FSC – CSWP

CASEWORK PRACTICE GUIDE

June 2022
 CONFIDENTIAL

CONTENT PAGE

Chapter 1 FOREWORD
Overview
A Introduction to the Practice Guide
B Purpose and Use of Practice Guide

Chapter 2 WORKING IN AN ORGANISATION

A Promoting Safe and Professionally Accountable Practice
in Organisations
B Provision of SOPs and Guidelines
C Staff Recruitment
D Principles of Safe Practice
E Managing Caseloads
F Structure and System for Case Reviews
G Multi-Disciplinary Work and Networking
H Maintaining Confidentiality
I Mandatory Reporting under the Criminal Procedure Code
J Providing Organisational Safety
K Conducting Process Reviews

Chapter 3 WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES AND

COMMUNITIES
A Overview
B Stages of Casework Practice

Chapter 4 PRACTICE CONSIDERATIONS

A Managing Consent
B Coordinated Case Management
C Case Conference
D Contact with the Client
E Working with Vulnerable Members of the Family

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 CONFIDENTIAL

F Managing Sexual Abuse Victims

G Conducting Home Visits
H Documentation

Chapter 4a FRAMEWORK FOR ORGANISATIONS TO SIGHT

VULNERABLE MEMBERS IN A FAMILY

Chapter 4b CASE TRACKING FOR SAFETY IN PROTECTION CASES

A Case Tracking for Safety in Protection
B Role of FSCs in Managing Protection Cases
C Case Management Transfer Process
D Management of Red File Cases
E Escalation Process

Chapter 4c FRAMEWORK FOR WORKING WITH UNCONTACTABLE OR

UNWILLING CLIENTS

Chapter 5 MANAGING CASES WITH RISK AND SAFETY CONCERNS

A Cases with Risk and Safety Concerns
B Understanding Risks and Vulnerabilities
C Fundamental principles of conducting risk assessment
D Safety Planning and Monitoring Framework

Chapter 6 CRISIS MANAGEMENT

A Definition of a Crisis
B Management of High Risk Crisis Events
C Practice Considerations
D Care for Staff

Chapter 7 MANAGEMENT OF CASES WITH SUICIDAL OR SELF

INJURY INTENT
A Cases with Suicidal or Self Injury Intent

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 CONFIDENTIAL

B Principles in Managing Cases with Suicidal Intent or Non-

Suicidal Self Injury
C Conducting a Suicide/ Non-Suicidal Self-Injury
Assessment
D Conducting Interventions
E Management of Cases where Client Has Passed Away
due to Suicide or Self-Injury

Chapter 8 REFLECTIVE PRACTICE AND SUPERVISION

A Reflective Practice
B Developing Reflective Practice in FSCs
C Supervision
D The Supervisory Relationship
E Structure of Supervision
F Supervision with a Risk Lens
G Self Care

Forms ASSESSMENT FORMS AND GUIDES

Home Visit Assessment
Financial Assessment
Elder Care Assessment
Functional Assessment
Suicide Risk Assessment Guide
Mental Health Status Assessment
Supervision Contract

Annex PENAL CODE

GUIDELINES FOR CASE MASTER ACTION PLANNING
(CASE MAP)

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FOREWORD

Family Service Centres are one of our key social service touchpoints in the community.
In working with families, knowledge and skills in assessing risk are indisputably core
to responding effectively to the wide ranging issues that vulnerable families present.

Effective casework practice does not rest solely on caseworkers but it does start with
critical thinking on the part of caseworkers working within a strong practice culture in
an agency. It starts with the agency stating practice guidelines and expectations in its
standard operating procedure (SOP) and protocols. This should include support for
the practitioner through a supervision structure. All these build the fundamentals for
competent and safe practice.

Like polyclinics where a consistent level of service is provided no matter which one
you visit, vulnerable families have a right to access a consistent skilled level of service
across all FSCs. The Family Service Centre - Code of Social Work Practice (FSC-
CSWP) Casework Practice Guide is one way to ensure consistency in casework
practice and delivery across various FSCs. As a key reference, the Casework Practice
Guide will provide practitioners with “concrete markers” of FSC casework practice.

I am thankful for the inputs from practitioners from across the various practice settings,
from the FSCs and the Master Practice Leaders for this guide. The collective practice
wisdom in these pages signals our efforts as a community to continue to do better for
the families we serve.

Ang Bee Lian

Director of Social Welfare

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OVERVIEW

A Introduction to the Practice Guide

1 This Family Service Centre - Code of Social Work Practice (FSC-CSWP)

Casework Practice Guide (hereafter known as Practice Guide) outlines for Social Work
Practitioners (SWPs) the implementation of the FSC-CSWP in the FSCs.

2 This guide starts off by outlining the considerations that the organisation needs
to put in place to support practice in the FSCs. It is recognised that structures and
organisational support are important components required to support good casework
practice by the SWPs. The Practice Guide then states the expected practice
standards of the SWPs in terms of their tasks, roles and responsibilities. It is focused
on the provision of direct services for clients and their family.

3 The Practice Guide is a commitment to provide good social work practice so as

to enhance the functioning of individuals, families and communities in Singapore.

4 The Guide recognises that FSCs provide a service to clients across a

continuum of needs. As such, FSCs need to be equipped in meeting those needs
taking into consideration vulnerabilities and the various concerns that exist within the
family. This requires workers to be vulnerability centric and family focussed within a
community setting.

B Purpose and Use of Practice Guide

1 The Practice Guide indicates:

• General practice considerations SWPs should be attentive to.

• The roles of SWPs and the corresponding intervention tasks required in
practice.
• The protocols required for practice.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to extend our thanks and heartfelt appreciation to the following partners
and individuals who have contributed in some ways or other, to the development of
the Practice Guide.

Family Service Centres (FSC)

1. @27 FSC
2. Ang Mo Kio FSC
3. AWWA FSC
4. Care Corner FSC (Admiralty)
5. Care Corner FSC (Queenstown)
6. Care Corner FSC (Tampines)
7. Care Corner FSC (Toa Payoh)
8. Care Corner FSC (Woodlands)
9. Cheng San FSC
10. Fei Yue Family Services at SSO @ Taman Jurong
11. Fei Yue FSC (Bukit Batok)
12. Fei Yue FSC (Champions Way)
13. Fei Yue FSC (Choa Chu Kang)
14. Fei Yue FSC (Yew Tee)
15. Hougang Sheng Hong FSC
16. Kampong Kapor FSC
17. Kreta Ayer Family Services at SSO@Kreta Ayer
18. Lakeside Family Service Centre (Jurong East)
19. Lakeside Family Service Centre (Jurong West)
20. Marine Parade FSC
21. MWS Covenant FSC (Hougang)
22. MWS Tampines FSC
23. MWS Yishun FSC
24. Pasir Ris FSC
25. PPIS FSC (East)
26. PPIS FSC (West)
27. Punggol FSC
28. REACH FSC
29. Rotary FSC
30. Sembawang FSC
31. Serangoon Moral FSC
32. Sengkang FSC
33. SINDA FSC
34. Singapore Children's Society FSC (Yishun)
35. South Central Community FSC
36. The SBL Vision FSC
37. THK FSC @ Bedok North

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 38. THK FSC @ Bukit Panjang
39. THK FSC @ Jurong
40. THK FSC @ MacPherson
41. THK FSC @ Tanjong Pagar
42. TRANS FSC (Bedok)
43. TRANS FSC (Bedok Reservoir)
44. TRANS FSC (Bukit Timah)
45. Viriya FSC
46. Whampoa FSC
47. Whispering Hearts FSC

Master Practice Leaders

1. Mr Benny Bong
2. Ms Choy Puay Wun
3. Dr Gilbert Fan Kam Tong
4. Ms Han Yah Yee
5. Ms Lee Yean Wun
6. Dr Vincent Ng
7. Mr Tony Ong
8. Ms Seah Kheng Yeow
9. Ms Tan Sze Wee
10. Mr Udhia Kumar

Ministry of Social and Family Development

1. Adult Protective Service

2. Child Protective Service
3. Comcare and Social Support Division
4. Legal Services Unit
5. Service Delivery and Coordination Division

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 Chapter 2 WORKING IN AN ORGANISATION

A Promoting Safe and Professionally Accountable Practice in

Organisations

1 Social work practice is carried out in an organisational setting as the

organisation provides the structure and context for social work interventions. The
organisation sets out its mission and defines the roles and responsibilities of SWPs.
It provides guidelines for practice and develops an organisational structure that
supports the SWPs and the work they do with their clients.

2 The SWPs then conduct their practice in the context of the organisation’s
mission and in accordance to its policies, protocols and processes. It is important for
SWPs to be supported with supervision and consultation in their case practice in
particular when managing complex cases.

3 Organisations play a strong role in ensuring that the practice/ service they
provide to the clients they serve is safe and professionally accountable.

4 Hence, accountability for professional practice is considered at 2 levels:

• Organisational (management as well as supervisory); and
• Individual

B Provision of SOPs and Guidelines

1 Clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines provide clarity to

SWPs in managing clients and crises, especially when faced with cases of complex
needs and risks. Good SOPs and guidelines will cover the following areas:
• Policies and principles of practice that are aligned with the requirements of the
governing bodies;
• Protocols and processes on how cases are to be managed, that are aligned
with requirements of the governing bodies;
• Staff management protocols relating to recruitment and staff screening
processes; as well as the management of possible practice concerns (please
see segments C and K below);
• Structures and systems to support and guide staff in practice e.g. case
management, training and supervision; and
• It is important that staff are oriented and guided to have a clear understanding
of the policies, principles and practice in their work with clients and families.

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2 SOPs and guidelines are useful to provide guidance and support to SWPs in
their work with their clients, and these may cover the following areas:
• design of the workspace to ensure the workers’ and clients’ safety when
aggression breaks out in a workplace setting (please see segment J below);
• how cases are allocated, transferred and closed;
• how cases are to be managed, especially when there are multiple and complex
needs and/ or risk concerns;
• identifying and flagging cases where there are existing concerns of risk and
safety;
• managing cases with persistent system barriers;
• SWPs’ contacts and interactions with the clients, especially those with issues
of vulnerability;
• ensuring collaborative practice with other professionals and stakeholders; and
• documentation of work conducted by the SWPs and how these should be
managed and kept.

C Staff Recruitment

1 It cannot be denied that work in an FSC setting can be challenging as the SWPs
are expected to manage and deal with a myriad of human emotions, issues and
behaviours. Good human resource practices hence mean that staff selected have
relevant qualifications and are supported in building their required competencies/ skills
suited to the work. A good organisation will also ensure that the staff are provided
with support and guidance in the work they do.

2 Good organisations recognise that there are individuals who may choose to
enter into their organisations as a means of gaining access to the vulnerable persons
for their own purposes/ interest. Others may have the notion of wanting to do more to
help but may not have the right values, attitudes and perspectives for the role.

3 In selecting staff, these organisations will sieve out the right persons who best
match the requirements of the organisation/ job scope. Thus, apart from requiring
persons with the relevant qualification and experience, good organisations will select
staff with the right aptitude and attitude suited to working in the social service sector.

4 In assessing the suitability of the person being shortlisted, especially if the

individual would be having direct interface with clients and their vulnerable family
members, the following is useful:

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 • Require the shortlisted individual to provide a self-declaration that he/ she is
free of criminal records and has not been subjected to a police investigation
before;
• Require the shortlisted individual to provide a self-declaration on their mental
health well-being and whether they are receiving services from a mental health
professional;
• Reference checks from previous employers that reflect the competency and
suitability of the shortlisted individual; and
• Interview that assesses the shortlisted individual’s views on working with
persons with vulnerabilities.

5 To ensure that SWPs recruited are able to meet the needs of the clients, good
agencies consider the following:
• SWPs managing complex cases (those with multiple needs and/or existing risk
concerns) are trained and have the requisite skills and competencies.
(Agencies may refer to frameworks such as the Skills Framework for Social
Service);
• All SWPs managing cases receive regular clinical and casework supervision;
and
• Client feedback channels are created and clients are made aware of them to
allow for ethical/ professional issues to be surfaced.

D Principles of Safe Practice

1 The following principles support the concept of safe case practice in the FSCs:
• Safety as a priority for both the client and the SWPs.
o Organisations provide leadership and build structures and systems, as
well as SOPs that will promote a culture of ensuring safety and provide
support/ guidelines to their staff.
o Organisations ensure that the client’s, members of the client’s family and
the worker’s safety are considered as they plan their work around the
client, particularly when there are concerns of violence and aggression.
• Practice is vulnerable-client centred, regardless of whom the primary client may
be.
o SWPs make efforts to see vulnerable clients (e.g. children, persons with
disability and the elderly) preferably face to face and that the interactions
between the vulnerable client and their caregivers are observed and
assessed.

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 o SWPs assess the vulnerable clients’ needs and level of care they are
receiving. This is ascertained through interactions that workers have
with them. Decisions on regularity of the interaction are based on the
nature of the person’s vulnerability and the risks they may be exposed
to (e.g. children who may be exposed to child protection concerns would
need to be seen minimally on a monthly basis).
o SWPs formulate holistic assessments and interventions in relation to the
needs and level of care received by the vulnerable clients, as well as the
wellbeing of their caregivers.
o Supervision and case reviews take into consideration vulnerable clients
and address their areas of needs.
• Assessments are evidence-based and holistic
o Assessments of the vulnerable client are corroborated by information
received from other professionals/ stakeholders and/ or other
observations the SWPs have made. It is not formulated based on self-
reports by the caregivers alone.
o Assessments are holistic biopsychosocial perspective of the clients and
the environment they are in.

2 For counselling cases, the SWP should engage in a discussion with their
supervisor on the need to involve and assess the vulnerable members in the family.
In the course of their counselling work with the individual or couple (e.g. marital
counselling), the clients may provide information that may be indicative of the risk or
concerns to the vulnerable members who may be living in the same household. This
may then raise the need to contact and assess the vulnerable persons.

E Managing Caseloads

1 Good agencies manage their workers’ caseloads well to ensure that workers
are not overwhelmed and burnt out such that they are unable to attend to the needs
of the clients. Caseloads of each SWP are managed, taking into consideration the
SWP’s experience, level of expertise, seniority level and competing demands that the
SWP has in the organisation.

2 These agencies take into consideration the case types and level of complexity
a case has in determining the number of cases that the SWP can manage effectively.
An SWP, for example, would have a challenge in having to manage should they have
more CSWP Group 4 cases.

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 Supervisor’s caseload

3 The Supervisor’s caseload is also managed well, taking into consideration the
competing demands they have in having to manage other programs (where relevant)
and a team of SWPs under their charge. These agencies are clear in acknowledging
the key role that Supervisors have in helping to build competencies and guide
casework practice of the SWPs. Where necessary, a low caseload is allocated to the
Supervisors to facilitate their other roles, as having high caseloads would undermine
the Supervisor’s ability to support and attend to their SWPs’ needs adequately.

F Structure and System for Case Reviews

1 Case reviews are an important process in case management. It allows for

supervisors to:
• track the progress of the cases managed by the SWPs;
• consider the changes that may have taken place in the family that may
contribute to existing concerns; and
• check on the effectiveness of the interventions developed to manage the
concerns.

There are different types of case reviews and this is discussed in further detail in Chap
3 Working with Individuals, Families and Communities.

2 Good organisations have in place a clear structure for supervision case reviews
which take into consideration the following:
• Flagging of cases with risk concerns and cases on FSC-CSWP Group 4;
• Frequency and structure of supervision case reviews based on FSC-CSWP
grouping and risk concerns; and
• Process of identifying cases for panel reviews i.e. case discussions which
involve various members of staff or other professionals, which should preferably
be multi-disciplinary (e.g. inclusion of other professionals involved in the case)
where possible.

G Multi-Disciplinary Work and Networking

1 Good organisations facilitate the conduct of collaborative practice both within

and outside of the organisation, recognising that casework practice can be challenging
and requires the involvement of a network of professionals.

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2 These organisations foster a culture that supports a team approach towards
cases and consultative practice, where SWPs do not make key decisions in silo:
• SWPs recognise the importance of working in partnership with other
professionals, with clear open communication and sharing of key information
especially in relation to risk issues or other areas of needs faced by the client.
• SWPs recognise the need to work with various systems, both government and
non-government, in resolving the issues that their clients are faced with.
• SWPs are aware of the changing landscape and new services that emerge to
meet needs and broker those services for clients.

3 SWPs inform their clients, preferably from the onset, that in the course of
attending to the clients, SWPs would need to network with other relevant
professionals, who are involved with the clients and their family members. SWPs will
assure the clients that the collaborative practice is meant to ensure that the clients
receive a holistic and comprehensive service across the agencies (please see Chap
4 Practice Considerations should the client refuse to provide consent for the sharing
of information across agencies).

H Maintaining Confidentiality

1 In managing their cases, SWPs should maintain the confidentiality of their

clients and not divulge information on the client and the client’s case to others.
However, SWPs’ ability to maintain confidentiality is conditional on the following
factors:
• The client may be at risk of harm; OR
• There is a possibility of the client committing harm to others1; OR
• There is a need for the client to be referred for services; OR
• There is a need to collaborate with other professionals in managing the case;
OR
• They are required to submit evidence to the police/ authorities; OR
• They are subpoenaed to court for a matter relating to their client.

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SASW Code of Professional Ethics – A2c. Client Self Determination and Autonomy
Social Workers support clients’ self-determination and autonomy, except in situations where, in the
social worker’s professional judgement, the clients’ actions or potential actions pose a serious,
foreseeable or imminent risk to themselves or others.

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2 SWPs should educate their clients on the SWP’s role and responsibility in
maintaining conditional confidentiality at the start of their engagement with the client.
When SWPs are faced with the first 2 scenarios listed above, they should discuss such
cases with their supervisors and assess the need for the cases to be brought to the
attention of the appropriate authorities, such as the police, where required.

I Mandatory Reporting under the Criminal Procedure Code

1 Organisations need to note that knowledge of certain serious crimes listed in

the Penal Code, such as sexual abuse, is required to be reported to the police under
the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) Sec 4242. The full listing of offences for which
mandatory reporting to the police is required is at Annex A.

2 In facing such cases, do note the following important points:

• It is NOT the role of the SWP to conduct investigations into the crime and collect
evidence.
• Agencies should treat such cases sensitively and provide support to the SWP
in managing such cases.
• Decisions should not be made in silo but deliberated on strategically as a team
in the agency. The agency may also consult their legal counsel on the action
to be taken, where required.
• For cases of sexual abuse, the SWP should NOT interview the victim in detail
in relation to the sexual abuse incidents. This can subject the victim to further
trauma in having to relive the sexual abuse that they have experienced.
• It is NOT the SWP’s role to establish whether the victim is telling the truth when
they disclose the allegations of sexual abuse. This would cause the victim to
feel that they are not believed and possibly even blamed for the abuse that had
taken place.

2
Criminal Procedure Code Sec 424 – Duty to give information of certain matters
Every person aware of the commission of or the intention of any other person to commit any arrestable
offence punishable under Chap VI, VII, VIII, XII and XVI of the Penal Code (Cap 224) or under any of
the following sections of the Penal Code: Sec 161, 162, 163, 164, 170, 171, 211, 212, 216, 216A, 226,
270, 281, 285, 286, 382, 384, 385, 386, 387, 388, 389, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397, 399, 400, 401,
402, 430A, 435, 436, 437, 438, 440, 449, 450, 451, 452, 453, 454, 455, 456, 457, 458, 459, 460, 489A,
489B, 489C, 489D and 506,
shall, in the absence of reasonable excuse, the burden of proving which shall lie upon the person so
aware, immediately give information to the officer in charge of the nearest police station or to a police
officer of the commission or intention.

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 • For some cases, the SWP may be requested and guided by the Child Protective
Service (CPS) or Adult Protective Service (APS) to gather more information on
the concern raised. In gathering the information to the best of their ability, the
SWP should alert CPS or APS if they encounter any difficulties.
• For cases of sexual abuse, the SWP should NOT alert the perpetrator to the
sexual abuse allegation and interview/ confront the perpetrator on the sexual
abuse incidents. This is best left to the police to manage.
• For cases of child sexual abuse, the SWP should NOT alert the non-
perpetrator caregiver to the sexual abuse allegation unless the non-perpetrator
caregiver is the person who has stepped forward to seek help in relation to the
abuse as the non-perpetrator caregiver support towards the child and the child’s
allegation of sexual abuse is unknown. Some non-perpetrator caregivers may
pressure the child to withdraw the allegations and alert the perpetrators causing
them to flee. Alert either the CPS/ Police IMMEDIATELY (please refer to the
Manual on the Management of Child Abuse Cases in Singapore for more
details. You may contact CPS should you require a copy of this Manual).

3 The requirement for SWPs to lodge a report under CPC Sec 24 does not require
for an agreement by the victim or their family members. The consideration on what
constitutes as ‘reasonable excuse’ in CPC Sec 24 is dependent on the facts and
considerations of each case and determined by the Court. SWPs should alert the
clients on their professional responsibility in having to lodge a report with the
authorities whenever a disclosure of a serious crime is made. This should preferably
be informed to the clients at the start of the SWPs’ working relationship with the client,
rather than only at the point of time when the disclosure has been made.

4 Cases of sexual abuse can be complex. The need to report an offence to the
police is not dependent on the age of the victim or the number of years that has passed
since the incident occurred or the level of risks to the victim at present. Many sexual
abuse perpetrators move on to perpetrate against other victims and there may be other
victims that the SWP may not be aware of, who are still subjected to abuse by the
perpetrator. SWPs need to also recognise that the perpetrator has committed a
serious crime and need to be brought to justice (please refer to Chap 4 Practice
Considerations for more discussion on the issue).

