Singapore’s refreshed social compact and its implications for social work practice in Singapore

Abstract

The nature of social work requires the profession to be adaptive and responsive to changes in the political, economic and social environment where the practice occurs. The social work profession in Singapore has developed in tandem with the nation’s relatively young history of nation building. This article uses the recently announced new social compact of Singapore as a context to present an update of the political and social-demographic situation in Singapore. The article discusses the significance of the refreshed social compact and offers views on the possible implications for social work practice in Singapore.

Keywords

Many helping hands social compact social policies social work practice social work profession

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ang

(2014) Letters to social work students. Singapore: Office of the Director of Social Welfare, Ministry of Social and Family Development. Available at: https://www.msf.gov.sg/docs/default-source/odgsw/publications-from-odsw-social-insights-letters-by-dsw-vol1.pdf (accessed 1 May 2025).

Ang

(2015) The soul of nation building in Singapore: Contributions from social work. In: Chan

(ed.) 50 Years of Social Issues in Singapore. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, pp. 133–145.

Ang

(2017a) Community engagement. In: Lee

Mathews

Tan

(eds) Mobilising Diverse Community Assets to Meet Social Needs. IPS Exchange Series 12. Singapore: Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, pp. 51–68.

Ang

(2017b) Singapore’s ‘many helping hands’. In: Soon

Koh

(eds) Civil Society and the State in Singapore. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, pp. 133–152.

Aspalter

(ed.) (2014) Social Work in East Asia. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing.

Aviv

Gal

Weiss-Gal

(2021) Social workers as street-level policy entrepreneurs. Public Administration 99(3): 454–468.

Ashcroft

Feryn

Lam

, et al. (2023) Social workers’ formal and informal leadership in interprofessional primary care teams in Ontario, Canada. Healthcare Management Forum 36(5): 304–310.

Barretti

(2019) Same problem, different policies: A framework for examining social problem constructions over time. Advances in Social Work 19(1): 39–61.

Beinecke

(2009) Introduction: Leadership for wicked problems. Innovation Journal 14(1): 1–17.

10.

Chavis

Wandersman

(1990) Sense of community in the urban environment: A catalyst for participation and community development. American Journal of Community Psychology 18(1): 55–81.

11.

Chua

(1985) Pragmatism of the people’s action party government in Singapore: A critical assessment. Southeast Asian Journal of Social Science 13(2): 29–46.

12.

De Corte

Devlieghere

Roets

, et al. (2019) Top-down policy implementation and social workers as institutional entrepreneurs: The case of an electronic information system in Belgium. The British Journal of Social Work 49(5): 1317–1332.

13.

Epstein

(2002) Using available clinical information in practice-based research: Mining for silver while dreaming of gold. Social Work in Health Care 33(3–4): 15–32.

14.

Epstein

Fisher

Julkunen

, et al. (2015) The New York statement on the evolving definition of practice research designed for continuing dialogue: A bulletin from the 3rd International Conference on Practice Research (2014). Research on Social Work Practice 25(6): 711–714.

15.

Forward Singapore Workgroup (2023) Building our shared future. Report. Singapore: Forward Singapore Workgroup. Available at: www.forwardsingapore.gov.sg/-/media/forwardsg/pagecontent/fsg-reports/full-reports/mci-fsg-final-report_fa_rgb_web_20-oct-2023.pdf (accessed 30 March 2025).

16.

Frost

Robinson

Anning

(2005) Social workers in multidisciplinary teams: Issues and dilemmas for professional practice. Child & Family Social Work 10(3): 187–196.

17.

Funnell

Rogers

(2011) Purposeful Program Theory: Effective Use of Theories of Change and Logic Models. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

18.

Gal

Weiss-Gal

(2022) When Social Workers Impact Policy and Don’t Just Implement It: A Framework for Understanding Policy Engagement. Bristol: Bristol University Press.

19.

Gan

(2023) Learn for life: Forging our collective future. Parliament of Singapore. Hansard. Vol. 95, 14th Parliament, 1st Session. Available at: https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=budget-2073 (accessed 30 March 2025).

20.

