Student Research Projects
Findings from the student’s field research projects and prototyped solutions are presented at CTPCLC annual symposium. Outline of completed researches are documented in this repository to serve as resources and help to raise awareness and help bridge the gap for addressing social issues in Singapore.
More projects can also be found under the "Research Spotlights" section.
These are undergraduate projects that are a part of our students’ learning experience at CTPCLC. While we are happy to share their good work, please note that permission needs to be sought before any use of the information contained within these reports.
To obtain permission, please write to: ctpclc@nus.edu.sg
Student Research Projects 2025
By Chan Chomel, Shannon Foo Shao Wei, Kok Ying Xin, Denise Leong En Hui, Angie Lim Tze Yii and Lui Yisha Isabel
This study examines the expected and/or lived experiences of female empty nesters in Singapore and explores how art-based initiatives can support their journey. Partnering with Mama on Palette (MoP), a community that supports mothers in artistic expression, this research seeks to shed light on local literature that still requires much development about Empty Nester Syndrome (ENS). Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight mothers, where key themes such as spousal relationships, phases of transition, and self-fulfilment were revealed. These findings highlight how MoP has fostered community and empowerment, along with how the organisation can further develop its structures to support future and current empty nest participants. Recommendations include buddy systems, bonding programmes, and regular collaborative projects. Overall, this study contributes to understanding ENS in Singapore and underscores the role of artistic engagement in fostering well-being and resilience.
By Fabian Fu Cehao, Ho Jun Ern, Isaac, Danielle Ngin Wan Fen, Ong Zai Sheng Bryan and Yew Shi Min, Chermaine
Innovative programmes are needed to support under/unemployed individuals in securing full-time employment and overcoming the financial and psychosocial challenges of poverty. The Resilience Trails (RT) is one such program.
By helping Community Guides uncover their inherent strengths and develop transferable skills, RT may enhance their employability and improve income stability. This study adopts an ethnographic approach to explore the impact of RT on five Guides, using thematic analysis of in-depth interviews. Four key themes emerged: social networks, skill development, financial contributions, and emotional capacity.
The findings underscore the importance of addressing not only the material dimensions of poverty but also the emotional and self-efficacy needs of individuals. Recommendations include supporting the credentialization of RT-acquired skills and introducing structured progression plans to guide personal and professional development.
By Ong Sze Jean, Laura Poh, Hubert Quek Tong Xuan and Cameron Tan Shi Ern
The Friends of Community (FOC) programme by Thye Hua Kwan Family Service Centre @ MacPherson (THKMC) empowers residents, current clients, and ex-clients to transition from service recipients to active volunteers. This study explores the impact of the FOC programme on volunteer empowerment and engagement, while identifying areas for improvement. The research highlights how lived experiences enhance empathy, fosters community trust, and encourage personal growth. The findings suggest that while volunteers experience empowerment and fulfilment through their roles, challenges such as intra-team communication and difficulties during outreach persist. The report concludes with recommendations for strengthening community bonds, enhancing volunteer training, and building resilience among FOC volunteers to ensure long-term engagement and sustainable community impact.
By Chin Jun Qi Mavis, Lim Wei Jie, Muhammad Syahmi Bin Senin, Freddy Ow Yong Zhi Long and Singaravelan Nanddika
This research documents the aftercare needs of low-income families who have undergone the Keystart Home Ownership Programme (Keystart), launched by South Central Community Family Service Centre (SCCFSC).
Data was collected through semi-structured interviews focus group discussions. After data collection, the data was transcribed and coded to present the common themes across all participants of the research.
Four key themes emerged: Improved Quality of life, Need for Sustaining Housing Stability/Maintenance Support, Importance of Sustained Post-Programme Communication and Disruptions to Informal Social Networks & Formal Services. Building on these findings, the study recommends a three-phase aftercare model to support participants’ financial literacy, home maintenance skills, and social connectedness.
Student Research Projects 2024
By Ashwin Pandiyan, Goh Keng Swee Darren, Jerome Ong Yi Jie and Rachel Tee Xin Yi
This study explores the needs and factors influencing the life outcomes of school dropout youths participating in a train-and-place digital skills programme run by Hatch, a social enterprise in Singapore. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six programme graduates, alongside a focus group discussion with the programme staff. Thematic analysis was employed using an inductive approach to surface findings relevant to the research questions.
Consequently, the analysis revealed that income, upskilling opportunities, non-judgmental support, and a sense of accomplishment emerged as the youths' most pressing needs. Key factors influencing their life outcomes included the programme's technical and life skills components, tailored delivery, positive relationships developed with staff and peers, and the influence of family members. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to existing literature and recommendations are made for future upskilling programmes.