5 Decisions on lodging a report should be made based on the interest of the

victims involved. Under the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA) and the
Vulnerable Adults Act (VAA), if a report is made on good faith to protect the interests
of the vulnerable person, SWPs will not be brought to Court for civil liability. In the
CYPA, this is covered under Sec 84(3)(b). In the VAA, this is covered under Sec
23(2)(b). This holds true even if the allegations could not be substantiated
subsequently.

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J Providing Organisational Safety

Environmental work place safety

1 Good organisations ensure that the environment their SWPs work in are safe
in accordance to environmental standards set in place by relevant authorities (e.g. the
Singapore Civil Defence Force). In addition to this, the design of the workplace take
into consideration possible safety challenges that may be posed by clients with issues
of violence/ aggression.

2 In planning the design and layout of the reception areas and the counselling
rooms, which clients and members of the public have access to, the following are
considerations that help promote both the SWPs’ and the client’s safety:
• Have clear signs displayed indicating that violence against workers will not be
tolerated;
• Use subdued and low contrast wall colours and bright lighting;
• Ensure furniture and seating arrangement allows for the SWPs and/ or clients
to escape easily should violence occur;
• Consideration to install alarms and CCTVs in the interview rooms; and
• Ensure all equipment and stationery etc., that could potentially be used as a
weapon, is safely secured or kept away.

Ensuring workers’ safety

3 Good organisations are prepared that for incidents of violence in their agency.
They ensure that their SWPs are trained on how to manage situations where violence
is imminent or has broken out.

4 In order to ensure that all the professionals in the agency are prepared for the
eventuality of a violent incident breaking out, the agency will undertake the following:
• Develop risk management plans and procedures, which is reviewed regularly;
• Conduct table top exercises and drills;
• Have roles assigned to staff in responding to alarms/ violent incidents;
• Conduct debriefing sessions subsequent to a violent incident to identify learning
points; and
• Train staff on the steps to take.

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5 The risk of violence occurring is more likely when SWPs are working with clients
with a history of violence, mental health issues, anger management issues, poor
impulse control, personality disorders or those who misuse drugs and alcohol. SWPs
should be prepared that violence may occur even when there was no prior history of
it by a particular client. SWPs should always be alert and respond appropriately to
minimise chances of escalation.

6 The following are good practices for SWPs to reduce possibility of harm to
them.

For sessions at the agency:

• Be updated on the client’s issues and be aware of any mental health diagnosis
(and its possible linkage to aggression) and possible relapse symptoms.
• Minimise waiting time for the client and explain if there are delays.
• Alert colleagues/ supervisor on nature of the case and concerns of the client
potentially becoming violent during the session. Keep the door to the
counselling room open for such cases.
• Do not engage the client if he/ she is armed.
• Where possible, consider having an alternative entrance/ exit door at the FSC
to enable client or staff to escape in the event of emergency.
• Be alert to possible physical attacks and arrange for a break if needed.
• Maintain a distance from the client and be seated closest to the door.
• Keep calm, use an even tone and avoid antagonising the client.
• It can be hard to predict a client’s reaction when he/ she is agitated. As such,
SWP should try to de-escalate and not physically engage with the client. The
SWP may not be aware of any concealed weapons that the client may have on
them, which may lead to worse outcomes to either the SWP, client or both.
• In the event that client is aggressive and there is concern of harm to the SWP,
client or both, the agency should contact the police immediately.
• The agency should also note the requirements to lodge an incident report with
the Ministry where needed.

For external visits (please see Chap 4 Practice Consideration on making home visits
for more information):
• Plan visits/ meetings in advance and arrange for it to take place in the day time
(where possible).
• Ask for information from other agencies/ professionals working with the client,
who may be aware of any possible risks that the client may pose.

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 • Assess if it is safe to perform a lone visit or if the SWP needs to be accompanied
by a colleague.
• Call client prior to making the visit to assess their state of mind.
• Inform colleagues/ supervisor about the visit and how long the visit is expected
to take. Arrange for a call from a colleague if the visit takes longer than
expected.
• Wear comfortable clothes and shoes that allow for easy movement and avoid
wearing jewellery, scarves, etc. that could be grabbed and prevent a quick
escape.
• Scan the environment before entering the home, and do not enter should there
be concerns about safety (e.g. if client is of opposite gender and is alone).
• Do not allow the main door to be locked and be seated close to the door.
• SWP’s mobile phone should be switched on and on hand at all times.
• Be alert and observant of the environment and behaviours of those present in
the home.
• End the visit and leave if the client is noted to become agitated/ irritated.

Conveying negative information to clients

7 SWPs need to plan ahead in conveying an unfavourable information to the

client such as a negative outcome or a piece of ‘bad news’, (e.g. rejection of a financial
application or potential reporting of the case to CPS). SWPs should expect the client
to react negatively to the news and may potentially become aggressive. In needing to
convey such information, SWPs should plan ahead and consider the following:
i) Discuss with other professionals who are involved in the case, on the possible
reactions by the clients and the scenarios to anticipate;
ii) Strategize with other professionals on how the news should be shared, the
timing and venue;
iii) Consider who should be present at the session when the news is conveyed to
the client and the person who is best able to convey the news; and
iv) Consider whether there are other members of the family (e.g. children or other
vulnerable persons, who may be at risk as a result of the news).

8 Subsequent to conveying the information, SWPs may need to consider

conducting a risk assessment and developing a safety plan for the vulnerable
members and for the client, depending on the reaction that the client presents in
response to the information shared.

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K Conducting Process Reviews

1 A review on the organisation’s processes should be conducted when a serious

incident happens in the organisation, that had led to possible harm or death of the
client or SWP, the question that comes to mind is how the incident could be avoided
and what could be done to prevent it from happening again. A review of the
organisation’s processes would be helpful in understanding why the serious incident
took place and what improvement needs to be introduced to minimise the possibility
of such an incident recurring.

2 Some of the guiding questions the organisation may wish to think about whilst
conducting the review are:
• What are the lessons that could be learnt?
• Was there a lapse on the part of the agency, the individual SWP or both, that
could have contributed to the incident? Were there other contributing factors?
• What were the issues in the agency that could have contributed to the incident,
if any? (e.g. manpower, caseload, lack of supervision etc.).
• What were the practice issues that could have contributed to the incident, if
any? (e.g. not attending to risk concerns, not maintaining contacts with the
vulnerable members etc.).
• For issues attributable to the agency, what were the improvements that could
be developed in relation to the SOPs and structures within the agency to
prevent or minimise the possibility of a recurrence of such incidences in future?
• For issues that are attributable to the individual SWP’s competency, what is the
support that SWP needs to build their practice competency?

3 Depending on the findings from the review, certain changes may need to be
made to the SOPs in relation to how cases are managed or new systems and
structures may need to be introduced. Organisations may consider engaging the
assistance of independent assessors to help them in reviewing their policies and SOPs
to tighten areas which has led to the serious incident.

Managing practice lapses

4 In the course of the process review, the organisation may identify practice
lapses on either the part of the organisation or the SWP, or both that could have led
to the serious incident.

12
5 Practice lapses are considered to have happened when certain decisions made
or actions taken by the SWP and/ or organisation, intentionally or unintentionally, led
to negative consequences or a serious incident in the case. Examples of such
decisions/ actions include:
i) Closing a case despite the knowledge of existing/ impending risks in the case
which is not being attended to by any other agency.
ii) Not ensuring sight and interaction of vulnerable members in the family despite
knowledge of existing/ impending risks towards them.
iii) Not attending to crises occurring in the family that are placing the members at
harm, despite knowledge of such crises.
iv) Not attending to risks that exist in the family that could potentially pose serious
harm to the family members, despite knowledge of such risks.
v) Not guiding the family members towards options of safety despite knowledge
of harm happening towards them.
vi) Not guiding SWP on safety options despite knowledge of potential harm by the
client towards them.
vii) Not providing supervisory support to the SWP when they are managing
complex cases or cases with risk concerns, such that they were left unguided.
viii) Failing to report a serious offence despite knowledge of it having taken place.
(this list is not exhaustive)

6 Good organisations have policies and SOPs on how practice lapses will be
managed in the organisation and these are made known to staff from the start of their
employment with the organisation.

7 Practice lapses attributable to the organisation would be when:

• systems and structures are not put in place to guide practice (e.g. supervision,
case review structures, SOPs);
• staff are not supported in their practice due to lack of clear SOPs, supervision,
resources, etc.;
• cases are not assigned appropriately (e.g. crisis cases assigned to SWAs or
staff who have not been adequately trained); or
• workload/ caseload across staff is not managed adequately such that staff are
overloaded and cannot manage the needs of the cases assigned to them.

13
8 Practice lapses are attributable to the SWP when:

• staff did not abide by the SOPs, codes of conduct and ethics set by the
organisation or the protocols and requirements as spelled out by the relevant
authorities or governing bodies in relation to managing cases and clients;
• staff did not follow through the case plans, especially in ensuring safety of the
clients and vulnerable members of the family;
• staff did not attend to existing risk issues or safety concerns in the family despite
being aware of it (e.g. being aware that a child is being abused in a family and
not taking any actions such that the child is subjected to ongoing abuse); or
• staff intentionally conceals information or fabricates information/ case notes.

Differentiated approach in managing lapses

9 In managing practice lapse attributed to the SWP, it is important that the

organisation differentiates between lapses that are a result of human error, at-risk
behaviour or reckless behaviour. This would then determine the type of response that
the organisation would need to make in managing the SWP, which is either to console,
coach or discipline respectively.

Type of Human Error At-risk Behaviour Reckless Behaviour

lapse
(e.g. lapse in (e.g. taking (e.g. intentional
overlooking unjustified risk) violation of
procedure) rules/values)

Response Console Coach Discipline

Support the individual Raise awareness Deter individuals from

and facilitate learning and/ or change the making undesirable
around their personal perceptions of risk behavioural choices
fallibility and system and establish an against organisational
design. understanding of the values and
consequences. expectations.

10 Human error is the most common lapse observed in any organisation. The
response to human error is in supporting the individual and enhancing SWP’s ability
on the specific area identified as well as in strengthening the organisation’s protocols.

14
11 The following are possible actions that can be taken depending on the nature of
the practice lapse that has taken place:
• staff is sent for additional relevant training.
• staff receives intensive supervision and guidance on the other cases they are
managing.
• staff is suspended from taking on new cases while receiving further training and
additional supervision.
• staff is transferred to another area of work that is not related to casework (this
could be a temporary measure whilst investigation is ongoing).
• staff is suspended from duty (this could be a temporary measure whilst
investigation is ongoing).
• staff is terminated from service (where there is serious behaviour concern and
the suitability and ability of the staff to carry out the SWP role is in question)
• a police report is lodged (where an offence has taken place).

12 The organisation should provide staff with a fair opportunity to appeal against
findings that were made about their casework practice and provide appropriate
channels that the staff could to turn to, should they disagree with the findings from the
review or the way in which the review was conducted.

13 When an organisation makes a decision to terminate a staff from service due

to serious behavioural concerns, the organisation should alert the Ministry and the
Singapore Association of Social Workers (SASW). This would help minimise the
possibility of the staff easily moving on to another organisation when concerns on their
practice has not been addressed.

15
NOTES
Chapter 3 WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES

A Overview
w
1 This segment outlines the fundamentals in the practice, processes, roles and
responsibilities from the point an FSC engages in working with the individual and/ or
family to the point of termination.

B Stages of Casework Practice

1 There are 5 stages of casework practice in the FSC:

Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5

Assessment Case Management Monitoring
Planning and review of & Closure
Case Plan

Stage 1: Intake

2 Intake is the first stage of the FSC’s service process. It is the entry point where
the FSC determines whether the referral can be appropriately matched to the
resources and competencies available in the FSC.

3 Information of the client/ family can be received either through a referral from
other professionals or self-referral from the family. Information gathered are then used
to make decisions on the type of response required.

4 It is the professional task undertaken by SWPs to determine:

• if the referral will be appropriate for professional services within the FSC, after
which the referring agency is to be informed whether the request for service
can be supported;
• if the self-referred client’s needs can be met by the FSC or need to be redirected
to other services as the FSC is unable to provide the services that the client
requires; or
• if the self-referred client may be provided with the required information (SWPs
may refer to the service directory on SSNet) and not require further service from
the FSC.

1
5 The intake stage also allows for the FSC to clarify the expectations and services
of the FSC and the roles of SWPs in relation to the concerns presented by the clients.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE
SWPs should at this stage, where appropriate, share with the clients on the limits
of the FSC in relation to conditional confidentiality (Please see Chapter 2 Working
in an Organisation) and the role of the FSC in networking with other professionals
and agencies (both government and non-government) in order to ensure the best
service for the clients. SWPs could also highlight their role in working with both the
client and the client’s family members, including the children and other vulnerable
adults, to better understand the context of the client’s needs and support the family
in working towards their agreed goals.

Conducting an intake assessment

6 The purpose of an intake assessment is to determine whether a referral

proceeds to a case or be referred to other services within the FSC or externally (should
the FSC not be able to meet the needs of the client). During the consideration of
intake, SWPs seek to:
• Engage the clients and any significant others (where relevant) in a timely and
professional manner to identify concerns and whether these concerns fall within
the service purview of the FSC;
• Gather key information to establish presenting concerns;
• Identify the risks present for the client and any other vulnerable individual/s and
the appropriate response time;
• Conduct a preliminary biopsychosocial-spiritual assessment (which should
include the client/ family’s involvement with other government or non-
government systems (e.g. ICA, schools etc.);
• Clarify the follow-up required by the client; and
• Establish the suitability and capacity (resources and manpower competencies)
of the FSC to respond to the concerns at the present time or in the immediate
future.

7 The following are considerations in promoting an intake to a case:

• The level of need and complexity of case:
o Are there ongoing or past risk and needs with the client/ family that require
attending to?

2
 o Does client/ family require assistance in relation to their intra-psychic and/
or social functioning?
o Are there ongoing or past risk and needs with the client/ family that require
attending to?
o ls client/ family facing issues with any systems barriers1?
o Does client/ family require assistance in systems advocacy (e.g.
housing)?
o Are there longer-term services and support that the client/ family need that
cannot be met within the intake time frame?

8 Some of the client's needs, can be met through the services provided at intake.
For such clients, the intake need not be promoted to a case. Some scenarios for this
could include:
• Clients who require a referral to other services (e.g. employment link up).
• Clients who need to be redirected to other agencies as the FSC may not have
the specialised skill to address their issue. FSCs should then facilitate a link-up
to the relevant help agencies.

1
Examples of this may be cases that were rejected by government agencies in spite of professional
intervention by social work practitioners.

3
 Work tasks, roles and forms in intake assessment

Tasks Role Forms and Tools

1. Intake Worker (IW) receives an Intake IW Enquiry Form
from an enquiry.

For self-referred (walk-in/ phone-in)

clients, IW will proceed on to Step 3.

2. In receiving a referral from other IW Referral Form and

agencies, IW to acknowledge receipt of Social Report (if any),
the case to the referring agency. from referring agencies

IW to conduct a discussion with the FSC-Interagency

referring agency, prior to meeting the referrals can be done
client, to understand the reason/s for the using attachments
referral, existence of risk concerns and/ sent via SSNet (or
or needs and the purpose and roles of other means).
the agency for the client. Where possible
and/ or relevant, a joint handover Referrals to & from
discussion should be conducted, with the SSOs via SSNet (or
client in attendance. other means)

Cases that require immediate attention FSCs can refer to the

would require the IW to conduct the standardised FSC
intake interview expeditiously. Examples Inter-Agency Referral
of such cases are: Form or other
established FSC
• Cases with family violence
Referral Protocols.
concerns (e.g. spousal, child,
elderly and persons with disability)
• Cases with suicidal risk
• Cases with immediate safety
concerns
• Cases with an acute mental health
episode

3. For self-referred cases, IW to arrange the IW Intake Assessment

first intake interview to obtain the Form
necessary information and relevant

4
 Tasks Role Forms and Tools
2
documents for an intake assessment.
IW to enquire on issues faced with
systems (if any) and the current impact
on the client.

4. IW to clarify expectations and share with IW

clients the services of the FSC, including
role of the IW to help the clients better
understand the services available to
them.

5. IW to undertake a preliminary bio IW Intake Assessment

psychosocial-spiritual assessment with Form
the information obtained. IW may make
use of a genogram, ecomap and timeline
in the Intake Assessment Form to
organise information.

Where there are indicators of immediate IW Risk Alert Checklist

risks to the referred client or other Supervisor (within Intake
vulnerable persons, IW to complete the Assessment form)
Risk Alert Checklist and determine the
rate of response, in consultation with his/ Child Abuse Reporting
her Supervisor if risk is detected, for Guide (CARG)
ongoing support to manage the risk or
any crisis that arose. The worker should
conduct an independent assessment of
the person who is potentially at risk of
harm and not rely solely on reports from
other family members.

If concerns on child abuse is noted, the

IW should complete the Sector Specific
Screening Guide (SSSG) and Child
Abuse Reporting Guide (CARG) and
discuss the outcome of the findings with
the Supervisor. Based on the outcome of
the SSSG/ CARG, the IW or Supervisor
would be required to contact the Child

2
SWPs should cross reference the information provided by the client against official data available (e.g.
marriage records etc.) to ensure its accuracy.

5
 Tasks Role Forms and Tools
Protective Service to alert them to the
concerns of the case.

Similarly, for cases with concerns on

spousal violence or abuse of vulnerable
adults (e.g. elderly or persons with
disabilities), the IW would need to assess
the risk of potential harm to the adult and
consult with the Adult Protective Services
where necessary.

Supervisor may make a decision to have

the case reassigned to an appropriate
worker to manage the risk/ crisis.

The safety concerns of the client and/ or

vulnerable family member should be
attended to urgently without delay.

6. IW to consult Supervisor in relation to IW

assessment and recommendation to: Supervisor
• Open case if client requires further
assistance from FSC; OR
• Make referral to other agencies and
close Intake if client require
assistance from other agencies; OR
• Follow up on risk concerns should
the client refuse further help/
services; OR
• Close the case at Intake if no
further assistance is required.

7. Supervisor endorses the Supervisor

recommendations.

8. If the intake is not opened as case, IW is IW

to conduct the following:
• For cases that require a referral to
another agency, discuss with the

6
 Tasks Role Forms and Tools
client on the reason for the referral
and provide any information and
clarification required. Get the
client’s consent/ agreement for the
case to be referred;
• Discuss with the agency receiving
the case on the referral and share
pertinent information on the case
(especially risk concerns and
needs) and conduct a joint case
discussion with the client present
(where possible);
• For cases that can be attended to
within intake, with no further need
for follow up - discuss with the client
the services that have been
rendered and provide needed
information or links for other future
support.

Consider to open the case should the

intake process extend beyond a month.
This is to recognise and register the work
required for the client and family.

9. If the Intake is to be opened as a case, Supervisor

Supervisor may assign the case to an CM
SWP, who will be the assigned Case
Manager (CM) for the case.

CM to proceed to Case Assessment

stage.

Note: All the processes conducted at Intake should be documented. This include
discussions with the Supervisors on the work to be conducted.

7
 Workflow of intake assessment

IW acknowledges
Intake IW receives IW conducts
referral and engages
Process an intake Intake Assessment
client

IW completes Risk Alert Checklist

Indication of immediate
Yes risk? No

IW in consultation with IW undertakes

Supervisor undertake risk basic biopsychosocial-spiritual assessment
assessment and if
needed, address safety
issues. IW confers with Supervisor in relation to
assessment and recommendations

Supervisor approves recommendations

To open case?

Yes No

Case open IW discusses with client the

recommendations

IW informs referral agency on case

outcome (where relevant) IW refers clients
to appropriate service and discusses case
with receiving agency. Conducts a case
conference with the receiving agency and
Case Assessment client (where possible).
Process

IW informs referral agency on case

outcome (where relevant)

Intake closed

8
Stage 2: Case Assessment

9 Stage 2 of the casework practice is the conducting of assessments. It

establishes the needs of the client/ family and the resources required from the FSC
and its SWPs to appropriately and effectively respond to them. Assessments
contribute to the development of case plans. It provides direction for intervention and
enables an assessment of the FSC’s service capacities and competencies required to
proceed with the case.

10 Before making an assessment, it is critical for the worker to gather information

about the client/ family. Information gathering is undertaken to gain a broader, more
detailed and in-depth holistic picture of the case. This would enable the worker to
understand the presenting concerns and identify the needs and risks of the case. The
quantity and quality of information gathered at this stage, coupled with the information
gathered at the intake assessment, enables SWPs to conduct a holistic assessment.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE
Assessments are reviewed when there is new information about the clients,
changes occurring to the client or their family and/ or occurrence of a crisis or critical
incident. Reviews could also take place at specific junctures of the case process
and this may have been pre-agreed on with the client e.g. at 6 months after the case
is first known to the FSC.

11 Assessments are written up as professional reports by SWPs or captured

clearly in the Biopsychosocial-spiritual (BPSS) template within the casefile. They are
also used as a document to inform others about the context of the case.

Purposeful information gathering for case assessment

12 Information gathering is a continual process, with new information incorporated

with what is known. As the relationship established between SWPs and clients forms
the fundamental basis for any intervention, it is of utmost importance that the SWP is
able to engage and form an empathic, professional and therapeutic relationship with
the clients. Information is shared when trust and respect is developed in the
relationship. SWPs could achieve this by demonstrating adequate professional
curiosity and utilise appropriate interpersonal and interviewing skills. Clients then
share their concerns and situation to SWPs, so that SWPs could frame these concerns
using a holistic BPSS assessment.