Gilbert

(2015) Social welfare trends in western societies: Privatisation and the challenge to social work. Arbor 191(771): a200.

21.

Gog

Tan

(2024) Future-skilling the workforce: SkillsFuture movement in Singapore. In: Ehlers

Eigbrecht

(eds) Creating the University of the Future. Zukunft der Hochschulbildung – Future Higher Education. Springer VS, Wiesbaden.

22.

Goh

Mahmood

Shum

(2019) Neighbours programme: A community work approach to integrate health and social services for acute care hospital patients. In: Vasoo

Singh

Chan

(eds) Community Development Arenas in Singapore. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, pp. 51–68.

23.

Harding

Vrijhoef

(2017) Community for Successful Ageing (COMSA)@Whampoa: Creating an ecosystem for ageing in place. Innovation in Aging 1(Suppl. 1): 106–107.

24.

Harlow

Berg

Barry

, et al. (2013) Neoliberalism, managerialism and the reconfiguring of social work in Sweden and the United Kingdom. Organization 20(4): 534–550.

25.

Head

Alford

(2013) Wicked problems: Implications for public policy and management. Administration & Society 47(6): 711–739.

26.

Herod

Lymbery

(2002) The social work role in multi-disciplinary teams. Practice 14(4): 17–27.

27.

(2023) The growing scope and impact of the progressive wage model. Singapore Labour Journal 2(01): 56–67.

28.

Holliday

(2000) Productivist welfare capitalism: Social policy in East Asia. Political Studies 48(4): 706–723.

29.

International Federation of Social Workers (2014) Global definition of social work. Available at: https://www.ifsw.org/what-is-social-work/global-definition-of-social-work/ (accessed 3 April 2025).

30.

Jones

Phillips

(2016) Social work and interprofessional education in health care: A call for continued leadership. Journal of Social Work Education 52(1): 18–29.

31.

Koh

(2015) Social justice in Singapore: Some personal reflections. In: Chan

(ed.) 50 Years of Social Issues in Singapore. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, pp. 231–235.

32.

Kumar

(2004) Lifelong learning in Singapore: Where are we now? International Journal of Lifelong Learning 23(6): 559–568.

33.

Lagana-Riordan

Aguilar

(2009) What’s missing from no child left behind? A policy analysis from a social work perspective. Children & Schools 31(3): 135–144.

34.

Lee

(2022) Transforming Social Service Delivery to Uplift Families in Need (Speech by Mr Desmond Lee, Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration for Ministry of Social and Family Development at Committee of Supply 2022). Singapore: Ministry of Social and Family Development. Available at: https://www.msf.gov.sg/media-room/article/Speech-By-Mr-Desmond-Lee-Minister-In-Charge-Of-Social-Services-Integration-For-Ministry-of-Social-And-Family-Development-At-Committee-Of-Supply-2022 (accessed 1 April 2025).

35.

Lee

(2024) May Day rally 2024 at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre on 1 May 2024 [Speech]. Available at: https://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/PM-Lee-Hsien-Loong-at-May-Day-Rally-2024 (accessed 1 April 2025).

36.

Lee

Low

, et al. (2023) Implementation of social prescribing: Lessons learnt from contextualising an intervention in a community hospital in Singapore. The Lancet Regional Health–Western Pacific 35: 100561.

37.

Lee

Qian

(2017) The evolving Singaporean welfare state. Social Policy & Administration 51: 916–939.

38.

McCray

Palmer

Chmiel

(2016) Building resilience in health and social care teams. Personnel Review 45(6): 1132–1155.

39.

Mehta

(2023) Family policies, family relationships and older adults. In: Vasoo

Singh

Chokkanathan

(eds) Singapore Ageing: Issues and Challenges Ahead. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, pp. 67–74.

40.

Ministry of Health (2022) White Paper on Healthier SG. Available at: https://www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/white-paper-on-healthier-sg/ (accessed 1 April 2025).

41.

Ministry of Social and Family Development (2021) Data on number of social workers who have left the profession in past five years [Reply to parliamentary question]. Available at: https://www.msf.gov.sg/media-room/article/Data-On-Number-Of-Social-Workers-Who-Have-Left-The-Profession-In-Past-Five-Years (accessed 1 April 2025).

