More coordination between agencies, schools are needed to help disadvantaged children, says social services sector

SINGAPORE: Lack of coordination between different agencies and schools is a major problem facing social workers and volunteers to help disadvantaged children.

This issue was raised Tuesday, November 27 during a dialogue session with social workers, social welfare organizations volunteers and other representatives of the social services sector.

The session was organized by UPLIFT, an inter-agency task force led by the Second Minister of Education, Indranee Rajah, which aims to strengthen support for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, including children and youth. attacking the problem of long-term absenteeism and drop-out rates.

During the session, participants discussed issues on the ground, such as obtaining information about children and their families through different agencies and schools.

Having the necessary information can make all the difference, said Syed Alwi Syed Abdullah Alhadad, social worker at the Center-South Community Service Center.

"You do not feel like you're working alone with the family," he said, adding that in most cases he received support and information on specific cases from officers. social assistance to students assigned to schools. However, he noted that the level of support differed among schools.

"We will not know how they are going to school, so sometimes we do not see any problems, and they talk about it and discuss it," he added.

Another problem is the duplication of the services of the different agencies, as pointed out by the Singapore Children's Society Deputy Director, Joy Lim.

"It is necessary to be informed about other services in the community," she said. "Every agency has its skills and expertise, and sometimes when we go and do what other agencies do best, they are not as effective as they could be."

"Very often, we need a social worker or key advisor in the file to lead the conversation and let it go."

A UNIQUE CENTER TO IMPROVE COORDINATION?

To improve coordination, participants suggested the creation of a "one-stop shop" for families to easily access the help they need in different ways, at the same location or through a single point of contact. .

A group of participants remarked that there were learning points to note regarding the operation of a hospital. Describing this as a "one-stop shop", participants explained how a patient was entering, seeing a general practitioner first before being referred to different specialists – all located in the same building.

"It's more than just physical co-location, but also how all members of the building work as a team," they said.

Indranee said that the Ministry of Social and Family Development had already begun the process of bringing the various agencies together around the social service offices.

"I think what you really want, it's a place where someone can go, where a person from this place can connect with other services," she said.

Ms. Lim, of the Singapore Children's Society, noted that modeling such a center after a hospital may not be as clear in practice as it was a concept.

"We have discussions among schools, community agencies and government agencies, and after this discussion, the roles are clearly defined," she said. "Everyone has a role."

"It's not a question of who is the best or who is the most important, but that everyone knows what it contributes," she added.

NEED TO ESTABLISH RELATIONS TO BEGIN

Participants also emphasized the importance of building relationships and relationships with children and their families from the beginning, before problems arise.

"If you are able to intervene before anything happens, you start building relationships and it will be easier for you to help them if something goes wrong," said Lam Moi Kwai, Life's CEO. Community Services Society, adding that she had already read about her organization's experience in running a childcare center Latchkey.

"The problem-free children automatically go to our center," she said. "We are starting to coach them and we are asking them to bring us to visit their families."

Ms. Lam explained that without a relationship between social workers, volunteers and families, it can be difficult to intervene to help only when a child is referred or that a case is reported. "The help provided by the social workers is then perceived in a very negative way," she explained.

Participants also said that giving these children a positive role model can make all the difference. Some noted that the children they saw tended to have parents absent from their lives because of work or health problems, while others took a casual approach to their child's education. Therefore, said one participant, they do not have a positive model to follow.

Ms. Lam said she saw first-hand how community mentors had benefited such children, citing an example of how her organization organized gatherings or learning trips for children, but lacked the opportunity to learn from them. And the adherence of parents who perhaps did not see the value of such experiences.

"The community mentor intervened to take the child. After the first session, the family realized that the child had benefited a lot, "she said. "The next time such outings take place, the family will not reject them immediately and say they do not have the time. They connect with the family or make internal family arrangements to bring the child there.

"So community mentors are showing the way."

S addressing the media on the sidelines of the session, Ms. Indranee stressed the importance of organizing such mobilization sessions, as the working group receives contributions from those who are "in the foreground" problems that he tries to solve.

"What we did not want was to have a lot of theoretical concepts (…) that are distinct from the reality of what's happening on the ground," she said. That's why it's so important to hear from people on the ground, such as social workers and volunteers, and the stories they have to tell. "

She also agreed on the need for increased coordination to help disadvantaged children.

"It was very obvious to me that you have a lot of people who are very well meaning and who all want to help, but who do not have the right points of contact," she said. "So one of the things we need to look at is how we can facilitate better referrals, better coordination, and the reciprocal presentation of the parties.

"These are the lessons of the discussion up to now, and we will certainly take them into account in the recommendations we need to make."

A total of 30 participants from 15 community organizations attended Tuesday's engagement session, which is the third to take place so far.

The first two engagement sessions took place in primary and secondary schools to listen to the views of principals, teachers, school counselors and student welfare officers.