support plans for these families, where needed. The efforts of Government agencies and community partners, including those of the NCPR, have contributed to a lower rate of offending and re-offending. The number of youth offenders1 has decreased by 43.3% from 4,174 in 2010 to 2,3672 in 2020. The overall two-year recidivism rate for offenders has also fallen from 27.3% for the cohort released in 2008, to 22.1% for the cohort released in 2018. The NCPR will continue to work closely with its partners, to deal with emerging areas of concern, and enhance preventive and rehabilitative interventions for the at-risk and offender populations.”
“The National Committee on Prevention, Rehabilitation and Recidivism (NCPR) was set up in April 2018 to oversee national efforts to prevent offending and re-offending, and enhance the rehabilitation of offenders. It comprises representatives from Government agencies and community partners. The NCPR has spearheaded several key initiatives since its inception. The Localised Community Network (LCN) was piloted in 2019, to provide support for children and youth with complex family circumstances or those who exhibited at-risk behaviours. This initiative involves schools, community agencies and other partners sharing information to facilitate the early identification of risks and needs and coordinating timely and holistic support for these children or youth and their families. Thus far, the pilot has supported over 120 students and their families. The LCN pilot complements the comprehensive system in schools to support students. This includes programmes to strengthen students’ engagement in school and address absenteeism issues early, to prevent long-term absenteeism and dropping out of schools. To support youth offenders who are discharged from MSF Youth Homes, post-care support has been extended from two months to one year, to better support them as they transition back to living in the community. Post-care officers provide guidance to these youths, helping to sustain and reinforce the skills learnt and habits formed during their stay in the Homes. Post-care officers also collaborate with key stakeholders, families and volunteers to monitor the youths’ progress and ensure they remain meaningfully engaged (e.g. in school, training, or employment).”
“In coordination with the Public Service Division, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) had considered several qualified candidates to be appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA). Mr Tan Chee Wee was assessed to be the most suitable among the candidates. Mr Tan is not unfamiliar with the social sector as he had previously served in the then-Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports from 2006 to 2008, where he supervised the macro-planning of government-funded social services and development of the social service sector, building up capabilities and human resources.”
“We ensure that fees at government-supported preschools are kept affordable, and have enhanced preschool subsidies in January 2020. With enhanced subsidies, low-income families earning $3,000 or less per month pay $3 a month for full-day childcare at an Anchor Operator preschool. This is because we want to give every child the best start in life, regardless of their family background or circumstance. Providing them with an enabling environment, where they can flourish and achieve their fullest potential. In sum, the Government will continue to support Singaporeans in employment, and in starting and raising their families, whether through measures that provide direct financial support, or more targeted measures in key aspects such as preschool, education, healthcare, and housing. Everyone has a part to play in this effort, from employers enabling efforts to uplift the wages of lower wage workers, to the community looking out for each other. If you come across individuals or families who require support, please reach out to us at our ComCare hotline at 1800-222-000, or approach the nearest SSO, so that we can follow up and offer the appropriate support.”
“The PWM will be extended to more sectors and occupations starting next year, to put them on a wage growth trajectory that outpaces that of the median worker in the years ahead. As PM had announced at his National Day Rally speech, Workfare will also be enhanced from 2023 to provide higher payouts to all recipients, and to support younger lower-wage workers from age 30. In addition, from 1 September 2022, firms that hire foreign workers will have to pay all their Singaporean employees at least the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) of $1,400. Together with Workfare, this means that employees who benefit from the LQS will receive an income of at least $1,540 to $1,730 per month, depending on their age. We have also put in place a comprehensive Marriage and Parenthood Package to support families. Married parents of citizen children receive financial support through the Baby Bonus Cash Gift and Government contributions to the Child Development Account (CDA). This year, we increased the cap on the Government’s dollar-for-dollar co-matching of parents’ savings in the CDA for the second child from $3,000 to $6,000. In 2016, we introduced the CDA First Step Grant, which is a $3,000 deposit by the Government when the CDA is opened without parents having to save first. It is especially beneficial to lower-income families. Other benefits given to all citizen children, regardless of their parents’ marital status, include healthcare subsidies, MediSave Grant for Newborns, MediShield Life coverage from birth, and the Migrant Domestic Worker Levy Concession. The Government is also committed to ensuring that every family has access to affordable and quality preschool.”