42.

Ministry of Social and Family Development (2024) MSF Committee of Supply 2024: Empowering all families to achieve their aspirations [Press release]. Available at: https://www.msf.gov.sg/media-room/article/msf-committee-of-supply-2024-empowering-all-families-to-achieve-their-aspirations (accessed 1 April 2025).

43.

Minkler

Wallerstein

(2012) Improving health through community organization and community building: Perspectives from health education and social work. In: Minkler

Wallerstein

Wilson

(eds) Community Organizing and Community Building for Health and Welfare, 3rd edn. London: Rutgers University Press, pp. 37–58.

44.

Nallari

Poorthuis

(2022) Neighbouring narratives: Understanding lived and institutional neighbourliness in Singapore’s public housing estates. In: Chesire

(ed.) Neighbours around the World: An International Look at the People Next Door. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 149–168.

45.

National Population and Talent Division (2023) Population in brief. Available at: https://www.population.gov.sg/media-centre/publications/population-in-brief/ (accessed 1 April 2025).

46.

National Trade Union Congress (2022) Continuing Education and Training (CET): Now and what could be next. Available at: https://www.ntuc.org.sg/uportal/resource-hub/all-reports/continuing-education-and-training (accessed 1 April 2025).

47.

Ney

Verweij

(2015) Messy institutions for wicked problems: How to generate clumsy solutions? Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 33(6): 1679–1696.

48.

(2015) Being poor in a rich ‘nanny state’: Developments in Singapore social welfare. The Singapore Economic Review 60(3): 1550038.

49.

Ong

(2023) Debate on president’s address. Parliament of Singapore. Hansard. Vol. 95, 14th Parliament, 2nd Session. Available at: https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=president-address-2168 (accessed 1 April 2025).

50.

Ornellas

Spolander

Engelbrecht

(2018) The global social work definition: Ontology, implications and challenges. Journal of Social Work 18(2): 222–240.

51.

(2016) Social work in Singapore. In: Aspalter

(ed.) Social Work in East Asia. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing, pp. 123–138.

52.

Pang

Wang

(1996) Welfare – where does Govt’s role end and the VWO’s begin? The Straits Times: Weekly Overseas Edition, 6 April, p. 14.

53.

Parliament of Singapore (1991) White Paper on Shared Values. Singapore: National Archives of Singapore. Available at: https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/government_records/record-details/a472b486-7aea-11e7-83df-0050568939ad (accessed 1 April 2025).

54.

Parliament of Singapore (2024) System of Government [Last updated 12 March 2024]. Available at: https://www.parliament.gov.sg/about-us/structure/system-of-government (accessed 1 May 2025).

55.

Parliament of Singapore (2021) Shortage or Surplus of Social Workers [Written answers to questions for oral answer not answered by end of question]. Vol. 95, Sitting number 33, Session 1. Available at: https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=written-answer-na-8339## (accessed 1 April 2025).

56.

Rappaport

(1983) In praise of paradox: A social policy of empowerment over prevention. American Journal of Community Psychology 9(1): 1–25.

57.

Rappaport

(2013) Studies in empowerment: Introduction to the issue. In: Rappaport

Hess

(eds) Studies in Empowerment: Steps toward Understanding and Action. New York: Routledge, pp. 1–18.

58.

Reach (n.d.) Our SG conversation. Available at: https://www.reach.gov.sg/Read/Our-SG-Conversation (accessed 1 April 2025).

59.

Rittel

Webber

(1973) Dilemmas in a general theory of planning. Policy Sciences 4(2): 155–169.

60.

Rowlands

(1995) Empowerment examined. Development in Practice 5(2): 101–107.

61.

Seidmann

Cao

Liu

, et al. (2023) Skillsets for future-ready workers: Skills gaps and learning barriers in Singapore. Innovation in Aging 7(Suppl. 1): 324.

62.