By Carin Chua Jia Rong and Ting Mei Ting
Based on ethnographic observation and interviews, this project examined the possible explanations for Singaporeans who travel or live in Johor Bahru. Reasons include the lower cost of living in Johor Bahru; a needed respite from the demands of everyday life in Singapore; and the recognition of Johor Bahru’s borderlands as an option for residency, investment and retirement.
Residence or regular commutes to Johor Bahru represent a strategy to manage and negotiate these challenges, enabling Singaporeans to realize alternate narratives of success and definitions of well-being.
Finally, the concept of “space-time capital” is introduced as a concept to better articulate and understand the growing Singaporean presence in Johor Bahru.
Student Research Projects 2023
By Choi Tze Chun, Ethan Lee De En and Goh Wei Kiat
This report presents a summary of the research findings concerning the well-being of children residing in Singapore's Public Rental Scheme housing. The research employed an exploratory qualitative study methodology aimed at identifying factors within the children's home environment and shedding light on how these factors influence the well-being of children, primarily between the ages of 8 and 12. Currently, the available space within the rental housing is inadequate to ensure the holistic well-being of the children. In response to this issue, Children's Circle, proposes the establishment of a "third space" culture, which pertains to the space outside of a child's home and school as a means to address the problem.
This research endeavours to uncover the perceived needs of these children through the eyes of different stakeholders such as the caregivers and organisational leads of Children’s Circle, an informal collective of ground-up organisations. With the data collected from various stakeholders, recommendations are generated to enable our partner organisation to identify mechanisms that can improve the well-being of these children.
By Charmaine Song Xinling and Tong Hui Yi
This study examined the insights of seniors living nearby or participating in the AAC located in Ang Mo Kio Town, specifically THK AAC @ Blk 645 and Young at Heart @ Blk 650. Qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were employed to explore the expectations and hopes of Ang Mo Kio senior residents towards such facilities and the motivations and barriers to accessing them.
The data revealed that AACs can serve as a medium for social connectedness and a resource for activities to encourage greater mobility. It was also suggested that AACs can promote social and cognitive empowerment, by enabling access to an alternate but also familiar space for seniors in the neighbourhood.
The findings were used to inform the reimagination of AACs run by THK. This is part of a broader and important strategy for mitigating the implications of the rapidly ageing population that Singapore is currently facing.
By Roxanne Foo Wee Ngee, Nur Sabrina Bte Abu Bakar and Jessy Kee
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a surge in reported family violence in many countries. A part of the reason was due to isolation measures that compelled some women to remain at home under the same roof with perpetrators, magnifying their vulnerabilities. Singapore was no exception as the NGO-run Family Violence Specialist Centres saw a 37% increase in calls (United Nations Human Rights Special Procedures, 2020) while the Singapore Police Force saw a 22% increase in family violence reports during the Circuit Breaker in 2020 (Channel News Asia, 2020).
Situated within this context, this research project investigated and evaluated the effectiveness of Restorative Justice (or RJ) in supporting the recovery of women seeking protection in a crisis shelter after surviving family violence in Singapore. An exploratory study that is a first of its kind in Singapore, this project also sought better understand RJ's potential strengths and limitations within the local context.
Student Research Projects 2022
By Cheow Sue-Jane, Lau Hwei Gary, Lim Zhan Yang, Tan Wei Zhong Caleb and Helena Yeo Yon Ching
This project is an exploratory study that aims to better understand the impact of the Make The Change (MTC) Youth Changemaker Programme from the former MTC youth members' perspectives. It seeks to uncover the former members' experiences and developmental outcomes in which they had gained from the programme, and gather their opinions on the areas in which the programme can be done differently in shaping their developmental outcomes. This study hopes that the insights gathered from the MTC youth members may not only benefit MTC, but also contribute to the existing studies of social entrepreneurship youth programmes in Singapore.
By Kho Yong Xiang and Toh Rui Jie Rachel
How will Singapore's Community Hospitals look like in the future?
Working in collaboration with the MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation, this qualitative exploratory study aims to investigate the opportunities and challenges in Singapore’s Community Hospitals amidst an ageing population with complex needs.
As part of the project, the team interviewed 16 individuals across 6 community hospitals. Some insights they uncovered include: community hospitals tapping into the community care partners' venues to provide medical assistance or support to patients, as well as being the training ground for community care partners; having a shared information system among acute hospitals, community hospitals and community care partners for seamless patient care transition.
The students' work contributed to the first phase of a broader research endeavour. Together with MOHT partners and interns, Yong Xiang continued with the second phase of the research study, and they worked towards a final publication.
This final publication has been successfully published in the journal “Frontiers in Health Sciences” on 9 August 2023.