9
13 There are various professional skills that SWPs could use to engage and
intervene to help clients. Utilising these skills appropriately and confidently enables
SWPs to progress successfully through the different stages and provide assistance to
the clients.

Formulating case assessments

14 SWPs utilise their practice wisdom and theoretical knowledge to develop in-
depth knowledge, awareness and understanding of the case. They require a sound
and updated theoretical base to guide their work with clients. The knowledge provided
by theories and research help SWPs understand individuals and their interactions with
other people and the environment. A comprehensive theoretical base also helps
SWPs to recognise issues, events, behaviours and responses surrounding humans
and their environment.

15 Social work assessments involve a holistic BPSS assessment of persons and

their environment; which include individuals, families, communities and government
agencies. It is through the interaction of these factors that complexities of needs, risks
and strengths are better understood.

16 The assessment stage illuminates an understanding of the clients and their

situations. Hence in assessment, these key areas of social work practice are seen:

• Observation: What SWPs see and look out for.

• Description : How information and observations are organised

and understood; how SWPs make meaning of and
analyse the case.

• Delineation : How varied entities in the environment and

systems are defined, positioned and impacted.

• Recognition : What the needs, risks and strengths are.

• Explanation : How observations might be connected and

related; the possible relationships between one
event and another.

• Anticipation : What might possibly happen next and the possible

consequences; what SWPs hypothesise and
question about the case.

10
 • Planning and What might be done to bring about change or
Intervention : relief.

Key theories guiding the assessment framework

17 The social work profession draws on theories of human development and

behaviour and social systems to explore and understand complex situations, so as to
facilitate changes and betterment in the individual, organisational, social and cultural
domains. The theories, perspectives, approaches and knowledge base that inform
social work practice stem from the various disciplines of studies, particularly sociology,
psychology and counselling. They include:
• General Systems Theories Reciprocal relationships amongst
systems, mutually influencing factors in
the environment.

• Humanistic and Client-Centred Belief in the worth and potential of the

Theories individual and unconditional positive
regard for people.

• Psychodynamics Theories Internal processes of an individual

include conscious or unconscious
needs, drives, emotions, past
experiences that are either motivating or
overwhelming forces in an individual’s
life. Focus on insights and
interpretations.

• Cognitive-Behavioural The cognitive influence and

Approaches maintenance of behaviours through
reinforcements.

• Social Learning Theories Behaviours are learned as the individual

interacts with the environment.

• Psychosocial and Life-span Human development and changes are

Development Theories defined in life stages and cycles.

• Systemic Family Therapies The structural, relational and influencing

forces and patterns in the family.

11
 • Strengths Theories Humans have much strength and
resources within themselves or in their
environment to deal with problems.

• Ecological Perspectives Various systems in the environment

interact and influence each other
constantly.

• Conflict Theory Conflicts arise through power and control

in power structures and disparities.

• Symbolic Interaction Theory People make meaning out of their

experiences they face and the self is
developed through interactions between
people.

• Crisis Theory The individual’s perception and

response to a situation they are facing,
will determine whether they are able to
overcome the hurdle.

Principles in BPSS assessment

18 The principles stem from theoretical practice approaches that support the
practice of social work. Social work recognises the complexity of interactions between
human beings and their environment, and the possibility of people being both affected
by and influencing the multiple psychosocial factors acting upon them.

19 The main overarching principles involved focus on the:

• Individuals
o Individuals’ response to the experiences and problems they face in their
lives, shape the outcomes. They are therefore one of the important
resources that are tapped on to manage and resolve the issues they face.
The focus on individuals also reflects social work tenets that respect the
individual’s self-worth and dignity and the belief that individuals have a
right to self-determination and capable of positive change.
• Systems in the environment
o These systems refer to individuals, communities, and institutions in
society (which would include government agencies).

12
• Intrapersonal interactions
o The responses and exchanges within the emotional, physiological,
cognitive and intra-psychic domains of an individual.
• Interpersonal interactions
o This refers to exchanges and communication between two or more
individuals in the environment. The types, duration, intensity and quality
of relationships are evident in these interactions.
• Inter-systems interactions
o This refers to exchanges between two or more social entities in the
environment. The various systems can be understood from
Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) concepts of Microsystem, Mesosystem,
Exosystem, Macrosystem and Chronosystem.
− Microsystem : This refers to the individual's most immediate
environment and interactions within personal relationships.
− Mesosystem : This refers to the interactions between the
individual's Microsystems.
− Exosystem : This refers to linkages between 2 or more systems,
in which the individual is not directly involved in, but is indirectly
affected.
− Macrosystem : The larger systems (e.g. the political, cultural,
economic, social forces) that have a significant impact on the
individuals’ and family’s functioning.
− Chronosystem : This refers to the change and constancy in the
individual’s environment (e.g. changes in family structure, societal
changes etc.).

• The Person-Environment-Fit
o This perspective seeks to understand the individual and their behaviour
within the environment that they are in. The individual’s behaviours and
responses are viewed and understood taking into consideration the
different environmental context the individual is in. This environment
includes the familial, social, spiritual, physical, political and economic
conditions.
o The individual is the main focus in this person-environment-fit perspective.
Attention is paid to how the individual is sustained within their
environment, as well as the influence and reciprocal impact between the
person and the social environment.

13
 Essential features in BPSS assessment

20 As SWPs conduct the BPSS assessment, they would need to utilise their skills,
knowledge and practice wisdom to understand the client’s presenting issues through
the interactions of the intrapersonal, interpersonal and environmental systems. The
client is looked at from the perspective of eight domains:

• Physical • Cognitive
i. Physiological issues i. Stages of cognitive development
ii. Life Cycle stages ii. Decision making
iii. Physical disability iii. Problem solving
iv. Health issues

• Psychological and Mental Health • Emotional

i. Self-identity i. Emotional attachment
ii. Self-worth ii. Emotional display and regulation
iii. Self-efficacy
iv. Mental health

• Spiritual/ Moral • Social

i. Sense of purpose and meaning in i. Friends/ relatives
life ii. Relationships
ii. Religion iii. Social support and network
iii. Moral development, reasoning and iv. Social communities
judgment

• Cultural • Resources
i. Values and beliefs i. Employment
ii. Habits and traditions ii. Financial
iii. Housing/ accommodation
iv. Education
v. Literacy

21 SWPs consider the various systems surrounding the individual client and their
environment to ascertain the issues and concerns. The use of tools such as
genograms, eco-maps and timelines of the client and his/ her family is helpful for this
purpose. SWP then utilises the three lenses of risks, needs and strength to assess
the client further.

22 The BPSS assessment will help SWPs to arrive at an analysis, hypothesis and
an intervention plan for the presenting concerns. SWPs describe the identified
concern by offering explanations, identifying connections, stating theoretical and
conceptual analysis, highlighting patterns and themes to establish a better
understanding of the clients and their situation. The causal factors contributing to the
concerns and needs are identified while protective factors are evaluated.

14
23 SWPs also assess the impact of an absence of intervention, should the
concern or area of need remain.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE
In the process of conducting assessments, SWPs state the basis of their assessment
to ensure that it is evidence based and not coloured by personal biases and values.
Assessments are formulated based on information provided by various members of
the family, as well as other professionals and stakeholders involved with the family,
where necessary and as best as possible, and not on self-reports by the main client
alone. This would ensure a more holistic and comprehensive assessment.

Formulating the BPSS

24 The BPSS framework enables SWPs to consider various aspects of the client’s
and their family’s functioning across various domains. The table below encapsulate
the various areas to consider:
Individual Family System and Social
Environment
Bio • Basic physiological needs • Inter-relational impact between
(food, clothing, shelter) an individual’s physical/ bio
needs and their social
• Medical needs
environment, on the family’s
• Ability to conduct Activities stability
of daily living (ADL)
e.g. a family member’s
retrenchment (i.e. the social
environment) would have an
impact on the ability of the
individual/ family to meet the
medical needs of another
member of the family.
• Inter-relational impact of a
family’s relationships with
systems (both formal and
informal), on the family and
individual’s physiological needs
e.g. a family having a good
support system from their
extended family would see
positive impacts in terms of
how the family functions as it

15
 Individual Family System and Social
Environment
enables them to receive
support.

Psychological • Emotions and feelings • Inter-relational impact between

and Spiritual an individual’s psychological
• Psychological (sense of
and spiritual needs and the
self)
social environment, on the
• Cognitive (age appropriate family’s stability
knowledge and skills)
e.g. adult mental health issues
• Moral (sense of may impact on the children’s
acceptable & ability to develop age
unacceptable behaviour in appropriate social skills and
relation to self and others)
sense of self.
• Spiritual (sense of self and
others in the context of • Inter-relational impact of the
cultural roots and larger family’s access and
cosmos) relationships with systems
(both formal and informal) on
the family and individual’s
psychological and spiritual
needs
e.g. the family’s close
relationship with their friends
from church, help foster their
sense of belonging and belief
systems.

Social • Sense of being wanted • Inter-relational impact between

and valued as a member the individual’s social needs
of society and environment on the family’s
stability
• Age appropriate social
skills and social e.g. a mother’s wish to spend
interactions time with her friends and
boyfriend would impact on her
ability to meet the children’s
needs and care.
• Inter-relational impact of the
family’s access and
relationships with formal and
informal systems on the family
system and individual’s social
needs

16
 Individual Family System and Social
Environment
e.g. the family’s close ties with
the grass-root agencies has an
impact on their social
connectedness with their
neighbours and community

Safety • Child abuse • Impact of the safety concerns

Concerns on the various members of the
• Spousal Abuse
family and their functioning
• Elder Abuse
• Assessment of future potential
• Other Types of Family harm to the family members
Violence e.g. family violence within the
• Exploitation family system (i.e. the social
environment) would cause
• Home Environment Safety
feelings of fear and rejection in
the victim, and this would
− Assessment of impact on their sense of self.
underlying causal factors
contributing to the safety • Impact of the family’s
concerns and harm to involvement and relationships
the family with systems (both formal and
informal) in addressing the
safety concerns
• Impact of the system’s support
and help on the family’s
functioning
e.g. the children’s placement in
foster care, due to the child
protection concerns, would
ensure safety for the children.
However, at the same time, it
may have an impact on the
parent’s parenting and
attachment bonds between the
parent and child.

Risk • Suicide • Impact of the individual’s risk

behaviours behaviours on their family’s
• Self-Harm
safety and functioning
• Danger to Others
• Assessment of future potential
• Sexual Aggression harm to the family members

17
 Individual Family System and Social
Environment
• Criminal Behaviours e.g. a father’s frequent suicidal
• Other Risk Taking ideation and attempts have an
Behaviours impact on his children’s sense
of security and stability.
− lmpact of the individual’s
risk behaviours on their • lmpact of the family’s
safety and functioning involvement and relationships
− Assessment of with systems (formal and
underlying causal factors informal) in addressing the risk
contributing to the risk behaviours.
behaviours and potential • lmpact of the system’s support
triggers and help on the family’s
− Assessment of the functioning
individual’s receipt of e.g. the psychological and
help services and how emotional toll that a family
this is impacting on them
faces in having to manage
and their functioning
suicide threats and attempts by
a family member; and the
impact of having to ensure that
the family member receive
medical help, on their family
dynamics and functioning.

18
19
20
 Completing the Family and Adult Support Tool (FAST)

25 FAST provides a common understanding of family’s needs in Singapore and it

is designed to support decision making, case planning and management of outcomes.
The information is used in all aspects of managing the system from individual family
planning to supervision, programme and system operations.

26 The Singaporean version of the FAST was developed by community partners

with guidance from the Praed Foundation. It was designed to facilitate effective
communication of a shared vision at all levels of the system, based on communication
theory rather than psychometric theories that have influenced the development of most
measurement tools.

27 In the CSWP Assessment Framework, the FAST serves as an output of the

assessments conducted by the SWPs. The information is captured broadly through
the FAST ratings, which gives an overall view on the kinds of needs that require mild,
moderate or intensive levels of intervention. Identified areas of needs that
compromise the safety of the family or any family member have to be attended to
immediately. SWPs should be assessing for safety and risks as these can change
depending on the circumstances of the family and the stressors they face in their lives.

28 The CSWP classification based on FAST ratings gives a reflection of the

complexity of the case. Information captured on the FAST can be used as a guide to
help families and SWPs identify and collaborate on case formulations and intervention
goals setting. As the FAST is dependent on the SWPs’ continued assessments of the
family, it needs to be updated and reviewed periodically. This will allow for a better
understanding of treatment progress over time.

29 This same information when seen at an agency level, can also help provide
information such as an assessment on the family's progress over time, and the total
intensity and complexity of current family needs the SWP is managing. This would
allow Supervisors to match the case to the appropriate SWP, while taking into
consideration the SWP’s workload. At the systems level, as stakeholders become
more familiar with using this data to manage systems and understand performance,
they are better able to identify ways in which the system can improve the dissemination
and use of effective practices. Agencies could also use the system to track the types
of cases they manage and the intensity of such cases over time.

Rating FAST

30 SWPs rate the items on FAST based on their assessments of the case, guided
by the definitions in the FAST User Guide. Attention should be paid to items that are
actionable (ratings of either 2 or 3) with priority given to Safety Concern and Risk
Behaviour items (items 1-12 in the FAST tool).

21
IMPORTANT TO NOTE
Other items in the FAST can have an influence on the Safety Concern and Risk
Behaviour items, which would then escalate risks/ safety concerns to members of the
family. Alertness on Safety Concern and Risk Behaviour items has to be maintained
even though the items have been given a rating of 1, and SWPs could consider
interventions that would help maintain the safety of the client and/ or other family
members.
Example: Although the rating of the child abuse item is 1, certain needs items such as
parents/ caregivers stress, family conflict and financial resources, which have ratings
of 2 or 3, can cause an escalation of concerns on the child’s safety. SWPs could
develop interventions that help support the safety of the child in the household.

Complementing BPSS Assessment and FAST ratings

31 Most areas assessed within the BPSS framework can be mapped directly onto
the FAST tool. Where BPSS provides a framework of assessing families holistically,
FAST then guides the SWP in thinking about the severity of the issue affecting the
family.
Example: SWP identifies through the BPSS framework that an elderly was
experiencing abuse by his children and that the family communication patterns and
existing conflicts was contributing to this abuse. SWP then utilises the FAST tool and
provides ratings for the level at which the elderly is subjected to the abuse, the level
of family conflict and the family communication. This then guides the intervention that
needs to be put in place.

22
Workflow of Case Assessment

SWP obtains information on client,

client’s family and environmental systems

SWP conducts bio psycho-social assessment

SWP completes the FAST rating of items

Items rated a 1 Needs items rated a 2 or 3 Safety and risk items rated
a 2 or 3

SWP keeps items in

view and identifies SWP conducts in-depth assessment
plans that maintains
the item at a rating of 1,
where needed SWP uses other assessment tools,
where appropriate, to assess safety
concerns and needs of clients

Are there risks

identified for
immediate
intervention?
Yes No

SWP develops intervention goals

Case Planning Process

Note: Supervisor’s inputs is sought throughout the process 23

23
Work Tasks, Role, Forms and Tools of Case Assessment

Tasks Role Forms and Tools

1. Case Manager (CM) obtains CM
information on the individual, family
and environmental systems.

2. CM fills in the BPSS assessment form CM • BPSS

on their understanding of the client Assessment
and his/ her situation, and not just Form
merely capturing data or descriptive
contents.

3. CM uses his/ her assessment on case CM • FAST

to complete FAST.

4. When a case is identified to have risks CM Tools for in-depth

and safety concerns, CM conducts in- assessment:
depth assessments. These include: • Financial
• Suicide Risk Assessment
• Vulnerable Adults Risk • Mental Health
Examination
• Child Abuse
• Suicide Risk
(list is not exhaustive) Assessment
• CM can also use other CM Guide
assessment tools to further assess
and guide interventions, whenever • Vulnerable
appropriate. Adults Risk
Assessment
• For cases where Safety Concern Tool (VARAT)
and Risk Behaviour items have Supervisor • Child Abuse
been rated a 3, CM alerts his/ her CM Assessment
Supervisor and a decision on how
intervention should be carried out • Elder Needs
Assessment
is made jointly.
(list is not
exhaustive)

5. CM submits the assessment to the CM

Supervisor and/ or Centre Manager/ Supervisor/
Executive Director (ED) for Centre
endorsement. Manager/ ED

24
 Tasks Role Forms and Tools
6. Supervisor/ Centre Manager/ ED Supervisor/ ED
endorses the assessment.

25
Stage 3: Case Planning

32 The Case Plan guides SWPs on the intervention to be delivered to the clients
in a coordinated and professional manner. It outlines how SWPs respond to the
factors identified through the assessment conducted.

Conducting case planning

33 Case Planning ensures that intervention does not happen in an unplanned way,
without purpose or direction as this could result in an inappropriate, ineffective or
inefficient intervention.

34 One of the key focus in Case Planning is to identify whether the factors
assessed earlier need to be controlled, changed or a combination of both. ‘Control’
based objectives are meant to support and direct clients to operate within social
expectations and boundaries; while ‘change’ based objectives are meant to educate
and support clients in understanding their choices and the resultant consequences, so
as to help the client develop insight and create change. (Based on Taft & Robinson’s
concept of boundaries of stability).

IMPORTANT NOTE
SWPs can use their therapeutic relationship with the clients to effect either the change
based or control based objectives. The control based objectives should not be seen
as being in conflict with the therapeutic relationship that SWPs have already
developed with the client. Instead, SWPs can use their therapeutic relationship to
challenge the client’s thinking and move the client towards a more acceptable way of
behaving.
Example: A mother uses harsh methods of punishment on her young child. The SWP
can use the therapeutic relationship she has with the mother, to challenge the mother’s
views of using such methods, highlighting the impact of such methods of punishment
on the child and direct the mother towards using more acceptable modes of parenting.

i. Prioritising of concerns for intervention

35 After all the concerns have been identified in the assessment stage, SWPs
would prioritise which concerns would require more immediate attention and
intervention vis a vis the other concerns identified.

36 The rating of items in FAST could guide SWPs in this. Actionable items in FAST
are items that have been rated either a “2” or a “3”. This indicate to SWPs the need
to formulate intervention plans for these items. Risk Behaviour or Safety Concern

26
items which are actionable should be prioritised as they impact on the safety of the
client/ vulnerable family members or others around them.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE
Items that are assessed to be impacting/ contributing to the Risk Behaviour/ Safety
Concern items are paid attention to with interventions formulated, although the Risk
Behaviour/ Safety Concern items may be at a rating of “1”. Such items may cause the
Risk Behaviour/ Safety Concern items to escalate in rating should they not be attended
to. SWP could also identify areas of concern that need to be prioritised based on the
risk assessment BPSS assessments that was earlier conducted.

37 SWPs would craft intervention plans utilising both control and change
objectives (where relevant) with the aim of reducing the ratings of the Risk Behaviour
or Safety Concern items, or the rating of other items that are contributing to risk. The
intervention plans could be developed in collaboration with other professionals working
with the family, where available and relevant, outlining the different roles of each of
the professionals in the family. This helps SWPs to share the responsibility of
safeguarding the vulnerable members and manage risk across agencies/
professionals.
Example: The rating of the elder abuse item is 1. However, SWP noted that the
caregiver stress and financial stress in the family is either a 2 or a 3 and these are
areas which may potentially impact on the care of the elderly in the household. The
SWP should ensure interventions on these areas as a means of safeguarding the elder
member of the family.

ii. Creating a case plan

38 Creating a case plan consists of four parts:

• Identify suitable intervention goals based on the concerns prioritised;
• Identify the strategies and tasks to be undertaken to meet the intervention goals
in the case plan. Depending on the CSWP classification or FAST item rating,
the intensity of intervention would also vary;
• Identify who is responsible for undertaking the various tasks required; and
• Identify the time frame for the tasks to be undertaken and when it should be
reviewed.

39 In developing the case plans, consults with the Supervisor should be held to
ensure that the identified strategies are robust and targeted to the needs of the client.

27
IMPORTANT TO NOTE
Case management practice in the FSC is family focused and vulnerable person-
centric (e.g. elderly, persons with disability and children). Where possible, build
rapport with all members of the family as this may surface differing perspectives and
resources. Children, persons with disability and the elderly may often not be given a
voice in goal setting and intervention. However, they are the most vulnerable
members in a family and need to be safeguarded. Goals and interventions for the
family are developed taking into consideration the vulnerable members’ needs.

40 The following are possible case needs of the client:

• Need to respond to the intra-psychic needs of the client – how the individual
understands themselves as a person and how this understanding shapes self-
functioning in terms of themselves as a person and their interactions with
others.
• Need to respond to the social functioning need of the structural context of the
client – how the individual understands and functions within the social
environment (family, school, neighbourhood, work environment etc.),
particularly in relation to daily instrumental functioning to respond to care needs
of themselves and others dependent upon them.
• Need to respond to the social interaction needs of the client within the social
environment – how the individual understands and functions in relation to
interacting with others within the social environment, i.e. the ability to operate
in socially empathic relationship with others within a structural environment
(family, school, neighbourhood, work environment etc.).