Shanmugaratnam

(2015) Singapore’s Social Policies: Past, Present, Future [Speech at the SG50 distinguished lecture of the Economic Society of Singapore]. Singapore: Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Communications and Information. Available at: https://www.mof.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document-library/news-and-publications/speeches/an-overview-of-singapore’s-social-policies-(for-printing).pdf?sfvrsn=11e3200d_2 (accessed 1 April 2025).

63.

Shdaimah

Stahl

Schram

(2011) Changing research / researching change. In: Shdaimah

Stahl

Schram

(eds) Change Research: A Case Study on Collaborative Methods for Social Workers and Advocates. New York: Columbia University Press, pp. 16–38.

64.

Sim

Ghoh

Loh

, et al. (2015) The Social Service Sector in Singapore: An Exploratory Study on the Financial Characteristics of Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs) in the Social Service Sector. Singapore: National University of Singapore. Available at: https://www.charities.gov.sg/PublishingImages/Resource-and-Training/Publications/Books/Documents/NUS_CSDA_The%20Social%20Service%20Sector%20In%20Singapore%202015.pdf (accessed 1 April 2025).

65.

Singapore Department of Statistics (2024) Key Households Income Trends, 2024. Singapore: Ministry of Trade and Industry.

66.

Social Work Accreditation and Advisory Board (2023) SWAAB annual report 2023. Available at: https://accreditation.sasw.org.sg/doc/Report_2023.pdf (accessed 1 April 2025).

67.

Stanhope

Videka

Thorning

, et al. (2015) Moving toward integrated health: An opportunity for social work. Social Work in Health Care 54(5): 383–407.

68.

Tan

(2021) Comlink to be expanded nationwide to support low-income families in 21 towns. The Straits Times, 5 March. Available at: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/community-link-to-be-expanded-nationwide-to-support-low-income-families-in-21-town (accessed 1 May 2025).

69.

Tan

Sim

, et al. (2022) Income inequality and mobility in Singapore. In: Kuan

Leong

Poh

, et al. (eds) Economics in Practice: Evidence-based Policymaking in Singapore. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, pp. 155–182.

70.

The Straits Times (1988) Six ministers head ‘action’ teams. The Straits Times, 26 February. Available at: https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19880226-1.2.2 (accessed 1 April 2025).

71.

Uggerhøj

(2011) What is practice research in social work – definitions, barriers and possibilities. Social Work & Society 9(1): 45–59.

72.

Wee

(2004) Where we are coming from: The evolution of social services and social work in Singapore. In: Mehta

Wee

(eds) Social Work in Context: A Reader. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, pp. 39–77.

73.

Willis

Lloyd

Hammond

, et al. (2022) Casting light on the distinctive contribution of social work in multidisciplinary teams for older people. The British Journal of Social Work 52(1): 480–497.

74.

Wong

(2022) Goods and Services Tax (Amendment Bill). Parliament of Singapore. Hansard. Vol. 95, 14th Parliament, 1st Session. Available at: https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=bill-597## (accessed 1 April 2025).

75.

Wong

(2023a) Debate on president’s address. Parliament of Singapore. Hansard. Vol. 95, 14th Parliament, 2nd Session. Available at: https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=president-address-2152## (accessed 1 April 2025).

76.

Wong

(2023b) Opening Remarks by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong at the Launch of the Forward Singapore Festival on 27 October 2023 [Speech]. Singapore: Prime Minister Office of Singapore. Available at: https://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/DPM-Lawrence-Wong-at-the-Launch-of-the-Forward-Singapore-Festival (accessed 1 April 2025).

77.

World Economic Forum (2023) Future of jobs report 2023. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/digest/ (accessed 1 April 2025).

78.

Yen

Tio

(2023) Singapore perspectives 2023: Work panel 3: Identifying and addressing longer-term work trends: Role of the state and educational institutions. IPS Update, April. Available at: https://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/docs/default-source/ips/sp2023-panel-3-report.pdf (accessed 1 April 2025).

79.

Yip

(2012) Intergenerational Income Mobility in Singapore. Singapore: Ministry of Finance. Available at: https://www.mof.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document-library/news-and-publications/featured-reports/ig-income-mobility-in-spore.pdf?sfvrsn=5f0bc606_14 (accessed 4 April 2025).