The festive season is a time when the gap between the haves and have-nots is most pronounced.
In Singapore, one of the most affluent nations in the world by gross domestic product per capita, entire families still live out of tiny one-room or two-room rental flats, and struggle to afford basic needs. Mental health issues such as loneliness are more prevalent, particularly among our ageing population.
It is not that we lack social service organisations to address the wide spectrum of needs – Singapore has many hundreds of social service agencies, and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) supports over 500.
Yet, there remain gaps in support for those among us who need it most.
Given that the end of the year is typically a time when people think about giving back to the community, it felt particularly apt to sit down for a conversation with Tan Li-San, the chief executive officer of NCSS, on what could make a real difference to Singapore’s communities in need.
A volunteer since she was 15, Tan said the challenges are whether charities can fully meet the needs of people and families with multifaceted needs, ensuring that social service agencies are well equipped, and rousing both corporates and individuals.
“It is more than just about people giving time or money. It’s really also about building that stronger sense of solidarity amongst Singaporeans,” said Tan. (Photo: CNA/Kelvin Chia)
Her vision for NCSS: Beyond a membership body or a funder, she hopes to grow the statutory board into a “sector developer” in the true sense of the word, “putting together strategic frameworks and supporting systems in order to allow our charities to better meet the needs of Singaporeans”.
Despite there being so many social service agencies, some vulnerable families and persons still fall through the gaps.
“Usually, the families that require the most support have multiple needs, and the needs are quite multifaceted,” Tan explained.
For example, one such family may have an incarcerated father, a mother working multiple jobs, children within the family from different fathers who may not be going to school or have their basic needs met because parents are absent or too busy, she said.
These problems are too complex for a single agency or programme to tackle alone.
Such a family might benefit from the Singapore Prison Service’s rehabilitation and reintegration programmes; Family Service Centres’ support in acquiring financial assistance, counselling services, family and employment support; as well as the Singapore Children Society’s support for children and youth in need.
Tan (second from left) with sector leaders at NCSS Social Service Connect 2024. (Photo: National Council of Social Services)
With social service agencies, there is a “tendency to look after that one slice (they are responsible for),” Tan explained. “The fact that the family has to go to different places to seek help… there’s some loss of dignity in that.”
Tan sees NCSS’ role as taking a more integrated approach, providing a continuum of care from multiple agencies working together for more holistic support.
For instance, NCSS spearheaded the collaboration between Montfort Care, Fei Yue Community Services, and Yong-en Care Centre to set up JiaYou, which was launched in August this year.
Located at Chinatown Point, this centre supports seniors and caregivers across Singapore via community engagement, dementia care, caregiver counselling, a caregivers’ cafe, an active ageing programme and workshops on palliative care management.
“The idea behind it is that instead of funding singular services or silo services, we create a centre where a particular group, in this case, seniors, should be able to get all their needs met,” she said.
Sometimes, Tan said, social service agencies lack the organisational capacity to work optimally. She sees NCSS’ role as building the right support systems to boost the efficiency of agencies.
Joining NCSS in January 2020, Tan witnessed firsthand the importance of this when Singapore went into the circuit breaker three months later, in April.
“(Social services) is a sector that’s not been very much digitalised. Not every staff had a computer, their networks were slow, there was no business continuity in place,” she said. During the period of virtual meetings, this became extremely challenging.
“Not all the social service agencies had the creativity or the agility to transform the way they serve so there was that period of messiness and chaos,” she said, adding that this was also a period of isolation for some seniors and persons with disability, which may have impacted developmental progress.
Tan with staff at NCSS’ Heartstrings Walk 2024. (Photo: Tan Li-San)
The silver lining was that the pandemic gave Tan’s team the impetus to help agencies better develop their technology, digital capacities and human resources capacity.
“We amalgamated all these different initiatives into one scheme that really helps social service agencies to focus on diagnosing what areas they should invest in, what would make greatest impact, and then providing the funding and support for them to build these capabilities,” she said.
Manual tasks such as note-taking and transcribing are now automated, freeing up time for social workers to focus on their clients, Tan said. In some cases, real-time data can be collected so that rehabilitation programmes can be personalised.
She urged the public and donors to adopt this view when thinking about their donation dollars: That funds are also needed for developing an agency’s organisational capacity.
“Among donors, they come with the lens that all their donation dollars must go to the service user or programmes that directly benefit the service user,” Tan noted.
When a portion of donor funds are channelled towards technology, digitalisation and human resources, it can amplify the impact of social service agencies, she said.
Another common misconception is that social services are only for low income and disabled persons. But in time to come, these services are likely to impact larger segments of society, said Tan.
“Society is changing. Demographics are changing. Mental health issues are becoming far more salient. I think this is partly because of the pains of life – work is more stressful, change is faster,” Tan said.
“There’s going to be a whole sandwiched middle class who still can’t afford to pay S$200 a pop for counselling sessions. How do you support families like these, including sandwiched families who are also caregivers for elderly and children?” she said.