41 Interventions utilise multiple methods of practice to ensure better outcomes for

the clients we serve. Differing methods of practice have their own strength and the
SWP could flexibly tap on the various methods of practice in developing a case plan.
Based upon the case need, there are 2 types of intervention that could be provided:
• Therapeutic intervention: the intervention responds to the intra-psychic needs
of the client/s in the case. Attention and strategic intervention efforts are
directed towards:
o How the individual perceives himself or herself as an individual, i.e. self-
identity, self-worth and self-efficacy;
o Why the individual perceives the self in this manner: historical factors
which could have led to the construction and understanding of self;

28
 o Functionality/ dysfunctionality of the understanding and enactment of self
upon the social environment and social interactions within this
environment;
o How the individual’s perception and construction of self-impact their
relationship with significant people and systems in their life; and
o Understanding of and motivation for change.

• Non-therapeutic intervention: intervention responds to the social community

environment of the individual. Non-therapeutic intervention is directed towards
understanding and enhancing social functioning.

42 A decision matrix in deciding the method of practice based on the Case Need
and intervention type is as follows:

Case Need Intervention type Intervention

Method
Need to respond to the intra-psychic Therapeutic Casework
and inter-personal needs of the client Group work
Need to respond to the social Non-therapeutic Casework
functioning, structural context needs of Group work
the client Community work
Need to respond to the social Non-therapeutic Group work
interaction needs of the client within the Community work
social environment

43 In cases with risk concerns, risks need to be managed and be stabilised first
through non-therapeutic interventions. Further intervention in terms of therapeutic
casework intervention could then follow through until the intra-psychic and inter-
personal needs are more stabilised.

44 The different combination of intervention types and methods can also be

considered for other members of the family.
Example: A single mother who has been harsh in her method of disciplining her child
for educational reasons may first receive non-therapeutic casework where the child is
placed in student care services to support her in her care of the child and reduce the
amount of time she needs to spend in monitoring the child’s school work. The worker
can then provide therapeutic casework with the mother to process her expectations of
herself as a mother, while groupwork could be used to work through her challenges
as a single mother. The child, too, can receive both therapeutic case work and/ or
group work in managing the trauma that she may have experienced through her
mother’s harsh parenting.

29
 iii. Collaborating with client and family as partners
45 The client and family are the SWPs’ partners in creating change. Case plans
are therefore developed collaboratively with the client and family.

46 In the process of deliberating on the strategies, tasks and roles, SWPs should
not impose their personal views on the family. SWPs try to understand why the clients
might not be ready to work on certain areas and pace with the client on the necessary
change. SWPs also try to expand clients’ worldviews and understanding of their
current circumstances, so that they might arrive at a point where they would be more
willing to work on the priority areas of needs.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE
In situations where the family’s safety or well-being of any vulnerable person may be
at risk, the SWP should be mindful of control objectives and to assert direction and
action that may over-rule the client’s self-determination. This may mean the need to
involve the relevant authorities and protective services to ensure the safety of the
persons involved where required.
Example: An elderly infirmed man is in need of immediate medical attention.
However, his adult children have been neglecting his needs and have refused for him
to be attended to medically, believing that he is exaggerating his symptoms. They
were also unwilling to help the man as he had not been a good father to them
previously. The SWP processes with the children their anger towards their father and
how this is impacting on his care and welfare, as part of the change intervention.
However, as a priority, SWP would need to attend to the man’s safety and alert the
authorities for his medical needs to be attended to urgently, failing which his life may
be in danger.

iv. Setting realistic and achievable tasks

47 Tasks are established collaboratively and are realistic and achievable. Smaller
and attainable steps would be preferred as it helps motivate the client compared to
bigger but harder to attain steps. Tapping on what client already does well may lead
to better outcomes. SWPs could also identify, acknowledge and use the strengths
within the client, strength in each of the family members and also strength in
relationships across the various internal and external systems.

v. Involving other SWPs from within the FSC

48 FSCs are accountable for their cases. For all clients, SWP is the main case
manager (within the FSC) to work with the cases, supported by the Supervisor.

30
49 However, for Group 3 and 4 clients, there may be an additional co-worker or a
more senior SWP to partner in the intervention, especially when the SWP is a junior
staff.

vi. Setting timelines

50 The purpose of time-limiting a Case Plan is to ensure that case plans are
reviewed - tracking progress and assessing suitability of the interventions identified.
Generally, Case Plans with ‘control’ based objectives should be reviewed within a
shorter time period, while Case Plans with ‘change’ based objectives can have a
longer review timeline.

vii. Matching intensity to level of risks and complexity of needs

51 Interventions are to be carried out in a timely and focused manner. In cases
where the risk is higher, the SWP would proactively engage with client/s to effect the
interventions. When risk is very high, regular check-in and monitoring will be needed
to prevent the clients/ family from going into a crisis. SWPs could also tap on other
systems to help them in monitoring and supporting the family (e.g. schools to help
monitor the children’s well-being).

52 SWPs should check in with their Supervisors during case discussions to assess
the suitability of the case having a lower intensity of contacts after a course of
intervention has been provided. Certain cases may require the intensity to be
maintained for a longer period, depending on the issues to be addressed. For
example, a case with multiple needs issues involving multiple systems, may require
the SWP to maintain contacts with the family twice monthly for a longer period
although the CSWP categorisation for the case is at Group 3.

53 SWPs should also discuss with their Supervisors on the type of contacts that
should be made – whether these should be face to face or whether phone calls would
suffice. There should be clear justification on when phone calls should suffice. As a
guide, SWPs should ensure face to face contact for cases with existing safety and risk
concerns, cases involving vulnerable members in the household, cases with recent
incidents of crises and cases that are new to the agency.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE
The intensity of contacts with the clients should be increased when crisis occurs in the
family, or when there are escalating concerns, regardless of the CSWP Grouping of
the case. The BPSS and FAST is then reviewed as soon as possible to assess the
changes in ratings to the relevant items and review the case plans to address the new
concerns/ escalating concerns/ concerns that has led to the crisis.

31
 viii. Working with systems and partners
54 SWPs hold a person-in-environment perspective to better identify potential
partners that can play a part in their case planning. Hence, building a positive working
relationship with the key systems and partners involved in the case is essential.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE
Cases, especially those with higher complexity of needs (CSWP Groups 3 and 4) or
where Safety Concern items/ Risk behaviour items are rated as actionable, require the
involvement of multiple systems. SWPs would then conduct coordinated case
management alongside other professionals from other agencies involved in the case.
Tapping on the knowledge, skills and networks of other partners is helpful to reduce the
likelihood of cases falling through the cracks. Therefore, clarity of roles across the
different systems and professionals, ongoing communication and regular updates to
partners to review and track progress of the case are crucial.

55 SWPs could:
• Touch base with relevant agencies that have served the client, regardless of
how minimal their involvement might have been, once aware of their existence.
This will reduce the likelihood of important information being omitted.
• Utilise common risk and needs assessment tools in discussing these cases
(e.g. Child Abuse Reporting Guide (CARG), Vulnerable Adult Risk Assessment
Guide (VARAG) and the FAST).
Example: A client has been sharing on how she has been impacted by her family’s
treatment towards her. She has been feeling down and this was compounded by the
numerous quarrels she has been having with her husband about the family’s finances
and the care of their children. She has shared with the worker her plans to withdraw
from everyone and find solitude. The SWP has concerns that the client’s emotional
state may place her in danger of harming herself as she had a history of having been
hospitalised for self-harm previously and is known to the hospital’s Medical Social
Worker (MSW). The SWP should engage and work with both the MSW and the School
Counsellor in ensuring that the welfare of the client as well as the vulnerable member
in the household (i.e. the child) is safeguarded. The SWP should hold regular
discussions with these other professionals, clarify on their respective roles, plans of
action and indicate issues that would require sharing across the professionals.

Please see Chapter 4 Practice Considerations on providing coordinated case

management and Annex B for the Guidelines for Master Action Planning for Complex
Cases.

32
Work Tasks, Role and Forms of Case Planning

Tasks Role Forms and Tools

1. Collaboration with client: CM engages CM Case Plan Form
the client/s on case plan Client

2. CM collaborates with other CM

professionals (where relevant and Other
available) in developing the case plan Professionals
with clarity on the roles of the different
professionals.

3. CM identifies the tasks, roles and time CM

frame required for the case
management plan/ case plan.

A case conference can also be

conducted to better clarify, identify and
set in place the roles to be played by
the various professionals.

For cases in FAST Classification 3 and

4, it is recommended for case
conferences to be conducted with the
partners and/ or the team. A multi-
disciplinary team approach may be
needed for cases with complex needs.

4. CM discusses the case plan with CM

Supervisor and seeks support. Supervisor

5. CM establishes shared understanding CM

and agreement with the client and other Client
professionals on the case plan. Other
Professionals

33
Workflow of Case Planning

CM engages client and other

professionals on case plan

CM develops case plan and identifies the

tasks, roles and time frame for implementation

CM discusses case plan with Supervisor and seeks

support.

CM considers the identified concerns and

intervention goals in developing the
strategies

CM establishes shared understanding and

agreement on case plan with client/s and
other professionals

Case management process

34
Stage 4: Management and review of Case Plans

56 Case plans are managed and reviewed to ensure that it is implemented and
followed through. Proper management of a case plan ensures service accountability
towards the clients, government and the community.

57 In managing the case plans, SWP tracks the progress of the case and how the
intervention plan is impacting on the family in moving towards the intended outcome.
Reviewing the case plan helps determine whether intervention outcomes of the case
plan have been achieved appropriately, effectively and efficiently. It allows the case
managers to review the effectiveness of the implementation of the case management
plan. This will mean making possible and necessary changes to the case plan due to
the new information or changes.

58 SWPs review risk concerns, complex case needs and case plans in consultation
with other agencies involved in the case, whilst monitoring the risks and needs of their
client.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE
CSWP classifications of Group 2 or 3 does not indicate that a case has no risk
concerns or that the risk concerns will be stagnate. Risk factors can be dynamic and
changes within the family could lead to concerns as interventions are being provided.
Families with multiple needs may also experience escalating risks as the needs impact
on the underlying risk and safety concerns. For example, a family who had
experienced issues of child abuse previously are at risk of this issue surfacing again,
should the family be facing high stress levels in terms of employment, finances etc.

Having the case review scheduled as part of case management is essential and the
SWP takes active initiative to keep track of their cases and keep their Supervisors
involved in the process. All case reviews and discussions conducted are recorded in
the client’s case files, regardless of whether these were conducted formally or
informally. This ensures that SWPs are able to track the decisions being made and
that other SWPs and Supervisors are able to follow through these decisions should
the original SWP not be present or is no longer serving the agency.

Purpose of Case Review

59 The purpose of case review is to determine if:

• intervention goals have been met;
• strategies and tasks have been completed;
• case intervention need to continue with or without changes;

35
 • a new case plan;
• re-assessment to be conducted if there are changes to the case situation;
• a new strategy is required should the clients not be in agreement with the case
plan;
• case require a transfer to other specialist agencies;
• case to proceed to the case monitoring stage to ensure sustainability of the
case plan; or
• case is to be closed as
o goals have been achieved
o significant progress towards goals and objectives have been achieved

60 There are various types of case reviews:

i. Case reviews with Clients

Case review timelines can be set in advance. As SWPs engage the client on
the case plan, the client is also informed as to when the progress of the case
will be reviewed and what the targeted outcome from the intervention was.
The review would then assess how well the outcome has been achieved and
the progress the client has made within that timeline. The reviews can be set
at 3-6 monthly timelines depending on the need.

ii. Crisis case reviews

Apart from case reviews that has been set in advance, reviews also take place
after a crisis. The purpose of such a review is to ascertain whether the crisis
has resulted in changes to the family’s dynamics and functioning and whether
there needs to be any changes to the case interventions and plans formulated
earlier.

SWPs review their earlier assessments on the BPSS and the ratings of the
items on FAST, paying close attention to items that are contributing to the
crisis the family has experienced or that has changed as a result of the crisis.
SWPs then review the case plans to address this. Priorities may also have
shifted from the initial case plans. Earlier active case plans may become
inactive.
Example: Initial case plan was to support the father in maintaining stable
employment. However, a crisis occurred when the father met with an accident
and the family has to now cope with the loss of a breadwinner. Case plans
will now have to shift in focussing to support the family in their grief and
providing them with the necessary financial support, while assessing the ability
of the mother to take on the breadwinner role for the family.

36
 iii. Supervisory case reviews
These are case reviews where SWPs check in regularly with their Supervisors
either formally or informally. It allows for the SWP to update the Supervisor
on the progress of the case and seek inputs on some actions that need to be
taken. This ensures that SWPs are not working in silo, ensuring support to
SWPs and providing shared responsibility on decisions made. An added
advantage is the sharing of knowledge and expertise in addressing issues
being faced by the family.

Cases that are of higher risk and needs are reviewed at a greater frequency.
To facilitate this, SWPs and their Supervisors could flag their cases to allow
for easy retrieval and monitoring of cases with greater concerns (e.g. family
violence, suicide etc.). Decisions made during such discussions should be
recorded and filed in the case file.

iv. Agency case reviews

These are formal case reviews where a case is presented to senior members
of the agency for a discussion on the case’s progress. Such case reviews can
also be multi-disciplinary where other professionals (e.g. psychologists,
doctors etc.) are invited to provide inputs as neutral/ independent members.
These reviews should ideally be chaired by the Head of the agency or a Lead
Supervisor.

Such reviews allow for SWPs to be provided with guidance especially on

complex cases whilst the multi-disciplinary inputs can provide a wealth in
alternative perspectives on how the case can be managed.

61 Agencies may consider scoping such case reviews, which can be held several
times within a year, for certain category of cases:
• Cases with risk concerns
• High needs cases
• Cases with higher levels of complexity
• Cases where SWP is facing challenges
• Cases that require endorsement for closure or transfer to another agency

Reflecting case reviews on the SSNet

62 SWPs reflect the changes in their assessments in both the BPSS and FAST
tools, on the SSNet. Such reviews allow for changes in the family’s circumstance,
following interventions conducted, be captured in the BPSS assessment and the FAST
ratings. This then shapes the review of the case plans and whether new interventions
will now need to be crafted.

37
63 The SWP could utilise the case reviews (ii) to (iv) above and capture them into
the SSNet.

38
Work Tasks, Role and Forms of Case Management

Tasks Role Forms and Tools

1. CM oversees the implementation of CM Case Plan Form
the case management/ case plan.

2. CM engages clients to achieve the CM

goals of intervention and sets a
review date.

3. CM implements and coordinates the CM

needed tasks to be performed by the
various systems including his/ her
own roles and tasks.

CM conducts regular follow-up with

the clients and the other systems to
track progress as well as to address
issues that surface.

Advocacy and mediation may be

needed when the client and their
informal support network are unable
to access certain formal systems.

4. Supervisory Case Reviews CM

CM schedules reviews with their Supervisor
Supervisor

5. Updating SSNet CM Case Review Form

CM updates the BPSS based on the
outcomes of the case reviews and
revise the FAST ratings, where
appropriate.

CM completes the Case Review Form

with the following:
• indicate whether Intervention
Goals have been achieved and the
reasons if not achieved;

39
 Tasks Role Forms and Tools
• make recommendations on next
action plan.

6. CM may make the following CM

recommendations based on the
case progress:
• develop new case plans if there
are new developments on case
situation or if the case has
escalated to a higher risk
grouping;
• continue with the existing case
plan;
• proceed to Monitoring stage or
Case Closure Stage

7. CM gets approval from Supervisor on CM

the recommendations. Supervisor

40
Workflow of Case Management

CM implements case plans

CM engages with client on the case

plans and sets a review date Frequency of review is
dependent on the risk
levels and/ or CSWP
case classification
CM reviews BPSS, FAST and case plans with
Supervisor and on SSNet

CM completes Case Review Form

Have the
intervention goals
been met?
No

Yes To indicate
reasons if the
intervention
goals are not
completed
CM moves case towards
monitoring or case closure
stage

CM reviews case
plans

Continue with Make

existing Case Plan recommendations for
new Case Plan

41
Stage 6: Case Monitoring and Closing

64 The monitoring stage is conducted prior to case closure to ensure case

outcomes are sustained for individuals and families over a period of time. Cases are
placed on the monitoring stage once the outcomes are stabilised and the risk and
safety concerns have been attended to and minimised. The monitoring stage then
serves as a period where the family’s ability to sustain the changes/ progress they
have made can be ascertained. Upon achieving sustainable service outcomes, the
termination of the case will be done at the closure stage.

65 During the monitoring stage, no active intervention is required. However, it is

important for the SWP to have a case monitoring plan, which may be developed in
consultation with the clients and/ or the professionals who are working with the clients.

66 The case monitoring plan should pay attention to the following six aspects:
• Monitoring professional partnership between the client and other professionals
working with the family (e.g. schools);
• Monitoring responsibilities (e.g. father’s continued employment);
• Reporting feedback on client’s or family’s progress (e.g. from other
professionals working with the family);
• Sustainability of case outcomes;
• Potential emerging risks and vulnerabilities; and
• Identified strengths to sustain intervention gains.

67 When it is determined that the case is ready to be moved to the monitoring

stage in preparation for closure, SWPs conduct a session with the family to share on
what has changed since the interventions were put in place and discuss other existing
goals that the family may have. SWPs should share with the family the monitoring
plan and help the family to identify strengths to sustain intervention goals and to look
out for potential emerging risks and vulnerabilities. This would include the
identification of informal supports such as family or friends who will encourage and
support them.

68 SWPs conduct a session with the clients to:

• Elicit and summarise the accomplishment during the intervention, emphasising
the positive changes in behaviours and conditions;
• Discuss any obstacles encountered and focus on the successes and
knowledge obtained;
• Remind the clients of the progress made as well as the methods they can use
when future problems arise;

42
 • Help the clients plan how to maintain the changes. Discuss any potential
obstacles they may encounter as well as strategies for overcoming them; and/
or
• Elicit and summarise the accomplishment - emphasise on the positive changes,
discuss obstacles encountered, focus on success and knowledge obtained.

i. Timely Termination of Intervention

69 Set a realistic period for the monitoring stage which should preferably not be
longer than 3 months. The period should be sufficient to ensure that the service
outcomes are sustainable and yet not over-stretch the resources unnecessarily. Once
the monitoring period is over, SWPs could move towards closure promptly.

ii. Community Collaboration During Case Closure

70 When a family has received services from other agencies or service providers,
the evaluation of the family progress should, as best as possible, be conducted
collaboratively where SWPs determine the family's progress based on information
provided by all the relevant service providers. It is good practice to convene a multi-
disciplinary case conference to review the family’s progress in relation to the
assessment, case plan, and service agreement prior to the closure.

Closure

71 The process of ending the relationship between SWPs and the family involves
a mutual review of the progress made throughout the helping relationship.
Termination is the process of ending SWPs’ relationship with the family and providing
the family with the opportunity to put closure to their relationship with SWPs and
possibly the FSC.

72 The nature of the relationship between SWPs, the client and the family, the
goals accomplished and the nature of the closure, may generate a range of feelings
at the point of termination. Each family’s experience of and response to ending the
relationship will be unique. Feelings can range from relief, satisfaction, and happiness
to sadness, loss, anger, powerlessness, fear, rejection, denial, and ambivalence. It is
important to encourage the family members to discuss and process these feelings and
discuss their coping styles and support systems in managing the termination of SWPs’
involvement with the family. Even if it has been a difficult relationship, SWPs should
provide some positive statement of closure. Some practical ways may include leaving
the door open for services should the family need them in the future, including
providing appropriate contact information. Referring the family to any additional
needed resources will also help the family to cope with the closure.

43
73 Involuntary clients may be less likely than voluntary clients to experience
feelings of loss at closure. Since their involvement was not voluntary, termination is
likely to be met with relief that an unsought pressure is being removed. However, if
SWPs had worked through the resistance and engage the family in the intervention
process, the clients may experience similar feelings of loss as the voluntary clients.
This is a positive sign as the family members will experience these feelings if the
relationship or the work by the SWP has been valued.

74 When a case is closed, SWPs would notify the client and/ or the working
partners from the formal/ professional agencies, such as Child Protective Service,
Adult Protective Service, Social Service Office (SSO), Medical Social Workers,
schools etc.

75 The following are different types of case closures:

i) Goals achieved
Optimally, cases are closed when the families have achieved their goals and
the risk identified has been reduced or eliminated.

ii) Referral and Transfer to External Agency

Referrals to another agency for purposes of case transfer may take place due
to several reasons:
• Family has moved to another locale and prefer to be attended to by an
agency that is nearer to their new home;
• Family may not be willing to be engaged by the current agency, preferring
instead to be managed by another agency for their own reasons; or
• Family’s needs are better able to be met by other service providers or by
specialist providers.

When such referrals happen, SWPs will liaise with the new agency in
informing them of the referral and share on the existing concerns as well as
the interventions that has been conducted, and discuss on possible follow up
interventions that are required. SWPs should preferably conduct at least one
joint session to introduce the new practitioner to the family and share on the
interventions that will be conducted.

iii. Transfer (within FSC)

Due to various circumstances, SWP may end work with the client and transfer
the case to another SWP in the agency. Both the current SWP and the SWP
taking over the case should have a case handover discussion with a
Supervisor present, where necessary, to discuss the needs and concerns of

44
 the case. Both SWPs should preferably, also have at least one joint session
to introduce the new SWP to the family and discuss the follow up intervention.

iv. Discontinuation by the family

Some closures may occur when the client discontinues services although the
families may still require assistance. They may resist the agency’s
intervention or their needs are not within the scope of the FSC to provide.