Student Research Projects 2021
By Pradnya Govind and Sarah Low Tze Hui
Smart Nation is a key initiative of Singapore to move toward digitalization of its industries including healthcare. The complex negotiations of aging amid Smart Nation are addressed in this paper, where we study the challenges faced to adapt the elderly for the digital revolution while ensuring dignified aging. While the healthcare industry accelerates its study and use of health technologies to improve diagnostics, treatment, and the quality of life of those in the aging category, the elderly socially construct these technological insertions that challenge the dominant understandings of what these technologies can do for their health outcomes.
The study reveals re-constructions of these technological insertions through the voice of the elderly in their negotiations with health technologies in their everyday lives. Here, narratives reveal key themes that proliferate technology negotiation as barriers to everyday lived experiences.
Read full article published in the journal of “Frontiers in Public Health” on 15 February 2021.
Student Research Projects 2020
By Chua Wan Xuan & Sheryl Seet Shihui
This ethnographic study conducted on caregivers and volunteer teachers of children enrolled in the GROW programme by Calvary Community Care (C3), sought to understand the influence of home support on the children’s literacy progress.
In 2010, C3 was founded by Calvary Baptist Church. Their vision is: “be a respected charity serving the needy out of love for them while relating to them holistically as individuals” (Our story, n.d.).
GROW stands for Gain Reading Oral and Writing Skills (Children, n.d.). It is a “weekly structured skills-based programme to help struggling readers aged between 5-7 years old acquire reading skills” (Children, n.d.), and focuses on phonics, word recognition and reading fluency. The four children enrolled in GROW after referral from their kindergarten teachers who identified that they needed additional literacy support; coming from low-income backgrounds, they received full subsidies for GROW lessons.
We hypothesise that children whose caregivers engage more with their child’s journey of developing literacy will attain improvement faster than children without caregiver support. As our study’s caregivers have low English literacy levels and are unable to support their children in literacy activities, we hypothesise that they may lag behind their peers without external support beyond just attending school. However, as ours is a pilot study of just four children, we are unable to monitor their long-term literacy development. Nonetheless, study insights can provide deeper understanding into the struggles of less literate caregivers in supporting their child.
Our study will shed light on the role of caregivers and their impact on the child's literacy journey through GROW. This is helpful in understanding the optimal environment for children to develop literacy beyond the classroom and will facilitate C3’s future programme planning and review. In doing so, this research will bridge the gap between what we imagine parents to interact with children regarding how they learn English, and what they do in real life. Such research is set in Singapore, which is useful as there has not been much research conducted on literacy amongst young children here.
Student Research Projects 2018
By Wynona Alim
The objective of this study is to analyze the working and living conditions of migrant workers in the construction industry in Singapore and propose recommendations on how we can help them have better working and living conditions, and obtain relevant, practical and transferable skills that they can use to earn a living in their home countries. We explored aspects such as their backgrounds, motivations for working in Singapore, and their working and living conditions. Through this study, we find that while migrant workers play important roles in constructing the iconic landscapes of Singapore, the reciprocation is far from equal. This study hopes to provide suggestions on how Singapore can educate and train migrant workers to learn lifelong skills they can apply, even after returning back to their home countries.
By Tan Xin Le, Hillary & David Lim Shing Yang
Social policy research often overlooks clients’ perspectives even though they are the ones whose needs are being met. This paper seeks to present an analysis of ComCare Assistance delivery through the Social Service Office (SSO) from the perspective of five households in the Crawford subzone. Through the inductive research method, we explore the gap between clients’ expectations and their personal experiences with the SSO. This gap manifests in three ways: the segregation between financial and social issues, the formulaic solutions provided by the SSO and, the unmet underlying policy objectives. In light of this paper’s limited sample size, we derive four propositions from our conclusions to inform future research in this area.
By Andy Lua Jia Hui & How Kwang Ming
Education is often touted as the social leveller and in Singapore, it is also the embodiment of meritocracy. In recent years however, the education system has drawn flak for deviating away from its intended purpose of creating fair opportunities for all, and accused of perpetuating inequality along socioeconomic lines.This explorative study seeks to address speculations that inequality arising from the education system has, in part, been informed by the presence of school banding. School banding has been found to distort the amount and type of opportunities that students are endowed with, ranging from academic and cocurricular opportunities, to post-JC opportunities that can impact one’s personal development. School banding also influences the quality of education and by extension education experience which has significant ramifications on their performance at the national exams, their post-JC pathways and life trajectories.
By Amanda Tang Jing Qing, Jocelyn Joy Gwee Ci En & Dinh Hai Bao Lien
This paper seeks to explore the various prosocial support networks that seek to support ex-offenders in successful reintegration into the community. Major themes such as family, friends, support groups, work, religion, institution-related support, and psychosocial traits are explored and expounded on. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 ex-offenders who are clients of ISCOS and SCORE.