“The Government is committed to creating an uplifting society, where all Singaporeans have opportunities to do well for themselves and their families. To this end, we have progressively strengthened our social safety nets and have increased support for Singaporeans in key domains of need over the years. We recognise that the income required to support individuals and their families varies depending on their needs and circumstances, and that we can help them with their aspirations. Therefore, our approach is one where the Government provides multiple lines of assistance and extends support to individuals and families in a targeted and holistic manner. These range from broad-based and right-sizing of subsidies in housing, healthcare, and education, to more targeted forms of support like ComCare financial assistance for those who require additional support for their basic living expenses. MSF regularly reviews the ComCare eligibility criteria and guidelines for assistance quantum based on national statistical data by the Department of Statistics (DOS), and input from relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries. The amount of Government transfers has also increased over the past year, with resident households in HDB 1-2 room flats receiving the highest amount at $13,670 per household member on average last year. Ultimately, we agree with our union leaders that the best welfare is work. In addition to being gainfully employed, we are also taking active steps to enable our lower-wage workers to attain higher wages. The Progressive Wage Model (PWM) and Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme are key strategies that will help us to achieve this.”
“Social workers in Family Service Centres (FSCs) partner individuals and families to address their social needs. FSCs refer to the FSC-Code of Social Work Practice (FSC-CSWP) to classify each case into one of four case groups based on its assessed risk and complexity. Cases with higher risks and complexity of needs are assigned higher CSWP groupings. From FY2018 to FY2020, the average and median number of cases in each grouping managed by each FSC social worker is in Table 1. We do not have data for the period before FY2018.”
“Based on MSF's Manpower and Salary Survey (MPSS) of Social Service Agencies (SSAs) conducted in 2015, 2017 and 2019, the proportion of full-time, resident employees1 with salaries adhering to the recommended starting salaries in the salary guidelines ranged from 87% in 2015, to 76% in 2017 and 79% in 2019. This is amidst increments in the guidelines of approximately 3% to 4% annually, to keep pace with comparable jobs in other sectors and general wage movements. This was also accompanied by increases in monthly median salaries whereby, for example, entry-level social workers’ salaries increased from $3,400 in 2015 and 2017 to $3,600 in 2019. SSAs are reliant on external funding, fund-raising and the generosity of donors to support their operating costs. SSAs have cited the ability to sustain the recurrent cost of salaries as a key consideration in deciding staff salaries. MSF and NCSS will continue to work closely with the sector to strengthen their capacities and capabilities, so that their salaries can be more aligned to the guidelines. MSF and NCSS also respect each SSAs’ underlying mission and philosophy in delivering social services. We strongly encourage the sector, including the Boards of SSAs, to adopt the guidelines, so as to be able to recruit and retain competent and dedicated professionals who play an important role in supporting the sector’s work and ensuring that beneficiaries are well-served.”
“Between 2011 and 2020, there were a total of 16,456 Muslim divorces registered with the Syariah Court (SYC). During the same 10-year period, a total of 915 cases involved the appointment of an arbitrator (hakam) in the divorce proceedings. Less than one percent of such cases required a second set of arbitrators. The SYC does not track divorce data by the classifications cited. We consider every divorce case on its own grounds and merit and the legal process is the same.”
“We have received much feedback and suggestions from the public and various organisations in the course of the Conversations on Singapore Women’s Development. The Government is studying these ideas carefully, many of which aim to strengthen protection of all Singapore women, including LBTQ women and will include the salient issues in the White Paper. The Government takes a serious view on violence, discrimination and hate speech. We do not condone harassment, threats, incitement of violence, or use of violence against any person, regardless of gender, sexual orientation or gender identity. In cases where the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act does not apply, remedies under the Penal Code or the Protection from Harassment Act are available, subject to the facts of each case.”
