SINGAPORE - The social sector aims to address gaps that make it harder for Singaporeans to get the support they need, including inefficiencies that saw struggling families reaching out to multiple agencies to get help amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) detailed the steps it aims to take in a new five-year road map, or 4ST, which was launched on Wednesday (July 13).
In his address at the launch, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said the sector has to shift towards a user- and family-centric approach from the agency- or programme-centric way.
Mr Lee, who is also Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration, said the social service ecosystem in Singapore has grown strong and effective. But households still had to approach multiple agencies and organisations for their needs, he added.
"Most of our agencies and community partners tend to focus on a specific domain, like healthcare or education, or a specific group, like youths or seniors - and understandably so, to build deep specialist expertise," he said.
"But it means that often, no one agency or community partner can, by itself, help the family overcome all their different challenges."
The sector will get more support with the setting up of a new $5 million fund by the NCSS later this year.
The 4ST Partnership Fund will support joint initiatives by organisations across the corporate, public and social sectors which can comprehensively tackle social issues.
The road map was launched at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre at integrated resort Marina Bay Sands during the sixth annual Social Service Summit.
The event was attended by about 800 social service professionals, companies, donors and government representatives.
There are four key thrusts in the road map.
The sector will build partnerships among organisations, empower agencies to address the needs they identify in the community, take innovative approaches to philanthropy and adopt strategies for the sustainable use of resources.
The road map would help organisations see beyond short-term issues and prepare for long-term plans, said president of NCSS Anita Fam, who chaired the 20-member steering committee that oversaw its development.
Chief executive of Majurity Trust, Mr Martin Tan, who is a board member of NCSS, said the pandemic had spurred the social sector to recognise new ways of helping residents.
He added that through its SG Strong Fund, the philanthropic organisation funded more than 150 organisations and ground-up groups over six months.
It also ensured that funds, which usually took eight to 16 weeks to be disbursed, reached applicants in less than two weeks.
Mr Tan said: "That was really a response to a need on the ground… The emerging situation relied on us as donors and philanthropy organisations to rethink the way we do things.
"The focus of 4ST is to empower organisations and individuals (in the social sector) to prepare them for a complex world so that they have the agility and ability to meet the needs on the ground."