“People are also staying single, not having kids, and there’ll be more isolation going forward,” she added.
“At our recent board retreat, someone talked about how, in the future, the whole definition of what is family might change. Maybe you can no longer rely on family as a first line of support anymore. Maybe your “family” is your neighbour or your volunteer that you see every other day,” she said.
“It’s not about solving the issues of today or the past, but always thinking about what the future holds,” said Tan. In this photo, she is speaking at the NCSS Town Hall this year. (Photo: National Council of Social Services)
How can we tackle these changes as a society?
“It requires every Singaporean to be looking out for each other, to be thinking about how they can support each other, to be empathetic and look at who around you might need support and help,” said Tan.
Another rising issue is the impact of climate on social support.
“Around our region, many have already succumbed to heat stress and heat exhaustion. In Singapore, thankfully, this has not happened yet. But is it a matter of time? Is it the most vulnerable populations who are susceptible? I think these are some of the things that we’re thinking about,” she said.
Because these issues affect everyone, Tan believes all Singaporeans should get involved. And she sees NCSS’ integral role in rousing communities and corporates to do more, and in an impactful and holistic way.
“Corporates tend to want to come in at Christmas to run a Christmas party. But actually, what they want to do is not always what the charity needs,” said Tan.
Tan with staff at the NCSS National Day Observance Ceremony. (Photo: Tan Li-San)
To encourage corporates to contribute more meaningfully, Tan and her team have created a sustainable philanthropy framework to help organisations measure their social impact based on how much they donate, volunteer and adopt socially-inclusive business practices, as well as the outcomes of their efforts.
The mother of three teenagers also encouraged Singaporeans in general to be more active in volunteering and helping those in need around them.
Having started her volunteer journey in her teens, one incident that remains etched in her memory is visiting a tiny HDB rental flat at the age of 15 and witnessing a mother on the floor with her immobile teenage son, who suffered from a form of muscular dystrophy.
“Clearly, the mother loved the child very much, but didn’t have the resources, maybe the knowledge, to really support the child. What struck me then was those of us who are in a position to help should do so,” she reflected.
“It is more than just about people giving time or money. It’s really also about building that stronger sense of solidarity amongst Singaporeans,” said Tan.
CNA Women is a section on CNA Lifestyle that seeks to inform, empower and inspire the modern woman. If you have women-related news, issues and ideas to share with us, email CNAWomen [at] mediacorp.com.sg.
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In Singapore, one of the most affluent nations in the world by gross domestic product per capita, entire families still live out of tiny one-room or two-room rental flats, and struggle to afford basic needs. Mental health issues such as loneliness are more prevalent, particularly among our ageing population.
It is not that we lack social service organisations to address the wide spectrum of needs – Singapore has many hundreds of social service agencies, and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) supports over 500.
Yet, there remain gaps in support for those among us who need it most.
Given that the end of the year is typically a time when people think about giving back to the community, it felt particularly apt to sit down for a conversation with Tan Li-San, the chief executive officer of NCSS, on what could make a real difference to Singapore’s communities in need.
A volunteer since she was 15, Tan said the challenges are whether charities can fully meet the needs of people and families with multifaceted needs, ensuring that social service agencies are well equipped, and rousing both corporates and individuals.
“It is more than just about people giving time or money. It’s really also about building that stronger sense of solidarity amongst Singaporeans,” said Tan. (Photo: CNA/Kelvin Chia)
Her vision for NCSS: Beyond a membership body or a funder, she hopes to grow the statutory board into a “sector developer” in the true sense of the word, “putting together strategic frameworks and supporting systems in order to allow our charities to better meet the needs of Singaporeans”.
MEETING COMPLEX NEEDS
Despite there being so many social service agencies, some vulnerable families and persons still fall through the gaps.
“Usually, the families that require the most support have multiple needs, and the needs are quite multifaceted,” Tan explained.
For example, one such family may have an incarcerated father, a mother working multiple jobs, children within the family from different fathers who may not be going to school or have their basic needs met because parents are absent or too busy, she said.
These problems are too complex for a single agency or programme to tackle alone.
Such a family might benefit from the Singapore Prison Service’s rehabilitation and reintegration programmes; Family Service Centres’ support in acquiring financial assistance, counselling services, family and employment support; as well as the Singapore Children Society’s support for children and youth in need.
Tan (second from left) with sector leaders at NCSS Social Service Connect 2024. (Photo: National Council of Social Services)
With social service agencies, there is a “tendency to look after that one slice (they are responsible for),” Tan explained. “The fact that the family has to go to different places to seek help… there’s some loss of dignity in that.”
Tan sees NCSS’ role as taking a more integrated approach, providing a continuum of care from multiple agencies working together for more holistic support.
For instance, NCSS spearheaded the collaboration between Montfort Care, Fei Yue Community Services, and Yong-en Care Centre to set up JiaYou, which was launched in August this year.