“The COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG) supports lower- to middle-income resident employees and self-employed persons who, as a result of the economic impact of COVID-19, are: (a) involuntarily unemployed due to retrenchment or contract termination; (b) placed on involuntary No-Pay Leave (NPL) for at least three consecutive months; or (c) experiencing monthly salary loss or net trade income loss of at least 50% on average for at least three consecutive months. CRG is intended to target support at those with lesser means and who are significantly impacted by COVID-19. Compared to an absolute income loss criterion, the percentage-based income loss criterion allows us to better target help to individuals in financial difficulty due to loss of a significant proportion of their income, regardless of their absolute income loss. The percentage-based income loss criterion is more advantageous for lower income workers because workers with higher income must experience a larger absolute income loss to qualify for CRG assistance. We recognise that there may be some who do not meet the CRG eligibility criteria but are in need of assistance due to extenuating circumstances. We encourage those facing financial difficulties to approach our Social Service Offices (SSOs). Our SSOs will assess their needs and circumstances and provide other assistance such as ComCare if they are eligible, or link them up with other forms of community support.”
“We will continue to work closely with the sector and ensure that social workers are adequately supported in their professional journey.”
“To boost retention of social workers, the social work sub-team of the SkillsFuture Tripartite Taskforce (STT), which comprises representatives from community and Government agencies, has looked into continuous professional development of those in the profession, as well as clinical supervision and mentoring by the Singapore Association of Social Workers. At the same time, the STT has also identified self-care as an important factor for reducing attrition among social workers and has therefore partnered practitioners to promote self-care among social workers. In addition, to support fresh social work graduates entering the social service sector, the Social Service Institute offers onboarding programmes that equip new social workers with knowledge of various social work settings. While financial reward may not be the sole motivation for social work professionals, we recognise that other employers in the broader labour market will continue to pay competitively to attract talent and social work professionals need to be adequately compensated for their contributions. This is why we have developed salary guidelines for the sector and strongly encourage SSAs to adopt the guidelines. At the broader level, the Social Service Tribe has been key in promoting the branding (including debunking common career myths) of the social service sector. The Tribe initiative will continue to engage SSAs to build their own value proposition to attract and retain manpower. In addition, MSF supports the Singapore Association of Social Workers in organising the annual Outstanding Social Worker and Promising Social Worker Awards ceremony, to recognise the exemplary contributions of social workers.”
“Social workers are employed in a range of settings from the social service sector to the healthcare and education sectors. MSF does not currently track changes in employment for all social workers, given that social workers work in a diverse range of organisations and it would be challenging to do so. We do, however, track the key reasons based on Social Service Agencies’ (SSAs) declarations for staff resignations and turnover, that is, changes in employment or employer. For social service sector employees in general, the top reasons declared for resignation based on MSF’s Manpower and Salary Survey in 2019 included: (a) other opportunities for their career growth; (b) family and caregiving reasons; and (c) issues with job fit. We recognise that retention of social workers is a key component of effective social service. On an ongoing basis, MSF and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) work closely with SSAs to understand their manpower needs and work on strategies to improve the retention of their employees, including social workers. In supporting SSAs to develop career progression pathways, MSF, NCSS and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) had launched the Skills Framework for Social Service (SFwSS) in 2019. The SFwSS provides information on the range of jobs and career pathways available in the sector and employers are encouraged to utilise the framework to improve talent attraction, performance appraisal and retention.”
“The Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents allows parents to file for a maintenance order against their children who are not supporting them financially, if conciliation by the Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents does not work out. From 2016 to 2020, the Tribunal received close to 200 applications, of which about two-thirds were granted maintenance. Of these, 82% of the parents were awarded a monthly quantum of less than $500. Thirteen percent were in the $500 to $999 band, 4% were in the $1,000 to $1,499 band and 1% received $1,500 or more per month. On a yearly basis, the proportions based on the various bands remain generally similar. Please refer to Tables 1 and 2. The Maintenance of Parents Act allows for parents to claim for their basic needs. The amount ordered varies depending on the parents’ needs and circumstances, and what their children are able to afford. The Tribunal may dismiss claims or reduce the quantum ordered if the parent had abused, neglected or abandoned his or her children. The Tribunal may also refer the parents to the Social Service Office for financial assistance, if they are not awarded any maintenance, or if the maintenance awarded is insufficient to meet their basic needs.”