There are instances, too when the family is not ready or unwilling to work with
SWPs further, and this decision may be communicated behaviourally. For
example, family members may gradually or suddenly stop keeping to
scheduled appointments and not respond to SWPs’ efforts to reconnect.
Discontinuation by the family is the least desirable type of case closure but
likely to happen some of the time.

If the family is receiving voluntary services and assessments indicate that

there is no risk or safety issues within the family, SWPs may agree that ending
the relationship with the family is appropriate. However, SWPs should first
discuss such cases with their Supervisor to ensure that their assessments of
the family have been holistic in that there are no presenting risk or safety
concerns that SWPs may have overlooked. SWPs could inform the family of
other services available and that they could also return to the FSC should they
need help in future. Every effort should be made to help the family receive
services through appropriate community agencies (Please see Chapter 4
Practice Considerations for further discussion on families who refuse help).

45
IMPORTANT TO NOTE
If the family was referred to the FSC by protective or statutory services (e.g. Child or
Adult Protective Services, Child Protection Specialist Centres, Family Violence
Specialist Centres), the SWP should consult with the Supervisor on how to engage
the family further and formulate an assessment of the vulnerable family member’s
safety. Should there be existing risk and safety concerns that could not be attended
to and the family persist in refusing to work with the FSC, the FSC should alert the
agency that had referred the case to them and alert them on the challenges that the
FSC is facing. Depending on the level of concerns, the referring agency may need to
re-engage with the family. The FSC may close the case should it be decided
collaboratively with the referring agency that the FSC may not have a role to play
further or the family is so resistant that the FSC’s involvement will yield little value add.
Example: Child Protective Services had referred the family to the FSC to provide
parenting skills to the parents. In the course of working with the family, the SWP had
difficulty engaging with them as they often missed appointments. The family has
stopped contacting the SWP in the last 3 months and home visits to the home revealed
no one was home. SWP should then contact the Child Protective Services to alert
them of the situation.

46
Work Tasks, Roles and Forms of Monitoring and Closing

Tasks Role Forms and Tools

1. Progression to case monitoring stage CM Case Review
Supervisor Form
Based on the progress of the case
identified during the case review, CM
submits recommendation to the Supervisor
to place the case on monitoring stage.

2. Case monitoring plan CM Case Plan Form

Supervisor Case notes
CM develops the case monitoring plan in
consultation with the client/s and other
professionals who are working with the
clients.

CM conducts a session with the clients to

summarise achievements and discuss how
to sustain positive changes made.

The monitoring plan is endorsed by the

Supervisor.

3. Approval to closure of case CM Case Closure

Supervisor/ Approval Form
Upon achieving the sustainable service Centre
outcomes based on the monitoring plan Manager
after the stipulated period of time, the CM
submits the Case Closure Approval Form
to the Supervisor/ Centre Manager/ ED for
approval.

Upon checking on the case, the

Supervisor/ Centre Manager endorses the
closure of the case.

For classification 4 cases or cases with risk

concerns, the approving authorities will be
the Centre Manager/ ED.

47
NOTES
 Chapter 4 PRACTICE CONSIDERATIONS

A Managing Consent

1 In view of the Personal Data Protection Act, SWP needs to respectfully obtain
consent from the client to allow their personal data to be obtained and shared at the
start of their engagement with the client. SWP could highlight to the client that data
will be shared with the MSF Regional Services Team and other government agencies
where needed in order to facilitate networking across systems and to ease service
delivery. A copy of the consent form should be provided to the client for their reference.

2 SWPs should assure clients on how their data will be shared and the purpose
behind the sharing. If clients still do not consent to their data being shared, services
should not be denied. In such cases, the SWP can continue to register the client but
note that they are not to share or conduct screening with other agencies, using the
data. When the need for screening should arise at a later stage, the SWP would need
to request for consent from the client specifically for that purpose (e.g. needing to
screen the client’s data with HDB to facilitate an application).

B Coordinated Case Management1

1 Clients with multiple stressors may require the services of different agencies
and multiple SWPs, each providing services shaped by unique perspectives,
knowledge and skills, to address their various needs. The different agencies and
SWPs would work together and collaborate in ensuring that the services provided to
the client is coordinated. A coordinated approach also supports the SWP in the
provision of services, as it ensures that multiple professionals are working together in
meeting the needs of the clients and their family members.

2 SWPs are encouraged to inform the client at the start of their relationship of the
FSC’s role in forming networks with other professionals involved with the family, to
ensure a collaborative and coordinated approach. SWPs would integrate their
knowledge and skills, to be able to either provide coordinated and holistic services, or
broker the services from suitable providers.

3 The following principles undergird the coordinated approach to case

management:
• Safety and well-being of client - Ensuring the safety and well-being of each
client is paramount.

1
Please refer to Annex B on the Guidelines for Master Action Planning for Complex Cases developed
by MSF in 2018.

1
 • Consistent and integrated approach - SWPs coordinating their case
management adopt a consistent and integrated approach in rendering their
services that are in the best interest of the client and their families.
• Client-centric approach - Clients, especially the vulnerable members of the
family, are to be at the centre of decisions and plans, and their views taken
into consideration.

4 Coordinated Case Management enables the following:

• Timely integration of information - Helps SWPs access and integrate
information in a timely manner, to form a more holistic and accurate
understanding of the risks and needs of the client.
• Effective care planning - Provides clarity on each SWP’s roles, tasks, and
timelines so as to render effective intervention.

5 When a client is attended to by multiple agencies, these agencies have a

shared responsibility and accountability for the client and the family. Agencies should
seek to utilise their expertise/ services to contribute to the holistic plan and not focus
solely on their own areas. Shared responsibility and accountability in a client’s care
and service plan can be achieved by having the following:
• A relationship of trust and mutual respect, and support for fellow SWPs.
• Appropriate staff assigned to manage cases and attend meetings.
• All stakeholders participate and contribute to case discussions. Follow
through with decisions made and adhere to the agreed timelines (unless
circumstances necessitate change).
• Timely response to correspondence.
• All important information is disseminated promptly to all relevant parties (e.g.
key developments in risks, needs and services obtained by client).
• Regular review and revision of case plans to meet the dynamic needs of the
client.
• Joint case conferences and collaboration with additional agencies as
necessary.
• Proper handover/ transition and support/ update between agencies.

6 SWPs avoid working in-silo by taking these steps:

• Actively look for agencies who can better support clients.
• Practice collective decision-making (in tandem with clients), but be flexible
enough to review case management plans in the face of new information.

2
 The coordinated case plan should not prevent the agencies involved from
taking prompt action if the need arises.
• Regularly sharing information.

C Case Conference

1 Case conferencing is a means for SWPs to bring together multiple partners

involved in the case, to collaborate in the intervention of the case. SWPs may opt to
include the client in some of the conferences, where needed.

2 The objectives of a case conference include clarifying key needs, identifying

intervention strategies involving the various partners and their roles as well as a means
to update and review progress of the case.

3 SWPs make the effort, where possible, to attend case conferences, especially
those organised by the statutory services in relation to the case e.g. the Child Abuse
Protection Team (CAPT) meetings and the Child Abuse Review Team (CART)
meetings (which are conducted by the Child Protective Service), Vulnerable Adult
Protection Team (VAPT) meetings and Vulnerable Adult Review Team (VART)
meetings (which are conducted by the Adult Protective Service), or the Adult
Protection Team meetings (conducted by the Family Violence Specialist Centres).
Attendance at such meetings provides SWPs with key information on the risk and
safety concerns that exist in the case and allows them to establish the roles they play
vis-a-vis the statutory agencies.

4 When attending or conducting a case conference, SWPs are prepared and

ensure clarity on the following:
• Objectives of the case conference;
• Agenda for discussion;
• Partners to be involved in the case conference, their roles and position;
• Role of the SWP in relation to the case; and
• Possible dynamics and issues that partners will bring that may impact the
attainment of objectives of the case conference.

5 SWPs prepare adequately for the case conference in relation to:

• Most recent update of case, including assessment, program and changes in
bio-data.
• Social reports/ review reports/ programme reports, if required.

3
 • Informing Supervisor on the purpose/ objectives of case conference. The
supervisor should assess the need for themselves to be present at the case
conference with the SWP. This is especially for junior SWPs.

6 SWPs articulate practice thinking and reasoning in a professional, logical,

theoretically informed and respectful manner. This will ensure a professional
representation of the organisation and profession.

D Contact with the Client

1 Accessibility, timeliness of response, clarity of expectations and roles and

professionalism of practice characterise the SWPs’ interactions with the client
throughout their journey with the FSC.

2 There are many means to engage and connect with clients. They include face-
to-face contact at the FSC, at the client’s home or at external venues, (e.g. playground,
void deck or other suitable places within the community or at other stakeholders’
premises). Contact could also be made through telephone, emails, handphone
messages and letters. However, these should supplement contacts made face-to-
face and not be a total replacement for face-to-face contacts.

Clients who refuse help

3 SWPs may face challenges in working with clients who refuse help. Such
clients may have walked in to the FSC to request for services initially but then refuse
further offers of help, or may have been referred to the FSC by other agencies.

4 Take the effort and time to understand the possible reasons behind the refusal
for help. There may be the existence of safety and risk concerns or mental health
issues that may lead to the refusal for help offered.

5 In managing clients who refuse help although there are existing risk concerns
in the case, consider the following:
• Engage with the client and continue to make efforts to build rapport. For
some clients, this engagement process may take a protracted period of time.
• Seek assistance from other professional agencies, who had referred the
family to the FSC or who may have an ongoing relationship with the family,
to help link you with the client and to assist in monitoring the client and the
members of the family so as to be on the alert for any escalating concerns.

4
 • Assess whether the client or vulnerable members of their family (e.g.
children, vulnerable adults such as the elderly or persons with disability,
where applicable), are at risk of imminent harm. Where possible,
assessments should be conducted through observations and direct
interactions with the client/ family members and not rely solely on self-reports
of one particular member of the family.
• Contact other professional agencies who may have ongoing relationships
with the client/ members of the family and engage their support to assess the
client/ members of the family on their needs and the existence of risks that
potentially may place them at harm.
• Consult with the Supervisor should efforts to engage with the client not be
successful and/ or there are concerns of harm to the client/ members of the
family.
• Conduct an assessment using the Child Abuse Reporting Guide (CARG) for
cases involving children and contact the Child Protective Service (CPS)
should the CARG assessment indicate the need to do so. For cases
involving vulnerable adults (e.g. elderly or persons with disability), contact
the Adult Protective Service (APS) for advice and the need to refer.
• Should the safety concerns continue to escalate, call for a case conference
with other professional agencies to discuss strategies to work with the client/
members of the family. Involve CPS or APS where necessary, especially if
the case had been previously referred to the FSC for management by them.
• In respecting and protecting clients’ confidentiality, information shared with
other professional agencies are on a need-to-know basis. In accordance to
the Personal Data Protection Act, confidential information on the client and
their family members can be shared, should there be concerns of safety and
harm happening to the client and/ or their family members.

6 SWPs should consult with their Supervisor on their assessments of these cases
and the decisions/ actions to be taken. For cases assessed to have no risk concerns
and the client has refused help, the SWP could then discuss the option of closing the
case, with their Supervisor.

Un-contactable clients with risk concerns

7 There will be cases where SWPs may face challenges in making contact with
the client. Such cases may have been referred to the FSC by another agency or may
have walked in for a service at the FSC initially but became un-contactable
subsequently. Clients who have refused help are also likely to become un-
contactable.

5
8 In managing such situations, SWPs take into consideration the existing risk and
safety concerns in the case in strategizing how to engage the client further. SWPs
should also discuss their strategies with their Supervisor. Existence of risk concerns
would mean that the efforts to engage with the client/ vulnerable members of the family
are expedited and heightened to ensure that the client/ vulnerable members of the
family remain safe.

9 The following are considerations in making efforts to contact clients who have
not been contactable and there are known risk issues or concerns in the case:
• For clients that are referred to the FSC by other agencies, SWPs contact the
referral agency for clarification on the contact details. Discuss with the
referral agency, as well, on existing concerns in the case and seek the
referring agency’s assistance to engage with the client.
• Conduct home visits for cases with perceived/ reported needs and risks (e.g.
cases referred for concerns of family violence or cases of elderly living
alone). Discuss with the Supervisor on the need for a home visit, clearly
outlining the concerns that exist in the case and the possible concerns/ risk
in making a home visit. Strategise with the Supervisor on how the visits
should be conducted especially for cases where there is concern of harm to
a vulnerable family member.
• Make a minimum of three attempts to conduct home visits with the clients at
different timings and additionally through other various modes of contacts
(e.g. phone calls, letters, emails). All these attempts should be documented.
• Consult the Supervisor should clients continue not to respond. The SWP
may need to engage help from the police or protective services, where
required.

Uncontactable cases with no known risk concerns

10 For cases with no known risk concerns and are uncontactable, the SWP could
consult with their Supervisor on the case and discuss the options available. The
Supervisor then discusses the case holistically taking care that any possible risk
concerns are not being overlooked. The SWP should also alert the referring agency,
where relevant, on the client being uncontactable and the efforts that have been made
in working with the family.

11 Should it be ascertained that there are no known risk concerns in the family,
the SWP can discuss with the Supervisor on the last efforts to be made to contact the
client. The SWP would need to make 3 attempts via home visits, letters or phone calls
to contact the client. Preferably different modes of attempts should be made, on
different days, at different times of the day. Should the 3 attempts not be successful

6
in reaching the client, the SWP should alert the Supervisor and discuss on the decision
for closure. The referring agency should be alerted to this decision, where relevant.

E Working with Vulnerable Members of the Family

1 Although the person approaching or being referred to the FSC may be the
primary client, SWPs have a responsibility in looking into the safety and welfare of the
vulnerable family members of the primary client especially if they are residing within
the same household. The SWP makes effort to ascertain whether there are other
underlying risk concerns that exist in the family, even though the presenting issue of
the primary client may not involve the other members of the family. These vulnerable
family members include the children, persons with disabilities and infirmed elderly,
who do not have the capacity to seek help on their own. They are also at risk of abuse
and neglect by their caregivers, due to their vulnerabilities.

2 At the start of SWPs’ relationship with the client, highlight SWPs’ role in having
access with the client’s family, especially the vulnerable members to ensure the
provision of holistic support, where possible. SWPs could make the effort to interact
with the vulnerable member during home visits or sessions at the FSC to assess the
level of care that the vulnerable member is receiving. SWPs could also identify and
understand who are the various other professionals involved in providing services to
the vulnerable member, (e.g. schools, hospitals etc.), and alert these professionals of
SWPs’ involvement with the family and collaborate on the development of
assessments, safety plans and interventions.

3 There will be clients who may refuse to have SWPs engage and have access
with the vulnerable members in the family. It is important for SWPs to process this
refusal with the client to understand the reason behind their concerns and assure the
client on the role of the FSC in needing to attend to the needs of the family holistically.

4 Should the client persists in not allowing SWPs access to the vulnerable
members, this should raise alerts, especially if the vulnerable member is not receiving
any other services and there are no other professionals having access to the
vulnerable member to assess their level of care. When this happens, it is imperative
for SWPs to consult their Supervisor on assessments of the vulnerable member and
the possible strategies that could be taken.

Interacting with children

5 Most children tend to be wary of strangers and take time to warm up to the
adult, though this is dependent on the personality of the child. Efforts to engage with
the child and build rapport, could include asking the child their likes, interests and daily

7
activities. This not only help SWPs build rapport with the child, but also helps SWPs
to get to know the child better and understand the care they are receiving.

6 While interacting with the children, SWPs could discreetly assess whether the
child’s needs are being met:
• Is the child’s physical needs met (e.g. food, shelter, clothes etc.)?
• Is the child emotionally and psychologically engaged (e.g. receiving attention
and being emotionally attended to)?
• Is the child interacting with other members of the family or being kept isolated?
• Is the child receiving cognitive stimulation (e.g. through school)?
• Is the child’s development age appropriate (e.g. is the child talking and walking
at the appropriate milestones)?
• Has the child’s birth been registered and has the child been immunised?

7 SWPs could look out for any signs that may indicate that a child may have been
harmed or neglected:
• injuries on visible parts of the body;
• expressions of fear, distress or watchfulness in the presence of certain adults/
caregivers;
• lack of interaction and warmth between caregivers and the child;
• signs of not having been fed or cared for (e.g. unwashed and dirty);
• lack of care items meant for the child (e.g. children’s clothes, toys, milk
powder);
• exposed to high levels of violence and conflicts in the household; and/ or
• safety and conduciveness of their living environment (e.g. lack of grilles in a
high rise home and hazardous materials easily accessible).

(This list is not exhaustive. SWPs should also make reference to the Manual on the
Management of child abuse cases in Singapore produced by CPS. SWPs can contact
CPS should they need a copy of this Manual.)

8 SWPs should not do the following:

• Ask a child to undress to check for injuries on hidden parts of the body;
• Talk to the child on concerns in the presence of the caregiver, unless the child
requested for the latter’s presence;
• Interrogate a child on concerns related to them; and

8
 • Question what the child is sharing i.e. express disbelief that the child is being
truthful.

9 Discuss the findings and any concerns about the child’s care with the
Supervisor. Should the SWP be uncomfortable in interacting with children or
assessing them, discuss with the Supervisor on the need to have a colleague coming
in to support the SWP.

10 Assessments made about children and their relationship with their

caregivers should be holistic and developed over a period of time. SWPs need to be
careful that they do not formulate assessments based on just one encounter/
observation that they have of the child, as this may not provide a holistic understanding
of the child, the care that they are receiving and their relationship with the caregiver.

Interacting with vulnerable adults

11 A vulnerable adult is a person who is 18 years and above and is incapable of

protecting him or herself from abuse, neglect and self-neglect, due to mental and
physical infirmity, disability or incapacity. The extent of disability an individual is
assessed to have is measured by the number of Activities of Daily Living (ADL)2 that
the individual can perform. The Ministry of Health (MOH) defines disability as a person
who is unable to perform at least 3 of the ADLs.

12 In terms of mental capacity, an individual is deemed to be unable to make

decisions for him or herself if the individual is unable:
• to understand the information relevant to the decision;
• to retain that information;
• to use or weigh that information as part of the process of making the decision;
or
• to communicate his/ her decision (whether by talking, using sign language or
any other means).

13 When interacting with vulnerable adults, SWPs could assess the following
about the vulnerable adult and/ or the care that they are receiving from their caregivers:
• the safety and conduciveness of their living environment;
• interactions between the caregiver and the vulnerable adult;
• whether their needs are being met (e.g. food, clothing, shelter, medication etc.);
• whether there are injuries that are suspected to be inflicted and non-accidental;

2
ADLs include washing, dressing, feeding, toileting, mobility and transferring.

9
 • whether their medical and mental health care is managed and provided for (e.g.
attending medical appointments, wounds and ailments are attended to etc.);
• whether they are conscious and oriented; and
• whether they are restrained inappropriately.

14 Check the information with other professionals and other adults involved in the
vulnerable adult’s care, and not rely solely on the information received from the
vulnerable adult or the caregiver alone. SWPs should discuss the findings and
concerns with their Supervisors.

F Managing Sexual Abuse Victims

1 Cases of sexual abuse or where sexual abuse has been alleged, need to be
managed very sensitively and carefully. Sexual abuse can be committed against
anyone, of any gender and any age group. Sexual abuse can also be committed by
either strangers or persons who are familiar to the victim.

Intra-familiar sexual abuse

2 Sexual abuse tends to be committed under shrouds of secrecy. This is

especially in cases where the abuse is by a person familiar to the victim, as the
perpetrator would want to continue having an ongoing relationship with the victim,
enabling the abuse to occur over extended periods of time. Where sexual abuse
perpetrated by strangers tends to be once off, intra familiar sexual abuse tends to take
place over multiple incidences.

3 Perpetrators of sexual abuse may sexually groom their victims, such that their
victims are more receptive to the abuse perpetrated against them. The abuse may
escalate over time, culminating in more penetrative acts of abuse. Some victims are
made to feel that the abuse taking place is part of a ‘special’ relationship that they
share with the perpetrator. In other cases, they may be made to feel that they are to
be blamed and had ‘asked to be abused’ (e.g. due to their behaviours or clothing they
wear).

4 The relationship that victims share with their perpetrators tend to disable them
from telling others that they have been abused. The victims may feel the need to
protect the perpetrator, the family or members of the family, and they may fear the
consequences that may take place should the abuse be disclosed to others. This
enables the perpetrator to continue the abuse they are perpetrating and is part of the
reason why intra familiar sexual abuse tend to be kept secret long after the abuse
against the victim has stopped.

10
 Working with victims

5 In working with sexual abuse victims, be aware of the psychological barriers

that have been placed on the victim by the perpetrator over the many years of abuse
that the victim has been subjected to. Some victims may wish to continue keeping the
abuse a secret due to the feelings of shame and the need to protect the family.
However, they need help to recognise that the abuse was a serious crime that had
been perpetrated against them and that they were not to be blamed.

6 Perpetrators of sexual abuse may have perpetrated against more than one
victim. SWPs could check with the client on other possible current or potential victims
that may be present within the household and not assume that the client was the only
victim. Even when the abuse against SWP’s client may have stopped, the perpetrator
may have moved on to other victims, either within the household or elsewhere.
Continuing to keep the sexual abuse a secret, enables the perpetrator to seek and
victimise others.