By Ho Kai Ling Phyllis & Raag Sudha Sanjay
The objective of the four-month study with Highpoint Halfway House was to develop an impact evaluation framework that could be adopted by Highpoint’s management to determine whether and how its recently launched secular reintegration programmes had provided psycho-emotional support to its residents. Two out of the four programmes that included weekly support groups and monthly house meetings were examined. A framework to evaluate the impact of these programmes were formulated based on interviews, observations, and a review of existing literature on desistance, therapeutic communities and learning evaluation models.
By Bian Ruoyi, Ng Xu Jie & Lim Ting Sarah
As Singapore’s population ages, there is an increased possibility of social isolation amongst the elderly. This is indeed a worrisome phenomenon as social isolation has been found to result in clinical depression and early death among the elderly. Our project attempts to address this issue by examining the motivations and aspirations of pre-retirees as they approach retirement age. This was done through observations, conversations, interviews and surveys with elderly residents in MacPherson, a mature estate in Singapore with a sizeable number of senior residents. Our findings suggest that there are gender and socioeconomic differences in perceptions of retirement, and that activities planned for retirees need to take into account this diversity. Based on these findings, we propose the following recommendations: (i) create block champions, (ii) leverage organically formed subgroups, (iii) challenge existing locations of facilities, and more importantly, (iv) reframe retirement. While this project does not aim to directly tackle social isolation, it provides a first step in understanding the needs and aspirations of the mature residents so as to understand how the MacPherson CC/RCs or other social organisations can better engage them to prevent social isolation in the elderly.
By Ngui Jia Yi & Tan Jia En, Elizabeth
This report seeks to explore the concept of dignity in healthcare by gathering narratives from current residents of St Theresa’s Home — a nursing home under the Catholic Welfare Services in Singapore. In so doing, the study aims to propose recommendations to enhance the experiences of nursing home residents through the preservation of a dignified life. Literature reviews on the concept of dignity in healthcare, and the various models of dignity were conducted to identify an appropriate framework to evaluate residents’ sense of dignity, and how this could have changed upon entering a nursing home. Over the course of three months, semistructured interviews were conducted with 13 residents to understand how their lives have evolved. We then proposed some recommendations based on these interviews and the theoretical literature.
By Lai Wei Xuan, Annabelle Ng Siow Shyen & Tan Chai Hoon, Nowel
In line with the nation-wide thrust to move healthcare services beyond the hospital and into the community, National Healthcare Group’s (NHG) Neighbours for Active Living programme (Neighbours) aims to provide integrated healthcare services to their elderly clients while they are in the community. Using a holistic approach to bridge social and healthcare services, Neighbours aims to plug service gaps, move services upstream and help deliver more efficient healthcare services. This study aims to help NHG’s Neighbours team perform ground sensing of elderly clients living in the MacPherson, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan-Toa Payoh and Serangoon areas. Qualitative data are collected through conversational interviews, and analysed through thematic analysis to aggregate client personas which could guide future healthcare service planning.
Two main themes: Mobility and Social Networks emerge as key priorities of many elderly clients. Schemas are developed to articulate the insights drawn from these two main themes. While these two themes overlap in some areas, there is merit in analysing how each may affect other needs, such as familial, financial and spiritual needs. Furthermore, issues surrounding Mobility and Social Networks of elderly patients require intense coordination between healthcare and social services, to ensure seamless care from hospital to home. In conclusion, we have established a framework for collecting and analysing qualitative data for the purposes of healthcare service planning, and have developed patient personas which supplement storytelling techniques to communicate priority patient needs for consideration in strategic planning.
By Gan Jia Min, Imran Shah S/O Rahman Shah & Luah Xiao Wen
With a rapidly ageing society and the proportion of population with chronic diseases on the rise, upstream community care is a plausible method to help reduce future individual and social health care services costs. This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of one such programme—the service-learning programme, Community Health Angels Monitoring Programme (CHAMP), and consider its utility in the Singaporean context using the social return on investment (SROI) framework. Stakeholders, including undergraduates from National University of Singapore (NUS) Pharmacy, social workers and clients of @27 Montfort, and volunteer pharmacists were interviewed to identify their respective inputs and outcomes from the programme. Secondary data, such as case notes and email threads were also retrieved to supplement the data. Whenever possible, information was triangulated to ensure accuracy of self-reported data by stakeholders. A final SROI ratio of 2.55 was obtained for the study after adjusting for deadweight, attribution and drop-off (if present). The ratio indicates that CHAMP is a community care model that produces a net benefit to the involved stakeholders, making it a worthwhile investment for all of them. Further refinement could be done to improve the accuracy and scope of findings and enhance the study design, with greater resources in future studies.