“This includes areas such as volunteer management, digitalisation, evaluation and research, among others.”
“Based on MSF's Manpower and Salary Survey (MPSS) which collects manpower and salary data from Social Service Agencies (SSAs), there were around 16,500 social service sector employees in 2019. About 60% of these employees were in positions that provide direct social services, including social workers, therapists, counsellors and care staff, among others. Social workers comprised 14% of all social service sector employees, or around one-quarter of employees who provide direct social services. The remaining 40% of social service sector employees were employed in functions that do not deliver direct social services, such as human resource, administration and finance, communications, fundraising, volunteer management and others. As SSAs have different organisational structures and requirements, we do not set targets on the distribution or size of staff in corporate functions. Instead, we have been partnering SSAs to strengthen their capabilities, which includes corporate functions and have introduced various initiatives to do so. This includes schemes to help SSAs diagnose areas for improvement and implement solutions such as the People Practice Consultancy (PPC) and Organisation Development Journey (ODJ), and schemes to help SSAs hire to expand their corporate functions and implement capability-building projects such as the Enhanced Volunteer Manager Funding Scheme (EVMFS) and Transformation Support Scheme (TSS). Apart from these schemes, SSAs can tap various other grants under the VWOs-Charities Capability Fund (VCF). The Community Capability Trust (CCT) will open for applications in FY2022 and will build upon our existing efforts to further support SSAs to achieve organisational excellence.”
“To encourage more employers to hire persons with disabilities, President’s Challenge 2020 focused its year-long efforts on empower persons with disabilities through rallying employers to reaffirm their commitment to inclusive hiring. As at 31 August 2021, 148 employers have pledged their commitment. In addition, SG Enable launched the Enabling Mark in October 2020, the first national-level accreditation framework that benchmarks and recognises organisations for their best practices and outcomes in disability-inclusive employment. The inaugural Enabling Mark Awards Ceremony was held last month where 88 organisations were accredited with the Enabling Mark. Building on these efforts, MSF is currently working with its partners to implement the recommendations of the Third Enabling Masterplan’s (EMP3) Workgroup on Preparing Persons with Disabilities for the Future Economy. The workgroup released their report in April 2021 and its recommendations seek to better prepare special education students for employment, create new employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, support them in upgrading their skills and better recognise and incentivise inclusive employers. The Government has accepted these recommendations and has started implementing some of them over the past year, for example, by enhancing the Open Door Programme (ODP) Training Grant and introducing the Enabling Employment Credit (EEC) and the Enabling Mark. We will continue to monitor our existing measures and explore ways to enhance lifelong learning as well as employment opportunities for individuals with autism and intellectual disability through the Enabling Masterplan 2030.”
“The new customised Place and Train (PnT), Attach and Train (AnT) and Skills Development Programmes (SDP) complement existing efforts under the ODP, to support employment and training for PwDs. Persons with disabilities who participate in any of these programmes will benefit from a 90% course fee subsidy for courses that they attend while employers will receive up to 90% of salary support from the Government for the placement of these persons with disabilities. These efforts will help to enhance access to training, employment and other related opportunities for persons with disabilities amid the continued impact of COVID-19 on Singaporeans, as well as to lower the costs for employers, host companies and training providers in offering these new programmes to persons with disabilities. More than 100 PwDs have benefited from these programmes. We will review whether to continue the programmes after this year. The Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI) was introduced in August 2020 to support employers to expand local hiring. Employers hiring eligible locals can receive up to $15,000 per hire. Those hiring mature workers, persons with disabilities and ex-offenders will receive higher support of up to $54,000 per hire. The JGI has supported the hiring of more than 1,600 persons with disabilities as at February 2021. This includes PwDs who may have been out of the labour force, but are now able to find a job with the support of progressive employers. About six in 10 were not employed at the point of hire, and more than half of these persons had been out of work for more than six months.”