Located at Chinatown Point, this centre supports seniors and caregivers across Singapore via community engagement, dementia care, caregiver counselling, a caregivers’ cafe, an active ageing programme and workshops on palliative care management.
“The idea behind it is that instead of funding singular services or silo services, we create a centre where a particular group, in this case, seniors, should be able to get all their needs met,” she said.
Related:
BETTER SUPPORT FOR SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES
Sometimes, Tan said, social service agencies lack the organisational capacity to work optimally. She sees NCSS’ role as building the right support systems to boost the efficiency of agencies.
Joining NCSS in January 2020, Tan witnessed firsthand the importance of this when Singapore went into the circuit breaker three months later, in April.
“(Social services) is a sector that’s not been very much digitalised. Not every staff had a computer, their networks were slow, there was no business continuity in place,” she said. During the period of virtual meetings, this became extremely challenging.
“Not all the social service agencies had the creativity or the agility to transform the way they serve so there was that period of messiness and chaos,” she said, adding that this was also a period of isolation for some seniors and persons with disability, which may have impacted developmental progress.
Tan with staff at NCSS’ Heartstrings Walk 2024. (Photo: Tan Li-San)
The silver lining was that the pandemic gave Tan’s team the impetus to help agencies better develop their technology, digital capacities and human resources capacity.
“We amalgamated all these different initiatives into one scheme that really helps social service agencies to focus on diagnosing what areas they should invest in, what would make greatest impact, and then providing the funding and support for them to build these capabilities,” she said.
Manual tasks such as note-taking and transcribing are now automated, freeing up time for social workers to focus on their clients, Tan said. In some cases, real-time data can be collected so that rehabilitation programmes can be personalised.
She urged the public and donors to adopt this view when thinking about their donation dollars: That funds are also needed for developing an agency’s organisational capacity.
“Among donors, they come with the lens that all their donation dollars must go to the service user or programmes that directly benefit the service user,” Tan noted.
When a portion of donor funds are channelled towards technology, digitalisation and human resources, it can amplify the impact of social service agencies, she said.
Related:
GALVANISING THE COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER
Another common misconception is that social services are only for low income and disabled persons. But in time to come, these services are likely to impact larger segments of society, said Tan.
“Society is changing. Demographics are changing. Mental health issues are becoming far more salient. I think this is partly because of the pains of life – work is more stressful, change is faster,” Tan said.
“There’s going to be a whole sandwiched middle class who still can’t afford to pay S$200 a pop for counselling sessions. How do you support families like these, including sandwiched families who are also caregivers for elderly and children?” she said.
“People are also staying single, not having kids, and there’ll be more isolation going forward,” she added.
“At our recent board retreat, someone talked about how, in the future, the whole definition of what is family might change. Maybe you can no longer rely on family as a first line of support anymore. Maybe your “family” is your neighbour or your volunteer that you see every other day,” she said.
“It’s not about solving the issues of today or the past, but always thinking about what the future holds,” said Tan. In this photo, she is speaking at the NCSS Town Hall this year. (Photo: National Council of Social Services)
How can we tackle these changes as a society?
“It requires every Singaporean to be looking out for each other, to be thinking about how they can support each other, to be empathetic and look at who around you might need support and help,” said Tan.
Another rising issue is the impact of climate on social support.
“Around our region, many have already succumbed to heat stress and heat exhaustion. In Singapore, thankfully, this has not happened yet. But is it a matter of time? Is it the most vulnerable populations who are susceptible? I think these are some of the things that we’re thinking about,” she said.
Because these issues affect everyone, Tan believes all Singaporeans should get involved. And she sees NCSS’ integral role in rousing communities and corporates to do more, and in an impactful and holistic way.
“Corporates tend to want to come in at Christmas to run a Christmas party. But actually, what they want to do is not always what the charity needs,” said Tan.
Tan with staff at the NCSS National Day Observance Ceremony. (Photo: Tan Li-San)
To encourage corporates to contribute more meaningfully, Tan and her team have created a sustainable philanthropy framework to help organisations measure their social impact based on how much they donate, volunteer and adopt socially-inclusive business practices, as well as the outcomes of their efforts.
The mother of three teenagers also encouraged Singaporeans in general to be more active in volunteering and helping those in need around them.
Having started her volunteer journey in her teens, one incident that remains etched in her memory is visiting a tiny HDB rental flat at the age of 15 and witnessing a mother on the floor with her immobile teenage son, who suffered from a form of muscular dystrophy.
“Clearly, the mother loved the child very much, but didn’t have the resources, maybe the knowledge, to really support the child. What struck me then was those of us who are in a position to help should do so,” she reflected.
“It is more than just about people giving time or money. It’s really also about building that stronger sense of solidarity amongst Singaporeans,” said Tan.
CNA Women is a section on CNA Lifestyle that seeks to inform, empower and inspire the modern woman. If you have women-related news, issues and ideas to share with us, email CNAWomen [at] mediacorp.com.sg.
Continue reading...