Student Research Projects 2017
By Tan Hui Han
Community hospitals play a crucial role in the smooth transit of patients from an inpatient setting to the comforts of their homes. Working alongside the ‘Go Home, Stay Home’ work group in Ren Ci Community Hospital, I aimed to better understand the discharge concerns of patients and of their caregivers, and explored ways of easing their transitions from hospital to home. Primary data were collected through observations, interviews, and discussions with patients, caregivers, and staff in Ren Ci. Existing resources were also evaluated to identify the unmet discharge needs of patients and their caregivers.
Data collected revealed a spectrum of discharge concerns and uncovered the limited effectiveness of collateral materials provided for patients and caregivers during discharge due to comprehension difficulties and perceived redundancy. A preliminary discharge resource file was developed in collaboration with the ‘Go Home, Stay Home’ work group, and feedback on its usefulness and comprehensibility was also gathered. This paper outlined two recommendations that Ren Ci could implement in the future: introducing a more coordinated discharge process, and increasing the emphasis placed on patients’ post discharge social wellbeing.
By Annabelle Ng Siow Shyen & Glenda Kee Li Ting
We studied four nursing homes and conducted interviews with staff members and residents to find out more about their current processes and experiences. A literature review on various care models was conducted to identify a framework that could be used to assess the adequacy of holistic care in nursing homes. Finally, we proposed recommendations on how to improve the nursing home experience, particularly in terms of admission processes and activity programming.
By Chen Qijian & Pua Yi-Lin Aileen
Internationally, the elderly are particularly susceptible to undernutrition. However, research on this problem has been lacking in Singapore, and elderly undernutrition often goes undetected and untreated. We aimed to understand the complexities of nutritional issues in community-dwelling elderly populations in Singapore— focusing on the interplay of interests among various stakeholders that mediate the provision of such care to the elderly—and the effectiveness and accessibility of these services from the elderly’s perspective. We found that the prominent factors driving undernutrition are a lack of education, a lack of committed participation from key organisations, and a lack of community concern that could help the elderly to overcome the difficulties of ageing.
By Kua Qiu Quan, Olivia Tang Siew Mun & Brandon Lee Zi Cong
WeCare@MarineParade (“WeCare”) was set up in Marine Parade to provide social services to 700 low-income households that were neglected under the existing network of assistance schemes offered by the government. This study evaluated the social impact generated by WeCare’s intervention programme using the social return on investment (SROI) framework. Relevant stakeholders were engaged in the evaluation process through social conversations, and both the positive and negative outcomes of WeCare’s intervention programme were documented. The underlying theory of change for WeCare’s intervention programme was also developed to identify key inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impacts. We collected primary data through interviews with key stakeholders, and supplemented it with secondary data in order to derive suitable indicators for the SROI computations for WeCare’s intervention programme.
By Siti Adriana Bte Muhamad Rasip
In Singapore, Malay/Muslim organisations (MMOs) are commonly seen by Malay/ Muslim (MM) households as responsible for undertaking efforts towards the socio-economic development of the MM community. Despite the MMOs’ efforts, some members of the MM community still view MMOs negatively and find them lacking. This study aims to juxtapose such common perceptions of MMOs against an examination of social assistance, based on data collected from 27 low-income MM households, in order to determine if these perceptions are misperceptions or genuinely reflect gaps that need to be addressed. This paper concludes that negative perceptions held by some of the MM households are misperceptions, based on a lack of information or clarity about the realities that the MMOs face. MMOs also face limitations in outreach due to limited resources and capabilities, which might have given rise to these negative perceptions as well.
By Jefferson Karthikeyan Rajah
The Dating Violence Awareness Week (DVAW) has been an annual campaign in Singapore. As part of this campaign, organisations engage in outreach events to raise awareness about dating violence in Singapore, particularly targeting youth in tertiary educational institutions. Yet, there seems to be a dearth of data on existing attitudes and level of awareness among Singaporean youths about dating violence, who are often the targets of such educational campaigns. This study assesses both the attitudinal and awareness levels of 191 female students and 118 male students in National University of Singapore (NUS). The key findings of this study include higher acceptability of dating violence among male students as compared to female students, lack of understanding towards those who stay in violent relationships, and lack of awareness of resources to help those who are experiencing or have experienced violence in their relationships. Given the nature and limitations of this preliminary study, further research is advocated for a more in-depth and representative study in order to gather data for the larger population.