7 Perpetrators of sexual abuse come from all walks of life and some may even
be outstanding members of the community. For some, their ability to maintain a
positive and wholesome image, provides a front for them to engage with victims and
perpetrate abuse. SWPs should be careful that they not dismiss or disbelief
allegations of sexual abuse by victims, based on the vocation or community standing
of the perpetrator (e.g. religious leaders, high ranking persons etc.) or wrongly assume
that the perpetrators may have reformed and not perpetrated against others further.
The decision to lodge a police report against the perpetrator should not be based on
whether the perpetrator has reformed.

G Conducting Home Visits

1 Conducting home visits is an important means to conduct outreach, engage

with the client/ family and formulate assessments for cases with financial needs,
especially where there may be higher complexity of needs/ existence of risk concerns.
Home visits provide for a more comprehensive assessment as it allows the conduct of
holistic observations of the family’s circumstances and natural interactions amongst
the family members.

2 In cases where there are possible risks, SWPs make efforts to reach out to the
client by visiting them at the home or other suitable venues, where possible. It can be
an effective way to address the balance of power as SWPs demonstrate sincerity and
work from the client’s comfort zone instead of expecting the client to go to SWPs’
office.

11
3 Home visits can be used at any phase of the case management process with
the family. It is also a practical way to conduct family sessions when it is challenging
for the family to make their way to the FSC’s office as it reduces the client’s need to
travel and creates convenience for the client in receiving a service.

4 Home visits require careful planning. SWPs review their past case recordings
on the case to remain alert to the issues or concerns that had arisen so that these
could be attended to during the visit and be clear on the purpose that they hope to
achieve in the visit.

5 As SWPs plan to make a home visit, the safety considerations highlighted in

the earlier chapters would need to be applied. SWPs should not take for granted their
personal or clients’ safety when home visits are being made. Where needed, they
should consult their Supervisors in planning for the home visit, taking into
consideration the risks involved.

6 During the home visit, do note the following:

• surroundings and living condition of the home;
• conduciveness of the living environment for children and vulnerable members
of the family (e.g. sharp items lying around or no grilles affixed to the windows);
• evidence of potential mental health and/ or medical/ hygiene concerns (e.g.
hoarding, bed bugs infestation etc.);
• evidence of over-crowding concerns;
• identity of persons living in the home and the permanence of their stay i.e. are
there constant changes in the persons residing in the home;
• presence of adequate household appliances and furnishing to meet the needs
of the client and their family;
• presence of adequate food; and
• any other concerns that may pose a risk or danger to the client and/ or their
family members.

7 Discuss the findings with the Supervisor and record details of the home visit.
The recordings on the visit should include details about the observations of the home,
the persons present and the interactions between them, in addition to the discussions
SWPs had with the client. Visits made to the home where the client was not home
should also be recorded as it reflects the effort made by SWPs in contacting the client.

12
H Documentation

1 There are various types of documentation that SWPs maintain in their case
files. All case information should be accurately and promptly documented. This
documentation needs to be maintained and kept well as it serves as evidence of the
work conducted and allows for easy tracking of the interventions and progress of the
client/ family. It also allows for easy access to information should the client/ family
require other services in the future. Information on the risks and needs as well as the
decision process should also be clearly documented.

2 Types of documentation include:

• copies of identifying documents (e.g. birth certificate, NRIC)
• copies of employment and educational records, where relevant
• correspondences (e.g. emails, letters, screenshots of WhatsApp or SMS
messages etc.)
• social reports, referral reports etc.
• other legal documents (e.g. statutory declarations, police reports etc.)
• case notes
• record of supervision discussions on the case
• record of case conferences or other discussions with related professionals on
the case
• relevant forms (intake, case review, closure, consent forms)
• BPSS and FAST assessments

Case notes

3 Case notes is an important documentation that provides key information about

the client/ family and the work the FSC is conducting with them. It should be completed
as soon as possible after the completion of the session with the client/ family members/
relevant professionals to ensure that the case notes are recorded accurately.

4 Case notes should be typewritten or handwritten neatly and legibly. Sub-

headers would be useful in breaking up the information and categorising them for easy
reading. Case notes can be directly inputted into SSNet or uploaded.

5 Case notes serves the following purposes:

• tracks the interactions that the SWP has with the client and/ or family;

13
 • records the interventions conducted and how the client and/ or family members
respond to them;
• facilitates reviews conducted on the client and/ or family and the progress
made;
• allows follow through by the SWP taking over the case from a previous worker;
• facilitates supervision of the SWP working on the case; and
• provides evidence and details on the incidents within the case.

6 Case notes should include the following:

• Date, time and venue;
• Persons SWPs interacted with;
• Presence of other persons whom the SWP did not interact with should also be
noted (e.g. other members of the family present during the home visit or
accompanying the family member during the session with the SWP);
• Observations made of the environment, behaviours, interactions between
members of the family;
• Objectives of the session;
• Discussions between the SWP and the client and/ or family members;
• Issues identified, highlighting the safety concerns or risks or areas of needs
noted;
• Interventions conducted and its outcome;
• Assessments of risks and the impacts of this on the client and/ or family
members;
• Case plans for intervention to be provided and/ or safety plans to ensure safety
of vulnerable members in the family and/ or to address the issues discussed
during the session;
• Discussions SWPs have with other relevant professional on the client and/ or
family;
• Any other relevant information.

14
NOTES
NOTES
 Chapter 4a FRAMEWORK FOR ORGANISATIONS TO SIGHT
VULNERABLE MEMBERS IN A FAMILY

1 This framework has been developed with the aim to protect vulnerable family
member’s welfare and safety and minimise the risk of vulnerable family members falling
through the gaps. It highlights the importance of strengthening and enhancing
communication and collaboration amongst agencies involved in the care and support of
vulnerable families and facilitates the conduct of joint assessments and interventions.

2 In working with families, it is important for Social Work Practitioners (SWPs) from
Social Service Agencies (SSAs) to have sight of and interact with the vulnerable members
in the families. This is to ensure that these vulnerable members are safe from abuse or
neglect. It will also enable SWPs to assess the vulnerable members’ safety and general
well-being. SWPs need to assure the family by explaining that the role of SWPs and the
agency is to engage the family as a whole and not just the individual main client.

3 By engaging and building rapport with clients, SWPs develop a helping

relationship that is crucial for the assessments of their and their family members’ well-
being, risks, and needs. The agency may consider alternative means to sight the
vulnerable family member by engaging the family. This can be achieved by referring them
to relevant services or programmes by other agencies. When the agency has sight of the
vulnerable person, please refer to Chapter 4, page 17 of this Casework Practice Guide on
the means of interacting with them and assessing the care that theyare receiving.

4 There are clients who may refuse to let SWPs interact with and have sight of the
vulnerable family members. SWPs should identify possible reasons for the refusal, and
make efforts to engage the family to resolve or clarify them. It is important to process this
refusal with the client to understand the reason. Their refusal could possibly be due to:
• the client’s need for privacy and viewing the request as intrusion into their lives;

• the client’s perception of being “judged” or scrutinized by SWPs;

• the client’s anxiety over certain information being uncovered;

• the client’s fear of incrimination if the vulnerable family member has not been
properly cared for.

5 SWPs should consult their Supervisor and Head of Agency on the concerns they
may have for the case, highlighting the challenges they face in sighting the vulnerable
family members and discuss possible strategies that could be taken. SWPs should
minimally make three attempts to conduct home visits at different timings (where possible)
as part of their best practice to try have sight of the vulnerable member. It is also helpful
for the supervisors of the SWPs or Lead Social Worker to do a joint home visit. All these
attempts should be documented. All thesejjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj attempts should be documented.

1
6 As SWPs continue to engage with the family and attempt to have sight of the
vulnerable member, they should concurrently try to assess if there are other concerns for
the vulnerable member’s safety and welfare, to the best of their ability. The client’s
persistent refusal for the vulnerable family member to be sighted may be indicative of
possible concerns in relation to the well-being and/ or safety of the vulnerable family
member. It could also be indicative of harm that has already been incurred on the
vulnerable member and there is intent to hide that.

7 If there are known concerns about a child’s safety and welfare, SWPs should
conduct the Sector Specific Screening Guide (SSSG)/ Child Abuse Reporting Guide
(CARG) and consult Child Protective Service (CPS) or Child Protection Specialist Centres
(CPSCs) where necessary. The same would apply for concerns in relation to other
vulnerable members such as the vulnerable elderly or persons with disability where SWPs
would conduct the Vulnerable Adult (VA) Triage tool1 on the case. SWPs should screen
the case concurrently with Child Protective Service (CPS)/ Adult Protective Service (APS)
to find out if the child/ vulnerable adult is/ was known to CPS/ APS. (Please refer to the
flow chart in Annexes A1 and A2).

8 When the SWP is unable to sight the persons who are at greater risk of abuse or
neglect (e.g. a very young child below three years old) after three attempts to conduct
home visits at different timings, the lack of visibility and inability to assess whether their
care needs are being met, increase the risk to the person. Hence, it will be prudent for
SWP to collaborate with other professionals to sight the vulnerable members. SWP could
screen the family with the relevant Social Service Office (SSO) and alert SSO on the
challenges faced. Concurrently, SWPs could also gather information to establish if the
vulnerable members are known to any other social service agencies2(SSAs). SWPs could
work alongside the other professionals to strategise and share information to further assist
the family.

1 The assessment tool is subject to change.

2 Sections 2, 17(3) and 21(4) Disclosure of personal data without consent.
An organisation may disclose personal data about an individual without the consent of the individual in
any of the following circumstances: the disclosure is necessary for any purpose which is clearly in the
interests of the individual, if consent for its disclosure cannot be obtained in a timely way; the disclosure
is necessary to respond to an emergency that threatens the life, health or safety of the individual or
another individual; subject to the conditions in paragraph 2, there are reasonable grounds to believe
that the health or safety of the individual or another individual will be seriously affected and consent for
the disclosure of the data cannot be obtained in a timely way; the personal data is publicly available;
the disclosure is necessary in the national interest; the disclosure is necessary for any investigation or
proceedings; the disclosure is to a public agency and such disclosure is necessary in the public interest;
the disclosure is necessary for evaluative purposes.

2
 Process to Sight Children

9 The SWPs could screen by providing the child/ren’s or their parents’ particulars
(whichever is available) with the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA)/ MOE
Compulsory Education (CE) Unit (where relevant) to establish which childcare/ school the
child/ren is enrolled at or whether they are known to KidSTART. This should be done if
SWPs continue to face challenges in sighting the child/ren despite efforts made and is not
able to receive any information on the child/ren from the family. The form to use in
screening with ECDA and MOE CE Unit is at Annex B and Annex C respectively. SWPs are
required to copy the Office of Director-General of Social Welfare (ODGSW) in their email
correspondences with ECDA and MOE when requesting for school information on the
child/ren.

10 SWPs requiring information on the child/ren in school and/ or seeking collaboration

with the school in relation to the child/ren, would complete the informationRequest Form at
Annex D and submit this to ODGSW. SWPs should state clearly their concerns in relation
to the child/ren and their reasons for seeking information/ collaboration. ODGSW would
then liaise with MOE HQ to seek information from the schools.

11 However, if the child/ren is not in school or known to any organisations and if the
family continues to be resistant to the child/ren being sighted, all the relevant
organisations involved in this case should strategise on how the child/ren’s welfare and
safety could be assessed, possibly through information sharing, case conference etc.
SWPs should alert CPS if new safety concerns emerge about the child/ren and family.
The same would apply for concerns in relation to other vulnerable members such as the
vulnerable elderly or persons with disability.

Process to Sight Vulnerable Adults

12 The SWPs could screen by providing the VAs’ particulars with organisations such
as Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), SG Enable (SGE) and Silver Generation Office
(SGO) to establish if the VAs are known to any of these organisations and to request for
information to assess the safety and well-being of the VAs. SWPs should state clearly
their concerns in relation to the VAs and their reasons for seeking information/
collaboration. When seeking for information from SGE, SWPs should copy MSF
Disability Office (DO) (Please refer to Annex D for contact details).

13 However, if the VA is not known to any organisations and if the family continues to
be resistant to the VA being sighted, all the relevant organisations involved in this case
should strategise on how the VA’s welfare and safety could be assessed, possibly through
information sharing, case conference etc. SWPs should alert APS if new safety concerns
emerge about the VA and family.

3
 Inter-agency Strategic Meeting

14 The FSC or lead agency in the case should call for an inter-agency strategic
meeting with all the relevant agencies (SSO, SSAs/ FSCs and ECDA/ MOE/ schools) to
strategise ways to access and have sight of the child/ren or VA and work with the family.

Filing of Police Report

15 A police report should be lodged should efforts made to sight the child/ren or VA
were unsuccessful. If the child/ren or VA could not be located despite attempts made by
the various agencies (over a maximum period of 3 months since the first attempt made by
SWP to have sight of child/ren or VA), it is imperative that the FSC Head or the head of
the lead agency lodge a police report.

16 The decision on when this report should be lodged is dependent on the age of the
child/ren (e.g. children who are below the age of 3) and the level of vulnerability of the
individual (child/ren or vulnerable adults who are not sighted by any other professionals).
The higher vulnerability of the individual would require a police report to be lodged within
a shorter frame of time (earlier than the maximum of 3 months).

17 The decision on which agency is to lodge the police report and the timeline to
doing so could be established through the strategy meeting.

Notification to the ODGSW

18 SWPs could notify the ODGSW in writing through an email referral with case
summary for the following scenarios:

• If family continues to persist in not allowing professionals to sight the child/ren

over a period of 3 months; and/ or

• Family has provided false information on the child/ren’s whereabouts; and/ or

• Child/ren is below 3 years old or older child/ren with developmental issues.

19 Where necessary, the DGSW can activate the Powers of Protector to compel the
family to bring the child/ren forward for the purpose of assessment.

4
 Annex A1
Framework for Organisations facing Challenges to Sight Child/ren

Organisations (FSCs/ SSOs etc.) face challenges to

sight child/ren despite reasonable efforts made

• Assess using
SSSG/ CARG
Any concerns on Yes
• Consult with/refer Is case
child/ren’s safety/ known to
to CPS if CARG
welfare? CPS?
outcome indicate
so
• Consult CPSCs

No
Screen with CPS

No and Yes, but the Yes, active

5

No but there
there are case has are CP case with
no known been closed concerns CPS with
Work with the Screen with CP and there warranting ongoing CP
Screen with
SSA/FSC* on Yes ECDA/ MOE CE concerns are no CPS’ concerns
Known to SSO* and
assessing SSAs/ alert SSO on Unit* (cc known CP involvement
child/ren’s safety FSC*? challenges ODGSW) Forms concerns
and well-being at Annex B/
Annex C
No
If family
continues
to be Request for School
resistant to Yes information/assistance Intervention by
assesses child
the Child/ren from the schools CPS
for concerns
child/ren known to through ODGSW ++
being school? Form at Annex D
sighted

No
Office of DGSW to be activated for any of the following
Family refuses to scenarios: Activate Powers
cooperate and allow • If family continues to persist in not allowing of Protector where
All agencies involved in the case (SSO, SSAs/ professionals to sight the child/ren over a
child/ren to be sighted necessary to
FSCs and ECDA/ MOE/ schools (where period of 3 months and/ or compel the family
applicable) strategise on how child/ren’s welfare • Family has provided false information on to bring the
To alert CPS if new safety concerns emerge about and safety could be assessed. the child/ren’s whereabouts and/ or child/ren forward
the child/ren and family
• Child/ren is below 3 years old or older
child/ren with developmental issues
Family cooperates
•
and allows child/ren
to be sighted
*where relevant
Engage the family to IMPORTANT: If the child/ren could not be located despite attempts by organisations
++
schools to inform the inter-agency strategy meeting if they ensure child/ren’s
have any concerns about the child/ren’s safety and welfare. safety and welfare after a maximum period of 3 months, lead agency to lodge a police report.
 Annex A2
Framework for Organisations facing Challenges to Sight Vulnerable Adult (VA)
Organisations (FSCs/ SSOs etc.) face
challenges to sight VA despite efforts made

Any concerns
Yes • Conduct VA Triage Is case
on VA’s
• Consult/ Screen with known to
safety/
APS APS?
welfare?

No
Screen with APS

No and Yes, active

Yes, but the No but there
there are case with
case has are AP
no known APS with
been closed concerns
6

AP ongoing AP
Work with the Screen with Screen with AIC/ and there are warranting
concerns concerns
SSA/FSC* on SSO* and SGE*/SGO no known AP APS’
Yes Known to
assessing VA’s SSAs/ alert SSO on concerns involvement
safety and well- FSC*? challenges
being

No
If family
continues to
be resistant Request for
to the VA VA known to Yes information/assistance
being these Intervention by
from the institutions
sighted organisations? APS

No

All agencies involved in the case (SSO, SSAs/ FSCs

and AIC/ SGE/SGO* (where applicable)) strategise on Institutions assesses VA
how VA’s welfare and safety could be assessed. for concerns
To alert APS if new safety concerns emerge about the
VA/family

IMPORTANT: If the VA could not be located despite attempts by organisations after a

Engage the family to
*SWPs should copy MSF Disability ensure VA’s safety and maximum period of 3 months, lead agency to lodge a police report.
Office (DO) welfare
 Annex B
To: ECDA
cc: ODGSW
SCREENING REQUEST FORM ON CHILD'S ENROLMENT IN PRESCHOOL/KidSTART

Child’s Details Name: _________________________________

BC No: _________________________________

D.O.B: _________________________________

Parents’ Name Father: _______________________________

NRIC No: _______________________________

Mother: _______________________________

NRIC No: _______________________________

Residential
Address:

Reason for
Screening

Centre Head’s name Name: _________________________________

and contact details

Email Address: ___________________________

Tel No: _________________________________

Organisation’s Name: ______________________

7
 Annex C
To: MOE Compulsory Education Unit
CC: ODGSW

SCREENING REQUEST FORM ON CHILD'S ENROLMENT IN MOE SCHOOLS

Child’s Details Name: ________________________________

B.C No: ________________________________

D.O.B: ________________________________

Parents’ Name Father: ________________________________

NRIC No: ________________________________

Mother: ________________________________

NRIC No: ________________________________

Residential
Address:

Reason for
Screening

Centre Head’s name Name: ________________________________

and contact details

Email Address: __________________________

Tel No: ________________________________

Organisation’s Name: _____________________

8
 Annex D

INFORMATION REQUEST FORM ON STUDENT

Child’s Details Name: ________________________________

School: ________________________________

Class: ________________________________

Parents’ Name Father: ________________________________

Mother: ________________________________

Issue of concern in
relation to child/
family

Information needed
from school/ Area
of collaboration
required

Centre Head’s name Name: ________________________________

and contact details

Email Address: __________________________

Tel No: ________________________________

Organisation’s Name: _____________________

9
 Annex E

Contact Information
Organisation Contact Information
Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) Email: [email protected]

Early Childhood Development Agency Email: [email protected]

(ECDA)
If SWPs do not get a response within 5
working days, they may then email the
following officers:
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]

cc: ODGSW

Ministry of Education (MOE) Email: [email protected] or

Compulsory Education Unit (for [email protected]
screening purposes)
cc: ODGSW

Office of the Director-General of Social Email:

Welfare (ODGSW) [email protected]

cc: [email protected]

SG Enable (SGE) Email:

(Adult Disability)
[email protected]

(Child Disability)
[email protected]

Infoline: 1800 8585 885

Disability Office (DO):

Email: [email protected]
[email protected]

Silver Generation Office (SGO) Contact Person: Ms. Susan See (Head at
Tanjong Pagar Satellite Office)
Email: [email protected]

10
 Chapter 4b CASE TRACKING FOR SAFETY IN PROTECTION CASES

A Case Tracking for Safety in Protection

1 Case Tracking for Safety (CTS) is a process that monitors protection cases that
have been transferred from the MSF Rehabilitation and Protection Group (MSF/ RPG) to
the Family Service Centres (FSCs) for ongoing case management. These cases that are
transferred to the FSCs would have received earlier intervention from either the MSF
Adult Protective Service (APS) or Child Protective Service (CPS). Hence, the safety
concerns for these cases have been addressed but the family would still require a period
of monitoring and support (e.g. family member has stopped their physical abuse towards
their child/ vulnerable adult (VA) but ongoing case management and monitoring of the
child’s/ vulnerable adult’s safety and well-being is still required). These families would also
require ongoing case management to support them in their care and management of the
children or vulnerable adults.

2 CTS tightens the coordination between MSF/ RPG and the FSCs to ensure that
the vulnerable victims are sighted and visible in the community and that their safety, care
and welfare is monitored and supported.

B Role of FSCs in Managing Protection Cases

1 The roles of FSCs in managing protection cases include ensuring sighting of the
vulnerable members and their families and providing needed resources and services to
sustain a safe environment for the family members. The ongoing case management by
FSCs increases the visibility of the vulnerable members, allows professionals to detect/
address any recurrence of harm, and supports the provision of the client’s care and well-
being.

Transfer of Protection Cases to FSC

2 Once a case is identified for ongoing case management to the FSCs, APS/ CPS will
prepare and send the relevant case information and “Red File” tracking documents to the
identified FSC.

3 The “Red File” on a case will include the following information:

i) information on the child/ vulnerable adult and family;
ii) information on the concerns leading to CPS’s or APS’s involvement with the family;
and
iii) contact list of both formal (i.e. professionals working with the family) and informal
contacts (i.e. friends, neighbours, colleagues etc.) involved with the family.