“To help persons with disabilities gain employment, the Government supports employers of persons with disabilities with the Enabling Employment Credit (EEC). The EEC provides employers with wage offsets for each Singaporean person with disability earning below $4,000 per month that they employ. In addition, persons with disabilities seeking employment could tap on the Open Door Programme (ODP), which is administered by SG Enable with support from Workforce Singapore. The ODP provides job placement and job support services for persons with disabilities and their employers. Persons with disabilities receive up to one year of job matching, training and other support services provided by partner organisations such as Autism Resource Centre and Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore. These partner organisations are experienced in working with persons with autism and persons with intellectual disability and have trained job coaches to provide customised employment support to these individuals. Employees with disabilities can also tap on the ODP Training Grant for upskilling and training courses for continual learning and training. The ODP Training Grant, which was enhanced in July 2020, offers 95% course subsidy and a training allowance for employees. Between 2014 and 2020, under the ODP, SG Enable and its partners placed over 3,000 clients in employment through job placement and job support services, and trained more than 2,500 persons with disabilities. Amid the continued impact of COVID-19 on Singaporeans, the Government launched three new programmes to enhance access to training and employment opportunities for PwDs this year.”
“Social Work is a profession that engages people and systems to address issues and problems in life to enhance well-being. Social Workers need to have mastery of theoretical and research-based knowledge and have deep skills to make assessments and interventions within professional standards of practice and adhere to the Social Work Profession’s code of conduct and ethical principles. The roles of Social Workers are multifaceted. These include how to conduct risk assessment and mobilising of individuals and resources to keep persons safe especially if they are vulnerable. They have the responsibility to make timely professional judgement calls and work with involuntary clients to receive help and improve their well-being. The rigour of Social Work training at the undergraduate level ensures that Social Workers are able to apply casework, work with groups and communities to solve problems, improve well-being and advocate for vulnerable clients to keep them safe. The basic entry qualification for professional Social Workers in other countries (for example, United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines) is a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. Diploma holders can take on the role of Social Work Associates and work alongside Social Workers in their professional role. To become a Social Worker, diploma holders have the option of enrolling in an undergraduate programme at the National University of Singapore or the Singapore University of Social Services. Their training at the diploma level may be recognised (subject to each University’s specific admission criteria) and they can complete the Social Work programme within a shorter duration.”
“Section 139 of the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA) was enacted in 1966, and imposes criminal sanctions on those who promulgate false doctrines. This section was amended in 1999. Offences under AMLA are reviewed periodically to ensure they are consistent with broader legal policies and are effective in deterring offenders. Any attempt to apply legislation to religious matters must be carefully considered. In the case of deviant teachings, I previously shared that MUIS seeks to address these problems at the root, by adopting a multi-pronged approach of counselling individuals and inoculating the public against harmful ideologies.”
“Since 2013, working parents have been entitled to two days of paid Extended Childcare Leave (ECL) per year if their youngest citizen child is aged seven to 12 years. The percentage of eligible working mothers and fathers who took two days of ECL from 2016 to 2019 are in Table 1 below. Data for 2020 is not available as not all the claims have been submitted – parents can consume ECL within a 12-month period and employers have three months afterwards to submit the claims.”
“Mental well-being is a pertinent issue, and has been brought to the fore by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the start of the circuit breaker, MSF and MOH set up a dedicated National CARE Hotline, to provide emotional and psychological first aid to those who have been affected by COVID-19. The hotline has managed over 45,000 calls since it commenced operations in April 2020. The number of calls managed by the hotline has decreased from a monthly average of 9,800 during the circuit breaker period to an average of 1,600 calls in recent months. Since the inception of the hotline, the common issues faced by callers have consistently included the need for emotional support, mental health, as well as marital and family issues. Callers who need further psychological help are referred to public healthcare institutions or community service providers for follow-up.”