By Poh Yu Ting
Employing the Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework, this study aimed to analyse the impact of Connect Tuition—a student-led tutoring and mentoring programme. Although the programme had been going on for two-and-a-half years, this evaluative SROI analysis only focused on activities that took place in 2015. Material stakeholders were identified, and I conducted qualitative interviews with these stakeholders. To measure the social value created by the tutoring and mentoring activities, a monetary value was computed for every possible outcome. This process of monetising and valuating intangible outcomes could help to tell the story of how social change had been created by Connect Tuition’s tutoring and mentoring activities.
By Chow Weng Fen Florence, Lim Ying Jun & Tan Sok Ping Pauline
Some Singaporean households depend on Interim Rental Housing (IRH) flats to meet their urgent temporary housing needs, after financial troubles have impelled them to sell their original flats. While these households await more permanent homes in rental flats or flats of their own, many of them are mired in numerous problems, including financial difficulties, difficulty with caregiving arrangements, or health issues. Displaced from their original residence, yet perceived to be in less dire straits than those occupying crisis shelters or welfare homes, these households are expected to be self-reliant and received nominal welfare assistance. As such, these needy households could go through significant emotional and psychological stress through their difficult periods. Empirical observations suggest that these households tend to be larger than average and are disproportionately represented by minority ethnic groups. This exploratory study sought to gain insight into the challenges, needs, aspirations, and social support systems of the Dover IRH community through the lens of the asset-based community development model.
Student Research Projects 2016
By Lim Wan Qin Charmaine, Li Yanhui & Yeam Cheng Teng
Cancer rehabilitation is important in helping cancer patients regain their normal lives and re-integrate into society. In Singapore, cancer rehabilitation has mainly been conducted in an outpatient setting in hospitals. However, surveys among cancer survivors have shown dissatisfaction with this model due to transport costs, long waiting times in hospitals, the stigma of visiting hospitals, and more. To plug the current gap in cancer services, the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) set up the first community-based cancer rehabilitation centre in November 2015. This study seeks to review and evaluate strategies employed by various cancer rehabilitation centres around the world, and offer recommendations to the new community-based rehabilitation centre in Singapore. Information was obtained through analysing literature available online, and various strategies were reviewed over 10 themes: physical fitness, nutrition, practical support, social and emotional support, tailored care, integrated approach, reintegration into society, nation-wide framework, alternative treatments and physical spaces. On the whole, we find that SCS is already offering many effective services and programmes at the new centre. We provide further insights into current strategies, along with additional recommendations on new areas SCS can consider for better and more holistic care of cancer patients.
By Chan Sze How, See Toh Guang Rong, Ng Yan Da, Elson & Ong Ci Xin
This research is a joint study by students from the NUS Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Programme and the staff of Bizlink Centre Singapore Ltd, to evaluate the effectiveness of Bizlink Centre’s Data Management Services and Work Therapy Programme (WTP) in terms of the social value generated. To do this, this study utilises the social return on investment (SROI) framework to monetise key stakeholder outcomes. In doing so, our objective is to complement the key performance indicators (KPIs) currently tracked by Bizlink Centre. Based on our analysis, the investment by Bizlink Centre in the Data Management Services business unit, in terms of direct operating costs, generates social value that is worth 1.8 times the amount invested. Specifically, every dollar of investment in the business unit yields $1.80 of social value over the period of one financial year. The social value generated includes improved social skills, increased self-confidence, improved administrative skills, and employment.
This shows that the working environment and culture of the business unit is valued by the respective stakeholders. In addition to the social value generated, a monetary profit is also generated by this business unit. Our analysis also shows that the investment made by the Community Silver Trust in the WTP generates social value that is worth 6.11 times the amount invested. Specifically, every dollar of investment in the WTP yields $6.11 of social value over the period of one financial year. The social value generated includes training opportunities, improved social skills, and a safe and friendly working environment. Thus, although the job placement rate for the WTP clients is only approximately 20%, the true social value generated by this programme does justify further funding.
By Soh Wen Shi Micole
Under National University of Singapore’s Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Programme (CTPCLP), I embarked on a research attachment at Ren Ci Hospital from June – July 2014. I was tasked to look at ways to improve Ren Ci’s volunteer landscape and propose recommendations on how Ren Ci could better recruit and retain youth volunteers. To that end, interviews, surveys and observations of volunteer activities were carried out across the three branches of Ren Ci Hospital: Ren Ci Community Hospital, Ren Ci Nursing Home, and Ren Ci Long Term Care. After which, I proposed the following recommendations to Ren Ci: (i) link up with schools to develop long-term projects; (ii) use appropriate media channels to connect with youth; (iii) follow up with ad-hoc volunteers; (iv) develop training programmes to retain volunteers. In the longer term, changing mindsets about volunteerism and capitalizing upon the assets of both youth volunteers and older residents/patients could potentially help develop meaningful and long-lasting relationships.
