Publications from ODSW Social Work Supervsion

Opening Address Opening Address Chan Heng Kee Permanent Secretary Ministry of Social and Family Development Introduction Mr Chan began by thanking the Social Work Accreditation and Advisory Board (SWAAB) for inviting him and the participants for attending. He also welcomed the overseas speakers who shared keynote speeches at this conference. Reflecting on Singapore’s Progress Mr Chan expressed that SG50 was a good time to reflect on the progress made as a country and to rededicate ourselves to the kind of society that we want to build in Singapore. He shared that Singapore has made a common aspiration to build a fairer and more inclusive society, a place where every citizen has hope for a better future, a society with a heart for those who have less and those who need help and a place where all of us can call home. Mr Chan expressed that the government is making significant shifts in social policies to move towards this direction. This can be seen in the area of housing and healthcare, support for low income and retirement adequacy. The government has increased funding for expanding services, enhancing and supporting interventions and is making legislative changes to support the most vulnerable in society (eg. the Vulnerable Adults Act). However, he also expressed that having been in MSF for the last 4 years, he believes that we need more than policies, funding and legislations. For children from disadvantaged homes to have a good start, for at-risk families and individuals to build resilience, for persons with disabilities to lead dignified lives and for the vulnerable elderly to feel included, many of them will need people with the passion, skills and stamina to journey with them. He concluded his introduction by stating that social service professionals, especially social workers, are at the core of the transformation towards a more caring and inclusive society. He added that more has to be done to widen and deepen the pool of social workers. 3 Areas to Work On In order to widen and deepen the pool of social workers, Mr Chan expressed 3 areas to work on. 1. Widen the Talent Pipelines Mr Chan expressed the need to attract more young people and not-so-young people to join the social work profession. MSF has started outreach efforts to schools to raise awareness and interest students in pursuing an education and career in social work. The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) through the Social Service Institute (SSI) has been reaching out to mid-career professionals. He notes that over the last 5 years, over 150 professionals have made a mid-career switch to pursue social work. He added that since he 7

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