“Family Service Centres (FSCs) serve individuals and families who need help addressing their social needs. FSC cases are considered active and eligible for funding when they have registered at least one 20-minute casework session within each quarter. These sessions could take various forms, including home visits, case conferences involving other agencies, and telephone and video conversations with the client or other help agencies. From April 2021, MSF revised the criteria for "active" cases taking into account the COVID-19 pandemic, to also fund cases with case sessions conducted by remote modes of communication, such as phone text exchanges and emails.”
“Since 2018 to date, there was one case where the powers of the donee under the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) were curtailed by the Court on grounds of financial abuse. We have more than 120,000 LPAs registered as of May 2021. The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) encourages anyone who knows, suspects or believes that a person who lacks capacity is being neglected and/or needs care or protection, to report it to the OPG. The Mental Capacity Act protects the identity of the whistle-blower when such reports are made.”
“More MOE Kindergartens (MKs), which also offer an optional Kindergarten Care (KCare) service for parents who require full-day services, will be developed in areas of demand. The total number of MKs will increase from 36 today to about 60 by 2025. By 2023, ECDA will develop another 10,000 new full-day preschool places, mainly in Planning Areas with upcoming HDB developments for new families. As families' demand for infant care, childcare and kindergarten change over time due to various factors, including COVID-19 which may alter working arrangements, ECDA will continue to regularly review its plans and strive to ensure adequate preschool provision in each Planning Area for families.”
“ECDA plans for preschool demand by urban planning divisions known as Planning Areas, taking into consideration factors, such as demographics, local enrolment trends and existing supply. To meet the preschool needs of young families, ECDA then works closely with agencies, such as HDB and URA, to develop new centres in tandem with new public housing developments, and set aside space for preschools in private housing developments through the Government Land Sales programme respectively. Where required, ECDA also facilitates the development of preschools in community and commercial premises, as well as on vacant state land. As demand changes over time, ECDA regularly reviews plans and closely monitors the preschool enrolment and availability in each Planning Area. Should local demand shift and exceed earlier expectations, ECDA works with preschools and HDB to activate more void deck and communal spaces for centre extensions, where available. To date, the rising demand for preschool places has been primarily for full-day childcare. This is due to the growing prevalence of dual-income families and more grandparents working. We have therefore significantly increased the national supply of full-day infant and childcare places by 50% since 2015 – from 125,000 to about 190,000 places today. These new preschool places are concentrated in areas with more young families. For example, in the two newer planning areas, Punggol and Sengkang, the number of infant and childcare places has increased by 90% since 2015. For families that prefer half-day kindergarten services, we ensure that accessible, affordable and quality kindergarten services are provided by Anchor Operators and MOE. These centres are distributed across various locations in Singapore.”
“As I mentioned to the Member and the Members of this House, the guidelines are updated annually to keep pace with a competing market, so it is not just about the competition between SSAs, but also competition for qualified staff that will move out of the sector to other sectors too. Therefore, we want to make sure that it is at the level, which commensurate with the skills and the market competition that these graduates or social workers can face. I think we should not get ahead of ourselves and we should not intervene with market forces, unless it is drastically bad for our social workers. Even when we do, we must know when to go out and not intervene all the time.”
“Mdm Speaker, based on the Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF's) Manpower and Salary Survey which collected salary data of employees in the social service agencies (SSAs) in 2015, 2017 and 2019, the monthly mean salary of entry-level social workers increased from $3,500 in 2015 and 2017, to $3,600 in 2019, while their monthly median salary increased from $3,400 in 2015 and 2017, to $3,600 in 2019. The figures are comparable with the salaries for all fresh graduates, including those without a Social Work Degree, in those years, based on the Graduate Employment Survey (GES) conducted by the Autonomous Universities. MSF and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) are committed in guiding the sector to pay competitive salaries for all social service professionals, including social workers. NCSS publishes sector salary guidelines for a range of professions in the social service sector. The guidelines are updated annually to keep pace with competing market and general wage movements. The majority of SSAs adopt the guidelines and we strongly encourage SSAs to adhere to these guidelines to reward and retain good staff.”
“I thank the Leader of Opposition for the question. I do not have the specific number, but to be specific about the percentage, it is 0.04%. So, 0.04% is very, very small.”