By Afiqah Nur Fitri Bte Suhaiemi & Ler Yong Qin Kenneth
There is a growing body of literature on the impact of parental incarceration on child wellbeing. However, such extant research has not specifically looked at the Singapore context. This paper aims to fill the gap in the current literature by offering a first-of-its-kind exploratory study of the developmental needs of children of ex-offenders in Singapore. Using Erikson’s (1950) stages of psychosocial development as a guiding framework, we conducted structured interviews with a small sample of children and adolescents. Our analysis identifies six dimensions along which the children of ex-offenders respond to parental incarceration. For each of these six dimensions, we suggest specific areas which social services organisations can address, so as to help the children overcome the respective challenges that they face.
Student Research Projects 2015
By Tang Wai Hong
The Moneylenders Act (MLA) 2008 liberalized moneylending operations in Singapore by providing moneylenders with greater flexibility in advertising, modes of loan disbursements and repayments, and operation locations. Through a literature review and a series of qualitative interviews with both moneylenders and borrowers, this paper aims to characterize the relationship dynamics between both parties and evaluate the social effects of the new regulations in the gambling financing context. This paper argues that the social harms caused by increased moneylending are not just a result of seemingly unscrupulous moneylending practices, but are also a direct consequence of the legislative changes in the MLA.
By Tan Mei Fen
This paper discusses an observational study of the workflow and work practices of nurses in a long-term care (LTC) ward in Ren Ci Hospital in Buangkok, to determine an appropriate staffing system that strikes a good balance between cost effectiveness, quality care, and nursing workload. This paper proposes a more holistic review of the skills mix and job designations of the nurses and nursing aides, as well as more flexible and accurate quantitative measures to better gauge the intensity of the nursing workload and the resource demands of the LTC facility. Additionally, there is a need to reduce the nursing workload to allow more time for nurses to foster strong patient-nurse relationships and improve the patients’ psychosocial well-being. There is also a need to develop effective workplace strategies to foster better professional relationships and communications to enhance efficiency and productivity.
By Andy Tay Kah Ping
The relatively high incidence of mental health disorders among Singapore’s youth in recent years highlights the need to raise youth awareness to destigmatize mental disorders and encourage youth to make informed decisions on mental health issues. Through a literature review, focused group discussions, and surveys, this paper assesses the effectiveness of various intervention strategies in destigmatizing mental health issues. Using a new TLCE2 paradigm, recommendations are made to enhance existing programs by mental health agencies and explore new initiatives to raise mental health awareness. Some of the key recommendations in this paper include the use of phone apps and social media, as well as institution-based talks and seminars, to reach out to youth and remove stigma associated with mental disorders.
By Wan Chien Yang Alfred & Goh Wei Leong
This paper proposes adopting an asset-based community development approach to augment the government’s conventional needs-based approach to assimilate migrant wives and resolve their problems. Instead of focusing on migrant wives as ‘needy’ people, this paper aims to show how focusing on the abilities and skills of migrant wives can empower them and allow them to contribute actively and assimilate more quickly into Singaporean society. For example, this paper recommends bottom-up initiatives to tap on the entrepreneurial potential and foreign language skills of migrant wives. Lastly, this paper also highlights how community organizations can help enhance the English and IT proficiencies of migrant wives and improve their access to legal services. Resolving these issues would allow migrant wives to tap on their potential more effectively to pursue self-empowerment.
By Chong Yen Kiat
This paper aims to examine how social workers based in family service centres (FSCs) perceive and conduct child protection work. Through a series of semi-structured interviews with social workers, this study shows how the knowledge and practices of FSC-based social workers are partial rather than absolute, and are construed largely in relation to the government’s Child Protection Service (CPS) at any point in time. This alludes to the integrated direction the child protection system in Singapore is heading towards, one where there are shared roles and responsibilities between various community stakeholders. This paper recommends that practitioners should practice reflexivity by enhancing their awareness of how the structure of the child protection system shapes the subjective perceptions and practices of different professionals within the system. Recognizing this will create a greater collaborative context in child protection work between the various child protection agencies.
By Goh Jia Min Charmain & Shyaza Afiqah Bte Abdul Malik
This paper provides deeper insights into the experiences of spouses of ex-offenders in Singapore through the lens of aspirations. By conducting face-to-face and phone interviews with spouses of ex-offenders and their children, the authors seek to understand their aspirations and possible obstacles. New ideas are proposed to enhance existing programs run by Industrial and Services Co-Operative Society Ltd. (ISCOS) to assist families of ex-offenders. In particular, focus is placed on the Fairy Godparent Program (FGP), a program meant to help children of ex-offenders achieve their academic potential despite their circumstances. This paper provides two key recommendations. First, it proposes the introduction of a support group for the spouses so that they can find practical ways to leverage each other’s strengths through a resource-sharing network. Second, it recommends the expansion of ISCOS’ repertoire of extracurricular programs to promote holistic development for the children of ex-offenders.