11
 a) CPS Red File

i) Collaborative Assessment and Planning Framework (CAPF)

A copy of the CAPF will be provided to assist the FSC Social Work Practitioner
(SWP) in understanding the child protection concerns and circumstances
surrounding a particular case. It will also include a genogram of the family and
recommended steps to support the family in addressing child protection concerns.

ii) Safety Plan and/ or Long-Term Support Plan

The Safety Plan and/ or Long-Term Support Plan, which include non-negotiables
and case plans discussed with child’s parents/ guardians and significant others,
would be included. The FSC SWP can monitor the case progress with the help of
the Safety Plan and/ or Long-term Support Plan and raise concerns to CPS when
there is a breach in safety plan. The Long-Term Support Plan will include the
necessary actions to be taken by the FSC SWP to support the family in the
community.

iii) Summary of SDM Safety Assessment Danger Items and Initial Likelihood of
Future Harm Assessment Items
The FSC SWP can utilise the SDM Safety Assessment Danger Items to
understand the child protection concerns that had resulted in CPS’s intervention
for the child and family.
The initial Likelihood of Future Harm (LFH) assessment items will also be included
in the file to provide the FSC SWP with an understanding of the level of risk or
likelihood of future harm that the child is experiencing at the point of CPS’s
intervention. The FSC SWP can use these items to assess whether the initial
presenting risk or likelihood of future harm for a child is still present or has
decreased over time.

iv) Contact guidelines

To ensure frequent, consistent sighting, interaction and assessment of children
and their parents/ guardians or significant others, the FSCs should sight, interact
and assess the child at least once a month and do likewise for their parents/
guardians or significant other(s) in either separate or joint sessions.

v) CPS Tracking Enquiry Form

The CPS Tracking Enquiry Form will be sent via email to the FSC SWP at the 3 rd,
6th and 12th month mark after the case transfer. The FSC SWP will need to provide
his or her observations and assessments based on the monthly engagement with
both parents/ guardians and the CYP.

b) APS Red File

i) Collaborative Assessment and Planning Framework (CAPF)

12
 A copy of APS’s CAPF will be provided to assist the FSC SWP in understanding
the VA protection concerns and circumstances surrounding the case. It will also
include a genogram of the family and recommended steps to support the family in
addressing the VA protection concerns.

ii) Safety Plan

An APS Safety Plan which includes non-negotiables and case plans discussed with
the VA, the VA’s caregiver, family and significant others, would be included. The
FSC SWP can monitor the case’s progress with the help of the safety plan and
raise concerns when there is a breach in safety plan or lapse in case plan.

iii) Contact guidelines

To ensure frequent, consistent sighting and engagement of the VA, person who
caused harm (PCH), their family members or significant others, the FSC SWP
should sight, interact and assess the VA and meet with the PCH and their family
members or significant other(s) at least once a month. These sessions with VA
could either be done separately or in joint sessions with their family members/
significant others.

iv) VA Sighting, Interaction and Assessment (SIA) plan

The FSC SWP would utilise the VA SIA form to indicate the frequency of their
contact(s) and any remarks/ observations noted monthly. This allows the FSC
SWP to assess the VA’s level of risk regularly and to ascertain the need to highlight
the case to APS intake should there be recurrence.

C Case Management Transfer Process2

1 After a case has been identified for ongoing case management by the FSC:
i) APS/ CPS will prepare and send relevant case information and “Red File” tracking
documents through email with an encrypted password.
ii) An FSC is identified based on whether the case is an existing case with the FSC
or based on proximity (i.e. the FSC nearest to the family’s residential address).
Only cases where the safety concerns have been adequately addressed by APS/
CPS will be transferred to the FSCs.
iii) A case transfer discussion (either held face-to-face or via virtual platforms) is held
between APS/ CPS and the FSC which has agreed to manage the case. The
meeting is to discuss the case details and case management requirements. Both
the direct case worker and supervisor from both APS/ CPS and the FSC should be
present for the discussion. APS/ CPS should also include the relevant SSO GM
and AGM (RST) in the referral email to FSC.

2
This “Red File” transfer process applies to both CPS and APS cases that are transferred to the FSCs for
ongoing case management. CPS would be involved in cases of children while APS would be involved in
cases of vulnerable adults.
13
 iv) APS/ CPS officer makes arrangement for a case transfer meeting involving APS/
CPS, the FSC’s assigned SWP, the child/ vulnerable adult, their family, the person
who caused harm (PCH) (for VA cases), significant others and other agencies
involved with the family within 2 weeks after the case transfer discussion.
v) APS/ CPS informs all other professionals working with the family on the transfer of
the case to the FSC for ongoing case management. In line with Case Master
Action Planning guideline, APS/ CPS is to keep all professionals in the same email
with FSC SWP, supervisor, FSC Centre Head, SSO GM and AGM (RST). APS/
CPS will inform professionals that the identified FSC will take over as the Lead
Case Manager from APS/ CPS.

2 Upon completion of the case transfer:

• FSC SWPs to open a case in SSNet One and create tagging in SSNet One by
selecting “Child Protection Low Risk Case” for CPS cases and “Adult Protection
Case” for APS cases in Outcome Plan.
• APS/ CPS emails the FSC SWP requesting for an update on the case at the 3rd,
6th and 12th month mark post case transfer.
• FSC SWP to review “Red File” protection cases with their supervisor at least once
every 3 months. The review should include discussions on the sighting and
assessment of the vulnerable member(s) of the family, and whether there were
challenges in meeting recommended frequency of contacts with the family and the
vulnerable member(s).
• FSC SWPs may write in to the following if they need clarification or more
information on the case after the case transfer:
o CPS
▪ [email protected]
o APS
▪ Contact the APS duty-line at 6354 9706 or email
[email protected]

14
D Management of Red File Cases

Case Closure

1 FSCs are to manage the “Red File” cases for at least 12 months from the date of
transfer from APS/ CPS. If an FSC decides to close a “Red File” protection case within 12
months from the date of transfer, the FSC must consult the CPS Red File team through
[email protected] and APS through [email protected]. APS/ CPS
will respond within 3 working days.

Case Transfer

2 FSCs that need to transfer the management of the “Red File” protection cases to
another FSC, would need to transfer the case information and “Red File” tracking
documents to the receiving FSC via email with an encrypted password. The FSC should
also share with the receiving FSC the updates to the case and the interventions they
have provided since taking on the case management from APS/ CPS.

3 For cases that are within the first 12 months of transfer from APS/ CPS, the FSC
will need to inform APS/ CPS via [email protected]/
[email protected] respectively of the plans for transfer. The new FSC
details (including the assigned FSC SWP and contact details) should be provided
to APS/ CPS at the point of case transfer to the new FSC SWP.

E Escalation Process

1 The FSC SWP would need to alert their supervisor and Head of the Agency
immediately when they encounter challenges in managing the case. This would include
situations where:
i) Injuries or concerns on the child or vulnerable adult is noted;
ii) The caregiver prevents the FSC from having access to the child or vulnerable adult;
iii) The caregivers refuse to engage with the FSC; and/ or
iv) The safety plans for the child or vulnerable adult have been breached.

2 The FSC SWP and their supervisors should discuss the challenges and strategise
on how the case should be best managed.

15
 IMPORTANT TO NOTE

The FSCs need to consult CPS intake (phone: 1800 777 0000 or email:
[email protected]) at any time when they experience the following and CPS
will respond within 3 working days:
• Harm occurs to any of the children in terms of recurrence of abuse as guided by
the Child Abuse Reporting Guide (CARG) for cases to be reported to CPS; and/ or
• Parents do not want to engage with the FSC despite the need to do so being
clearly outlined; and/ or
• Parents or caregivers block access to the child to be sighted and assessed; and/
or
• Long-term support and safety plan are breached.

The FSCs need to consult APS intake (duty line: 6354 9706 or email:
[email protected]) at any time when they experience the following and APS will
respond within 3 working days:
• Harm occurs to any of the VA; and/ or
• Caregiver, family members or PCH block access to the VA to be sighted and
assessed despite making minimally three attempts to conduct home visits at
different timings; and/ or
• VA refuses to be sighted and assessed despite multiple engagement efforts made
for a month; and/ or
• Caregiver, family members or PCH do not want to engage with the FSC despite
multiple engagement efforts made for a month; and/ or
• Long-term support and safety plan are breached.

For cases where there are imminent safety issues and/ or after office hours, please
call 999 for police assistance.

3
APS duty line operating hours are from Monday – Friday, 8.30am – 5.30pm. For urgent matters, FSCs could
contact APS at 87153087 if they are unable to get through the dutyline.
16
 Revised on 18 January 2022

WORKFLOW ON TRANSFER OF CASE MANAGEMENT FOR ADULT/ CHILD

PROTECTION CASES TO FAMILY SERVICE CENTRES (FSCS)

17
 ANNEX A

APS/ CPS TRACKING ENQUIRY

(AT THE 3RD, 6TH AND 12TH MONTH AFTER CASE TRANSFER)

Red File Tracking Form* (complete all questions)

*link to the online form will be sent to the FSC worker (for CPS cases only). APS will use
email form for case tracking.

1. Case Reference Number:

2. Name of CYP/ VA:
3. CYP/VA ID (last 4 digits):
4. Name of FSC:
5. Name of Caseworker:
6. Email Address of Caseworker:

Checklist Questions

7. Did the parents/ caregiver/ VA* (to delete accordingly) come for service(s) or were
they engaged monthly in the past 3 months?
• If yes, input the dates of engagement.

8. Was the child/ VA directly sighted and assessed by yourself in the past 3
months?
• If yes, input the dates of engagement.

9. Did you have to use SSSG or CARG due to an incident that occurred at any point
in the past 3 months (for CPS cases only)?
• Remarks for previous question: please briefly provide the details of the
incident(s).

10. Were there incidents of concern where CARG was used and the results were
“Immediate report to CPS” or “Report to CPS” in the past 3 months (for CPS
cases only)?
• Remarks for previous question: please provide the details of the incident(s)
and state the outcome of the SSSG or CARG.

11. Were there recurrence of abuse where the VA triage form indicate high risk of
abuse and to refer to APS in the past 3 months (for APS cases only)?
• Please provide the details of incident(s) and the outcome of discussion with
APS.

12. Were there incidents of concern that may have affected the child’s welfare but the
SSSG or CARG was not consulted (for CPS cases only)?
• Remarks for previous question: please provide the details of the incident(s).

13. Is the child/ VA still in the same placement/ care arrangements as 3 months ago?
18
14. Did you receive all APS/ CPS Red File materials from the APO/ CPO?

19
 Chapter 4c FRAMEWORK FOR WORKING WITH UNCONTACTABLE OR
UNWILLING CLIENTS

1 This framework has been developed to guide and provide support to social work
practitioners (SWPs) in managing uncontactable clients and clients refusing to work with
agencies. It emphasises the need to enhance communication and collaboration among
agencies in the care and support of clients. This is particularly important for cases
involving vulnerable1 persons, and for cases where it may be difficult to maintain contact
with clients, such as those involving rough sleepers.

2 SWPs should consider the clients’ possible risks/ vulnerability, and the potential
impact of being uncontactable or disengaged. Some of the possible impact on those at
higher levels of risk/ vulnerability include being at risk of receiving inadequate care,
neglect and/ or abuse. These vulnerable members may also not have the means or ability
to reach out to someone for assistance. In such situations, there is a crucial need to
collaborate with other professionals to ensure the clients’ safety and well- being. Please
refer to Chapter 4a for more information on such cases. This includes the screening
framework for SWPs when they face challenges in sighting vulnerable persons.

3 Clients may become uncontactable or refuse to work with social service agencies
(SSAs) at either the intake stage, or at any point after the case has been opened. When
this happens, it is important to identify the reasons for such, and work with clients to
address their concerns. Some reasons for clients becoming uncontactable or unwilling to
engage include but are not limited to:
• Clients’ unwillingness to work on safety concerns;
• Clients’ feeling that the SSA worker/ services have not been helpful to them/
met their expectations/ resulted in the change they want;
• Clients’ perception of being scrutinised or “judged” by SSA workers;
• Clients’ anxieties over the “inconvenience” that services would have on them;
• Clients’ anxieties over services uncovering certain information about them that
they might not want services to know;
• Clients not having a permanent place of residence (e.g. homeless);
• Clients wandering outside their home due to mental health or cognitive
functioning issues;
• Clients who may be home but not respond to visitors due to advancing age,
deteriorating health, physical or cognitive functioning;

1
For cases involving vulnerable clients such as children and vulnerable adults please refer to Chapter 4a
(Framework for Organisations facing Challenges to Sight Vulnerable Members) of the FSC − CSWP
Casework Practice Guide. A vulnerable adult is defined in the Vulnerable Adults Act as an individual who
is:
• 18 years of age or older; and has
• Mental or physical infirmity; or
• Disability or incapacity; and because of it
• Is unable to protect himself/herself from abuse, neglect or self−neglect
1
 • Clients moving to reside elsewhere, moving overseas, or returning to countryof
origin (for non-resident clients); and
• Clients ‘on the run’ from authorities.

Three Key Principles for Consideration – 3 Rs

4 There are three key principles that SWPs should consider when working with
uncontactable or unwilling clients. They are Recognise, Reach Out and Resolve
(together).

a. Recognise

i) SWPs should first attempt to identify and understand the reason(s) why the
clients are or have become uncontactable and/ or are unwilling to continue
to be engaged. SWPs could gather information through home visits and
discussions with other organisations whom the clients are known to, such as
Social Service Offices (SSOs), SSAs, schools etc. SWPs could also check
with neighbours to ascertain if the client is still residing at the registered
address or where the client could usually be found within the
neighbourhood.

ii) Some clients such as the rough sleepers and elderly may be harder to
contact after intake interviews. Therefore, SWPs could, together with their
clients, explore ways of reaching them and staying contactable, such as
enquiring about their daily or regular routine, the place they usually spend
their time at, their contact numbers (if any) etc. SWPs could also gather
information from other organisations that the clients are known to, on the
clients’ daily routine, their mental health and cognitive functioning or
common places where they usually could be found (e.g. void deck, pavilion,
bus-stop, coffeeshop, market etc).

iii) Gathering information from other agencies or significant others may give us
possible insights on any incident or experiences that may have contributed
to the clients’ current emotions and responses. This includes finding out if
the client had any known medical (physical or mental) conditions and their
baseline behaviour, which can be helpful in guiding the SWP’s re-
engagement plans. These may have resulted in them becoming
uncontactable or disengaged1. In considering the clients’ experiences,
SWPs should also reflect on the systems’ interventions/ responses as well
as individual practice to identify if the clients’ actions were in response to the
actions of the various systems or workers and if the clients might be
resistant to the help offered due to their past experiences and belief
systems, leading to negative and uncooperative behaviours (e.g. anger/
disillusion at service provider or previous workers).

1
The word “disengaged” can be used interchangeably with the word “unwilling to engage”.
2
b. Reach Out

i) SWPs could make attempts to re-establish contact and engage the clients
through their informal support networks, and/ or other agencies involved in
supporting them. SWPs could also check with the Housing Development
Board (HDB) or branch offices for any existing concerns/ difficulties they
had encountered while working with these clients. For clients who tend to
wander around the neighbourhood, SWPs could also work with the local
Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) to alert them of any sightings of these
clients. Where possible, SWPs should conduct joint home visits with these
parties to try and engage the client.

ii) SWPs could build rapport with the client by acknowledging the difficulties
that they experience and affirming their strengths in areas where they are
coping well. SWPs could also ascertain the needs of the client and provide
practical support (such as financial assistance, child-care arrangements and
medical appointments etc.).

iii) SWPs should remember that uncontactable and unwilling clients often lack
trust in social services. It is thus important to build trust by taking time to
clarify misperceptions and allay the anxieties that they may have. This can
be achieved through being consistent, honest and open to admitting if a
mistake has been made by the organisation or practitioners.

iv) Alternatively, some of these clients may be generally mistrusting of others

even if they may or may not have had negative experiences with social
services. In such cases, SWPs should consider coordinating with other
service providers to either alternate visits or have joint visits to gradually
build trust with the client through exposure and interactions with SWPs.

v) As the clients’ negative attitudes and perceptions toward social services

(and other help agencies) may take time to change, being patient, persistent
and flexible (where possible) would help in building the rapport with and
engage the clients. In addition, SWPs should be conscious that the clients
may have had a long history of bad experiences with various systems and
help professionals, and that their negative attitudes may go beyond the
current situation they are experiencing.

vi) It is also important for SWPs to be clear in their communication with the
clients, which helps to build trust. As the clients may be unfamiliar with and
struggle to understand certain processes and interventions, it is important
for SWPs to prepare the clients by explaining the purpose for their
participation, providing information on what to expect in the process, and
how it could improve their situations. This would ensure that the clients
make informed decisions.

3
 vii) Some significant factors in building meaningful engagement with clients
include:
• Having clear, honest and respectful communication with the
clients;
• Including the clients in the decision-making process and validatingthe
role of the clients’ family; and
• Being consistent and reliable (including frequency and level of
contact).

viii) In addition to reaching out to the client, it is also important to contact

referring agencies or other agencies known to the client, and share relevant
information and concerns in relation to the case. For example, if the case
involves a school-going child, it is crucial to connect with the child’s school
to share relevant information or concerns that SWPs may have. SWPs
could refer to the screening framework in Chapter 4a, including the
screening process with MOE and ECDA, when they face challenges in
sighting vulnerable clients.

viii) If the client and/ or their family is known to another agency, SWPs could work
alongside the other professionals to strategise and share information to
further assist the family. SWPs could request for the agency to reach out to
the family and link the family with SWPs. Alternatively, the agency with
better rapport with the client could be the one to take the lead in engaging
the client.

c. Resolve (Together)

i) Once the clients’ concerns have been identified, SWPs should work through
these concerns and re-establish contact and engagement by providing
concrete help to address their needs. SWPs should consider working with
the clients on tasks that are relevant to addressing needs and that can be
solved in a timely manner. Success in accomplishing these initial tasks
would encourage the clients to remain engaged with services. SWPs could
review the previous efforts and solutions that they had previously attempted
and ascertain whether such efforts and solutions could be re-attempted or
avoided, so as to prevent further disengagement with services and/ or the
worker.

4
 ii) In the effort to reengage the client, it is crucial to seek assistance from other
partner agencies and professionals to co-construct strategies and
reengagement plans, explore leveraging on another agency where practical
or find an entry point through them. For example, if the client requires
financial assistance, SWPs could refer them to an SSO; alternatively, if the
client is having issues with housing, SWPs could help to liaise with the
Housing Development Board on their housing needs. If the client is more
forthcoming with other agencies, they could be an entry point for the worker,
or can also help the FSC be the interface for the time being.

5 SWPs should keep their Supervisors and Head of Agencies abreast on the
challenges they face in contacting or engaging the clients and consult them on the next
steps to be taken. SWPs should minimally make three attempts to conduct home visits on
different days and timings (where possible) as part of their best practice to engage the
client. If the clients are not at home or not responsive, SWPs could consider leaving
memos, name cards etc. under the door and/ or with the neighbours. It is also helpful for
Supervisors of SWPs or Lead Social Workers to do a joint home visit with the SWPs. SWPs
are to document all attempts to engage clients, have proactive discussion with
supervisors/heads of the agencies on exploring different ways to engage clients.
Assessment should be conducted to assess if it is possible to cease contacting or
engaging clients, bearing in mind the risk and vulnerabilities concerns that the clients
might have. Endorsements would need to be obtained from supervisors and heads of the
agencies.

Collaboration with Other Agencies

6 When the SWPs are unable to contact or engage the clients after three attempts to
conduct home visits on different dates, days and timings, it is imperative that the SWPs
alert the SSOs on the challenges faced and request assistance for screening with HDB
Point of Contacts (POCs) to verify the clients’ address and if there are other contact
information of the clients that are relevant . Concurrently, the SWPs could also gather
information to establish whether the clients are known to other SSAs3. SWPs could work
alongside the other professionals to strategise how clients could be contacted and/ or
engaged and conduct joint visits where possible. For cases involving vulnerable clients
such as children, persons with disabilities or vulnerable elderly, please refer to Chapter 4a
of the FSC-CSWP Casework Practice Guide.

7 SWPs should also screen the client with SSNet/ One Client View (OneCV)4, to
ascertain that they have the correct address when making a home visit.

3 Sections 2, 17(3) and 21(4) Disclosure of personal data without consent.

An organisation may disclose personal data about an individual without the consent of the individual in
any of the following circumstances: the disclosure is necessary for any purpose which is clearly in the
interests of the individual, if consent for its disclosure cannot be obtained in a timely way; the disclosure
5
 • Should the SWP continue to face challenges in contacting or engaging the
client despite the joint interventions with other professionals, Head of Agency
should escalate the case to the relevant authorities and/ or statutory
departments for the following scenarios:
o Client has known risk/ vulnerability concerns and have remained
uncontactable despite attempts to locate them; or
o Client has known risk/ vulnerability concerns and persist in disengaging
with services.

is necessary to respond to an emergency that threatens the life, health or safety of the individual or
another individual; subject to the conditions in paragraph 2, there are reasonable grounds to believe that
the health or safety of the individual or another individual will be seriously affected and consent for the
disclosure of the data cannot be obtained in a timely way; the personal data is publicly available; the
disclosure is necessary in the national interest; the disclosure is necessary for any investigation or
proceedings; the disclosure is to a public agency and such disclosure is necessary in the public interest;
the disclosure is necessary for evaluative purposes;

4 OneCV is currently not available. FSCs will be given access to OneCV progressively from second
half of 2021. The data will be real-time as it will be drawn from CANVAS (ICA is the source)

6
 WORKING WITH UNCONTACTABLE AND UNWILLING CLIENTS FLOWCHART Annex A
7
 WORKING WITH UNCONTACTABLE CLIENTS CHECKLIST Annex B

Action Date Outcome Follow-Up

Screened with SSNet/ OneCV to e.g. Client address & contact details e.g. Home visit to be conducted on
ascertain client details obtained/ updated. 14 April 2021.

