Accord More Incentives and Recognition to Coaches and Special Education Professionals in Day Activity Centres

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether more incentives and recognition can be accorded to coaches and special education professionals in Day Activity Centers such as to attract more individuals to join the profession.

Day Activity Centres (DACs) are community-based facilities that provide care and skills training for adult persons with disabilities (PwDs). These centres aim to equip PwDs with community and daily living skills and meaningfully occupy clients with social and recreational activities.

DACs are operated by Social Service Agencies (SSAs). SSAs' staff in DACs include Allied Health Professionals such as occupational therapists, programme staff who carry out various care and skills training programmes and social activities, and support staff such as administrators and cleaners.

To attract manpower to the social service sector, MSF and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) support SSAs, including those running DACs, through sector branding exercises to raise awareness and attractiveness of the social service sector. For instance, Social Service Tribe was launched in 2017 to communicate the purpose and values of the sector. It offers a platform for the SSAs in the sector to come together with a common voice to inspire Singaporeans to consider social service as a career of choice.

In addition, NCSS offers Social Service Scholarships and Social Service Awards for undergraduates and post-graduates interested in courses such as social work, occupational therapy and psychology. DAC staff are given the opportunity to attend at least 40 hours of training annually for their professional development. SSA staff are eligible for training grants supported by the VWOs-Charities Capability Fund (VCF). MSF and NCSS also support training and development of staff in SSAs through the Skills Framework for Social Service (SFwSS), which was published in 2019. The SFwSS provides information on the sector, the range of jobs and career pathways available, the skills and competencies required for each occupation, and training programmes available to support individuals' skills upgrading and mastery. Individuals who wish to join or progress within the Social Service sector can refer to the SFwSS to assess their career interest, identify relevant training programmes to upgrade their skills and prepare for their desired job roles.

Annually, MSF and NCSS publish sector salary guidelines to provide a reference for SSAs to set competitive salaries for their staff. These guidelines take reference from competing markets and keep pace with general wage movements. SSAs are encouraged to adhere to these guidelines to attract and retain quality staff.

MSF and NCSS will continue to work with SSAs to attract more individuals to join the sector.