Measures to Help Frontline Social Workers Affected by Anxiety at Height of COVID-19 Pandemic

35 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Social and Family Development what additional steps has the Ministry taken to help social workers following the report that nearly six in 10 frontline social workers are affected by anxiety at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: MSF recognises that the nature of work in the social service sector can take its toll on social workers, affecting their mental and emotional well-being. This is particularly so with the higher workload and uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As Singapore moves towards living with COVID-19 and Safe Management Measures are eased, the demand for social services is likely to normalise and the stress levels of social workers, gradually, eased to a more normal level.

MSF and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) have been engaging Social Service Agencies (SSAs) on an ongoing basis to raise awareness of the importance of organisational support for their employees’ mental well-being and to develop a culture of self-care. We have also worked closely with social work leaders on balancing staff well-being with maintaining service delivery standards. Given the impact of the pandemic, these efforts have been ramped up in the past two years.

In addition to the National Care Hotline which provides emotional and psychological support to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, NCSS launched the Caring for Social Service Professionals Scheme in May 2021 to support SSAs in promoting staff well-being. The scheme provides co-funding of up to 90% (capped at $2,000 per SSA) for SSAs to offer professional counselling services to their staff. To date, 63 SSAs, which employ over 12,000 professionals, are on board the scheme.

Social service professionals can access self-care and coping strategies, through subsidised courses offered by the Social Service Institute (SSI) under NCSS. New social workers joining the social service sector can also tap on the Singapore Association of Social Workers’ mentoring programme where they will be matched with an experienced social worker to receive support and guidance. Furthermore, in-sector social workers can apply for the Sabbatical Leave Scheme supported by NCSS and the VWOs-Charities Capability Fund (VCF). The Sabbatical Leave Scheme provides seasoned social service professionals, including social workers, with paid leave and a Professional Advancement Sponsorship, to recharge themselves and develop their professional competencies.

MSF and NCSS will continue to raise awareness on the existing schemes available to support social workers. We will also work with our tripartite partners in the social service sector to address feedback from our social workers, through the Social Service SkillsFuture Tripartite Taskforce. Comprising SSAs, Institutes of Higher Learning, professional bodies and Government agencies, the task force will be extended for an additional term until April 2025 to consult and continue co-creating initiatives to strengthen the system of support for sector professionals, including social workers.