By Grace Ooi Mei Yi, Koh Hui Qi & Vanessa Lim Zi Kun
Cancer rehabilitation is a relatively new concept that emphasizes the importance of post-cancer treatment care in improving the quality of life for cancer patients/survivors. Through a literature review and surveys conducted among cancer patients/survivors in the National University Hospital (NUH) Cancer Center and the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) Multi-Service Center in Bishan, this paper aims to better understand the physical and psychosocial needs of cancer patients/survivors and explore new ideas to enhance existing cancer rehabilitation programs. The key recommendations of this paper include the provision of neighborhood treatment centers that provide low-cost rehabilitation and the promotion of greater synergy in cancer rehabilitation efforts between hospitals, community organizations and SCS.
Student Research Projects 2014
By Chia Shu Xuan
The paper examines the nature of autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) from the operational perspective of Specialisterne, a social enterprise headquartered in Denmark. Autism is a severe developmental disorder. It can have an impact on the ways individuals communicate and function in the society. ASD is a life-long condition that does not stop at the end of childhood. There are adults living with ASD and they need support in the form of education and training schemes to help them work and function fully in society. Specialisterne is one of the few companies that enables adults with ASD to cope well with building social relationships and living out productive lives through its unique model of employment.
By Muhammad Nadjad Bin Abdul Rahim
Social overstayers occupy beds in community hospitals, despite being fit for discharge. With beds occupied, patients-in-queue are unable to move from the restructured hospitals to the community hospitals, and this increases their chances of acquiring infections in the restructured hospitals. The occurrence of overstaying also represents non-optimal utilisation of resources. In Singapore, it is common for social overstayers (and families) to cite the delayed arrival of domestic workers and the lack of caregivers at home as reasons for delayed discharge. In this year-long longitudinal study at Ren Ci Community Hospital, it was found that approximately 14% of patients ended up waiting for the arrival of domestic workers, and these patients spent about half their total stay waiting. This resulted in approximately 10% of wasted bed space per cohort of patients.
By Tan Weilie, Lok Yan Lin, Quah Mei Hwei Lydia & Joel Chow Ken Q
From 15 May to 31 July 2013, we experimented with an alternative model of food rations distribution in Lengkok Bahru estate in Queenstown. The model sought to: 1) empower the elderly with choice, 2) reduce food wastage, and 3) strengthen community bonds via the food rations distribution activity. It was also a starting point to seek ways in refining food distribution for low-income elderly. This paper summarizes the findings after executing the experiment, as well as the phases of research methodology aimed at acquiring information on the preferences, views and behaviours of the elderly.
By Goh Jia Min Charmian
A key aim of Beyond Social Services in Ang Mo Kio (AMK) is to promote a high level of community participation amongst children, youth, and caregivers. In light of Beyond Social Services’ past engagement with the AMK community as well as recent trends, there is a compelling need to prioritize community efforts, mobilize resources in the community, and encourage greater ownership in the community through the process of building a community vision. In a series of qualitative interviews with youth and caregivers from the AMK community, this paper chronicles the common themes in their respective visions for the AMK community, and examines how Beyond Social Services can partner the community in striving towards a common vision.
By Talia Seet Shwen Lee, Goh Jia Min Charmain, Law Zhe Wen, Joel Ken Q Chow
Trails have become an increasingly popular medium for a variety of educational purposes. Simultaneously, participatory models of community development are garnering more local and global attention, but there have been limited avenues for public engagement with these models. In view of these two trends, our team set out to explore the pedagogical potential of trails in effectively educating people on community development skills and knowledge. This paper first provides a genealogy of trails in Singapore, followed by the ideological motivation for our trails. The paper then analyses the rapid ethnographic method, which we employed in conceptualising the trail, and its strengths and weaknesses. The paper subsequently discusses the participants’ reception of the trail, and possible areas for further expansion.
By: Law Zhe Wen
Clan associations, or huiguans, are community builders that have provided support to the Chinese community or smaller groups in the Chinese community since the 19th century. Their importance in providing a platform for agency and solidarity to be cultivated along ethnic-based lines has been well documented. However, since Singapore’s independence, the focus on building a civic-based national identity has arguably placed huiguans in a difficult position. Using the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan as a case study, this paper examines the current direction that huiguans are undertaking in order to remain relevant to the ethnic Chinese while contributing to the nation-building process.