Attempted contact with Client/ (1st Attempt) e.g. 14 e.g. Client did not answer knock on e.g. Second attempt to be made on
Family (e.g. call/ visit / letter) April 2021, 5pm, home their door. 16 April Morning
visit

(Please indicate date, time &

(2nd Attempt)
mode of contact)
8

(3rd Attempt)

Screened with relevant SSA/ e.g. Client previously known to ABC e.g. Contact previous social worker
FSCs FSC for child-care needs. to identify needs and concerns and
strategise on how family may be
contacted.

Screened with SSO e.g. Client receiving SMTA from e.g. Contact SA officer to identify
SSO for 5 months, expiring in needs and concerns.
September 2021.

Re-engagement plans & e.g. FSC & SGO identified as e.g. Discussion on re-engagement
information sharing with other contact points with family plans with ABC FSC on 20 April
relevant agencies (e.g. joint visits 2021. Joint home visit arranged for
/ practical needs/ risk concerns 25 April 2021.
etc.)
 Chapter 5 MANAGING CASES WITH RISK AND SAFETY CONCERNS

A Cases with Risk and Safety Concerns

1 FSCs manage a myriad of cases and the cases will range in terms of the type
of assistance needed, FSC-CSWP case grouping, presence of risk and safety
concerns and needs of the clients. SWPs will need to be vigilant when cases present
risk and safety concerns and attend to the concerns regardless of the FSC-CSWP
grouping of the cases.

2 When risk is detected, SWPs should alert his/her Supervisor to formulate an

assessment of the concerns and strategies on a suitable plan to address the concerns.
A team approach is important in managing the risk concern, so that it does not
escalate, with safety of the various family members taken into consideration.
Additionally, there may be circumstances, where the risk is too high and protective
factors low, which may warrant an immediate report to CPS/ APS/ police.

B Understanding Risks and Vulnerabilities

1 All families and individuals approaching FSCs for assistance present with
vulnerabilities and risks. Within the scope of the FSC-CSWP, ‘risk’ is understood in
relation to factors that pose a threat to the safety of the individual, either as a result of
self-inflicted harm, or harm from others.

2 There are various ways in which vulnerability and risk are defined in
international literature with no clear consensus of a universally accepted definition for
use within social work. SWPs need to note that different concerns have differing risk
and vulnerability factors that they need to consider.
Example: Factors that impact on risk and vulnerability of a child would differ from the
factors that affect a person’s vulnerability and risk to suicide.

Risks

3 Risk can:
• Endanger a person’s safety.
• Involve harm if not addressed.
• Cause the possibility of loss of life or injury.
• Be posed to oneself and to others.

1
 • Place the person in danger of future negative experiences and outcomes due
to the past negative experiences.
• Recur to the same person.
Example: A person who has experienced prior physical violence is at risk of future
physical violence if nothing is done to address the past experience.

4 Risk should be assessed in relation to its:

• Likelihood (imminent vs. emerging)

The assessment on the likelihood of harm occurring would determine the priority
of response to address the identified concern. An imminent risk would indicate
that a person is very likely to be harmed within the near future and this would
warrant immediate attention and intervention.
Example: A wife who has a history of being physically battered by her husband
calling the SWP to share that her husband has come home drunk and threatening
to hit her again.

Emerging risks are new and unforeseen risks and would require a period of
monitoring as their potential for harm is not fully known. SWPs will need to monitor
the issue closely to determine whether there is likelihood of an escalation that
would require intervention.
Example: A father’s loss of employment which is impacting on his ability to pay for
the flat’s rent could lead to the possible loss of the family’s home. However, this
is uncertain at the current point as it is dependent on the father’s ability to find new
employment soon.

• Fluidity (static vs. dynamic)

The fluidity of a safety concern would significantly influence the type of intervention
(control vs. change-based) implemented to address the identified concern. Static
risks tend to remain largely unchanged over time (e.g. disability, history of mental
health), while dynamic risks (e.g family violence risks, risks of self-harming) have
the potential to escalate, de-escalate, or even be eliminated with appropriate
intervention. It is crucial that SWPs be mindful that static risks cannot be
completely eradicated, only managed and reduced through intervention. As such,
various safety plans need to be built in to ensure safety.
Example: The person with physical disability who requires much care support and
is at risk of being harmed by the caregiver, would require safety plans and
interventions built around his care to ensure his safety. His physical disability in
itself cannot be eliminated.

2
 • Nature (internal vs. external)

Internal risks refer to concerns that are internal within the individual. Physiological
issues (e.g. physical disabilities or limitations), intra-psychic issues (e.g. mental
illness including personality disorders), and cognitive issues (e.g. intellectual
disability) are classified as internal risks, while interpersonal and environmental
issues (e.g. family conflicts, high crime neighbourhoods) are termed as external
risks. It is worthwhile noting that some internal risks (e.g. disabilities) are also
characterised by stativity which would significantly dictate the required level of
monitoring and intervention planning for the individual and family. Some internal
risks are also regarded as forms of vulnerability to the individual if it subjects them
to the potential of harm.

Vulnerability

5 A person with a vulnerability has a condition or is in a circumstance which

makes them vulnerable or susceptible to being harmed. A vulnerability in itself,
however, does not place a person at risk of being harmed. The person may have a
good care environment and other protective factors that helps to safeguard and
ensure the person’s safety and welfare. A vulnerability develops into a risk when
and if the person lacks protective factors and/ or the situation they are in is not
addressed.
Example: A person with a cognitive disability is vulnerable due to their condition.
Risk may develop should the caregiver choose to take advantage of the person’s
cognitive disability and mistreat them. However, risk may be averted should the
person be cared for by a different caregiver who provides good care.

6 There is general consensus in the child protection/ welfare research and

literature that children below the age of five are vulnerable to being harmed by their
caregivers as they are less likely to be attending schools which can potentially act as
an external monitoring system for the child. Additionally, these children are considered
vulnerable due to their smaller size, lack of abilities to appropriately assess dangerous
situations, enact adequate self-protective measures and self-report.

7 Assessments of risk are dynamic and changes in accordance to the

circumstances in the family’s situation and environment. A vulnerable person who
may be safe from harm at one point of time may not be so when family circumstances
change. Vulnerabilities also has a direct impact on resilience as it erodes the person’s
or their caregiver’s capacity to cope. This may not be resolved by increasing resources
alone.
Example: A single mother may be able to provide good care of her son who has
autism. As he grows older, she may face greater challenges in meeting his needs
financially as well as in managing his emotional melt-downs. She may have a harder

3
time coping especially if she has new stressors, e.g. employment, that is impacting on
her ability to manage.

8 As such, during the process of gathering information, be it at the intake or

casework level, it is crucial that SWPs be vigilant to risks and safety concerns
surrounding vulnerable members in the family. It is also important for SWPs to
maintain an ongoing relationship through direct sight, interaction and assessment of
the vulnerable members to monitor the ongoing safety of the vulnerable members.

C Fundamental Principles of Conducting Risk Assessment

1 A risk assessment is conducted to establish the levels of concern in a case. It

is an ongoing process as the assessment of risk has to be reviewed periodically and
whenever there are changes in the family’s circumstance.

2 Do be mindful of these principles in conducting risk assessments:

• Concerns on safety and risk permeate gender, social and cultural contexts;
• Concerns are identified and assessed in relation to the potential of harm
happening, regardless of intent (e.g. lack of a caregiver’s knowledge to provide
adequate care resulting in injuries);
• Harm is assessed and articulated in terms of physical and emotional/
psychological harm.

3 Risk assessment involves an analysis of all the information about the family.
SWPs take into consideration the various factors that exist in the family, to ensure that
the assessment is holistic and comprehensive. It takes into consideration factors
about the vulnerable members, factors about the family and factors about the
environment they live in.

4 The characteristics of individuals and family systems are largely influenced by

past events, relationships and experiences, alongside the current. Hence, it is
important that risk assessments consider past information (e.g. childhood history,
abuse/ violence history) to ascertain their impact on the present circumstances. This
information would then facilitate a more robust projection of the future likelihood of
harm.

4
5 Risk assessment should always be conducted in consultation with the
Supervisor. The Supervisor’s role would be to question and challenge the
assumptions and assessments that the SWP is making, to ensure that the assessment
is not swayed by the SWP’s own personal values and possible biases.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE
The assessment of risk is evidence based and cannot be based solely on self-reports
by the clients. It is recognised that clients may not share the full truth regardless of the
level of rapport they may share with SWPs.

6 Safety and risk concerns are weighed and assessed against identified
protective factors. In turn, protective factors have to be assessed in relation to their
direct and evidenced impact on the identified risk or safety concerns and that this can
be sustained over time. However, SWPs have to consider various evidence that both
support and negate their assessments to ensure that the assessments they are
making are objective, and not just supporting the assessments they wish to make on
the client and family.
Example 1: Referral to an agency for support services does not automatically identify
the agency as a protective factor unless the services and intervention by the agency
has been assessed to reduce the concerns.
Example 2: Father has been showing efforts in managing his alcohol intake as part of
the safety plan, to reduce his tendency to use violence in the home. This was
confirmed by various members of the family. However, the child’s recent diagnosis of
having a learning disability is placing much stress on the family and causing father to
have trouble managing his anger while coaching the child in his schoolwork. Both
factors need to be considered in formulating the risk assessment.

7 Protective factors are not static. Changes in the family’s circumstance may
impact on the protective factor’s ability to reduce concerns and maintain safety. Do
be alert to patterns of behaviors rather than focus on recent memorable events.
Example 1: Grandmother may be a protective factor for the child, as she helped to
care for and protect him whenever his father returns home drunk. However, her failing
health is impacting on her ability to continue her care of the child such that she may
no longer remain as a protective factor for the child.
Example 2: Daughter is keen to take on the care of her elderly bedridden mother. She
has shown recent changes of taking on new employment to ensure she can meet her
mother’s medical needs. However, there was a past pattern of behaviour of daughter
leaving her mother unattended whenever she enters into a new relationship. This

5
pattern of behaviour needs to be taken into consideration in light of the daughter’s
recent change in willingness to care for her mother.

D Safety Planning and Monitoring Framework

1 Once SWPs are aware of the vulnerabilities of the individuals within the family
system and the risks of potential harm they may be susceptible to, SWPs would then
develop safety plans for the individual and family.

Safety planning1

2 This is a collaborative rigorous process that SWPs undertake with the family
and their network to promote safety of the members of the family in both the short and
longer term. Safety planning happens after risk assessment has been conducted for
the family. It is part of the case planning and case management process.

3 Safety planning and monitoring aims to prevent another traumatic episode of

harm to the vulnerable member. This is done by pre-empting possible triggers and
developing solutions around these triggers.

4 The failure to conduct safety planning places a vulnerable person at risk of

being harmed again or harmed at a higher level of severity. It also prevents the person
who had caused harm to the vulnerable member to be supported in wanting to change
and keep the vulnerable member safe. Both the informal and formal networks may
also be unclear of what is expected of them or their roles, such that they mistakenly
assume that the other person is monitoring the vulnerable person’s safety when no
one is.

1
Taken from the training on “A 5.5 Step Model for Safety Planning and Monitoring for FSC cases”

6
5 Safety planning requires all involved to be transparent and upfront, with clarity
on the steps to be taken or the goals to be achieved. The plans have to be
behaviourally specific, concrete, realistic and sustainable. As safety plans are
monitored closely, families then learn that professionals are serious about the plan.

Principles of Safety Planning

6 The following are principles of safety planning:

• Reinstating power to the family and their network of support to ensure the
family’s safety.
• Involves facilitating a change process.
• A journey and not a product.
• Placing the responsibility for the harm caused, to the person who caused the
harm without shaming them.
• Agreement should be about the future safety of the vulnerable person, not
agreement about the past.
• Ensure immediate safety for the vulnerable members at each stage of the
process.
• Involve the vulnerable member in every part of the safety planning process.

5.5 Steps in Safety Planning

7 The 5.5 steps in safety planning is a working model that was developed by
CPS in 2016. The steps are:

• Step 0.5 Pre Planning

In the pre planning stage, SWPs would need to consider the concerns that exist in
the case and what would be needed to ensure the safety of the vulnerable
members. SWPs should also consider whether they feel competent and equipped
in conducting the safety planning session and the supervision and support they
require.

SWPs need to be clear on:

• What are the safety concerns?

• Who in the family needs a safety plan?
• What are the SWP’s non-negotiable terms in ensuring safety?
• Why would the plan be critical?

7
 • Who needs to be involved and how they need to be engaged and
prepared?
• What SWPs need to put in place to ensure safety?
• Dynamics between the parties involved and the possible problems that
may arise

• Step 1 Lay it Out

In this step, existing power dynamics amongst the various parties involved are
noted and SWPs ensure that they do not get caught in such dynamics. At this
point, SWPs take into consideration any new circumstances of the family (e.g.
recent births, release of members of the family from prison etc). Other
considerations will be the existence of other concerns that may require
interventions and safety planning as well (e.g. family violence, suicide, mental
health concerns etc).

This step requires all the relevant parties to be brought to the same platform where
existing safety concerns are stated clearly. Ground rules and the non-negotiables
are also shared, whilst creating safety for those involved. The various parties are
also resourced with psycho education.

• Step 2 Creating a Sustainable Network with the Family

A sustainable network requires the involvement of various persons, both formal

and informal, that help ensure the safety of the vulnerable members. The quantity
of persons in the network is dependent on the need of the case. However, SWPs,
should ensure that there should be a mix of professionals and family members
involved. SWPs have to be realistic in their expectations of the network and its
ability to keep the vulnerable members safe, with clarity on the network members’
roles and the time period they are able to commit to. The vulnerable member must
also be clear on who the members within the network are and the roles they can
play.

• Step 3 Resourcing, Relapse, Recovery

SWPs may explore multiple resources to link to the family and guide the family on
how these resources can be activated. Apart from this, SWPs educate and guide
the family and vulnerable members on the protective behaviors, how to
emotionally regulate themselves and to de-escalate.

8
• Step 4 Creating a Safety Plan with the Family

A safety plan highlights the areas in which the family and professionals need to
comply with, in order to ensure the safety of the vulnerable members in the family.
This plan must be documented clearly, indicating the concerns/ ‘worries’ that exist,
the possibility of incidents occurring (the ‘what ifs’) and the plans to deal with these
incidents and the non-negotiables.

The safety plan should be detailed, concrete and measurable. It should be easy
to understand, in a medium that is understood by the members of the family,
including the vulnerable members (where possible). The safety plan should
include the consequences should the safety plan be breached and what behaviors
will be seen as a breach. The safety plan should be reviewed periodically.

For children, using simple visuals would help them understand the safety plan.

• Step 5 Monitoring and Timely Reviews

SWPs empower the network to be part of the monitoring plan with clarity on what
needs to be monitored. SWPs consider the time period for which the case will be
monitored and alert the partners on when the case will be reviewed and have a
fixed date set for this.

In this process, SWPs check in with the vulnerable person regularly on the care
they are receiving and the safety rating. As part of the monitoring process, SWPs
and/ or other professionals involved in the case should conduct surprise visits and
calls to check on the vulnerable person.

As part of the review, SWPs would discuss with the family any near lapses that
may have potentially harmed the vulnerable person and reinforce what has helped
the family. SWPs also celebrate success with the family in terms of what has
worked in ensuring the safety of the vulnerable person and reinforce the family’s
commitment, in ensuring safety of the vulnerable person.

When breaches to the vulnerable person’s safety happen, consideration should

be made whether the case should be referred to CPS (through the conduct of
CARG) or APS. SWPs may also need to develop safety plans around new safety
concerns that have arose.

9
NOTES
NOTES
NOTES
 Chapter 6 CRISIS MANAGEMENT

A Definition of a Crisis

1 An event is deemed a crisis when the client or family perceives that their internal
or external resources are not able to alleviate the distress or perceived threat
presented by an earlier event in the family. This is based on the subjective perception
the client or family has of the earlier event.

The perception of an event or situation as an intolerable difficulty that exceeds the

resources and coping mechanisms of the person, and unless the person gains relief
the crisis has the potential to cause severe affective, cognitive and behavioural
malfunctioning. (James & Gilliland, 2001)

2 There are different types of crisis that an individual and/ or their family members
may face.

Types of Crises
Crisis Developmental Situational Existential Systemic
Types ▪ Normative ▪ Non-normative ▪ Inner conflicts ▪ Large
changes changes of existence segments of
▪ Flow of life ▪ No way of ▪ Important society
disrupted forecasting unfulfilled part affected
▪ Far out of of life ▪ Basic needs
normal realm unmet

FSC ▪ Parent’s ▪ Family ▪ Mid-life crisis ▪ Economic

Crisis concern over Violence over role in downturn
Examples child entering ▪ Discovery of family and resulting in
Primary school an extra purpose in life massive job
and worried marital affair ▪ Questioning retrenchments
about child’s ▪ Unexpected one’s faith in
coping job loss relation to
▪ Adolescent ▪ Non-extension present life
child starts to of Visa for a predicaments
assert their single parent
autonomy and with children
displays born in SG
challenging
behaviours

B Management of High Risk Crisis Events

1 From the point of intake assessment of a case to the point of closure, crisis can
take place at different junctures with varying degrees. The level of crisis can range

1
from low to high levels of crisis as the assessment is determined by the subjective
appraisal of the individual and the availability of individual, family and community
resources to alleviate the stressors. As such, not all events are deemed to be crisis
provoking and this may differ across individuals.

2 A client and their family may also experience multiple different crises at a point
in time. SWPs then attend to the most critical crisis which may have an impact on the
client and/ or their family members’ safety if not attended to.

Managing crisis events

3 The remaining part of this chapter will focus on crises managed by the FSCs,
that have an impact or threat to life (e.g. suicides, violence, aggression etc.). Once
such a crisis happens, the crisis intervention protocol will precede normal case
management procedures until the risks have reduced and stabilized.

4 In managing such high risk crisis events, SWPs would have to respond very
quickly and at the same time maintain ongoing consultations with the Supervisor and/
or head of agency to ensure that the SWP is not managing the crisis event in silo. The
focus is in ensuring the safety of the victim, other vulnerable members of the family,
other persons nearby, as well as that of the SWP.
Example: In attending to a spousal violence situation, the SWP would attend to the
safety of both the wife (being the victim in the situation) and that of the young children
in the household.

5 SWPs should contact the police and other protective agencies (e.g. CPS or
APS) where needed and have the medical needs of the victim attended to, where
relevant. SWPs may also arrange for safe placement of the victims and/ or other
vulnerable members of the family in a shelter where needed. FSC Heads may deploy
one or more SWPs to assist and support the main SWP in managing the crisis event.
Managing a crisis event may require SWPs to spend much time at the police station
or hospital, where required.

6 The Supervisor conducts a debrief with the SWP/s at the next best time once
the crisis event has been attended to. The Supervisor and SWP would also plan the
next strategy in managing any post trauma of the victims and any other interventions
required to move the family forward.

C Practice Considerations

1 Crises can happen at any point of a case being managed by the agency. For
cases at intake, the SWP should immediately inform the relevant Supervisor or
designated senior staff of the crisis.

2
2 The Supervisor should assign an appropriate staff (SWP with adequate
capability and competency to handle crisis situations) to follow-up or to attend to the
client in crisis. The SWP will provide support to the intake worker. For ongoing cases,
the Centre Head or Supervisor can assign a Senior SWP to support the SWP who is
already managing the case.

3 SWPs need to attend to the crisis immediately and follow-up until the danger
is managed. The crisis is only considered to be over when safety of the client and/
or any other vulnerable family member is managed. SWPs responding to the crisis
need to be contactable by their agency at all times during the course of the crisis.

4 SWPs should not be working alone in managing a crisis and seek support from
their Supervisor. The Supervisor has to be kept informed of SWPs’ assessments and
intervention outcomes. Decisions on the next course of action to be taken are not
made in silo, and preferably in consultation with the Supervisor and/ or the Head of
the Centre. This helps to reduce the burden of responsibility solely on the shoulders
of one worker. The Supervisor should assure the SWP on the support that would be
given and that they should not be worried in seeking support especially when they feel
overwhelmed by the situation.

5 During the period of crisis, the Senior SWP is available for consultation at all
times to provide adequate support for the worker designated to handle the crisis. This
includes discussing and providing back-up support, such as being the contact person
while the worker goes on-site to attend to the crisis. Crises can be high stress
situations and having a partner is important to help ground the worker. If necessary,
the Senior SWP may also involve other colleagues in providing support to complete
certain specified roles/ tasks.

6 For clients with suicidal ideation/ attempt, it is important not to leave the client
unattended/ alone in the centre lest client leave the centre/ act upon his suicide plans.
SWP may consider having another staff to be on hand to support them where needed.
(Please refer to Chapter 7 Management of Cases with Suicidal or Self Injury Intent for
details).

7 The following are general crisis intervention guidelines to be considered:

• Safety first. Client at risk should be protected by removing them from the
source of danger or by removing the source/ weapon of danger. If there is
perceived immediate harm, the police and/ or other emergency services (e.g.
ambulance) need to be contacted. The worker’s safety must also be taken into
consideration.

3
 • Police and/ or family members/ significant others must be contacted if safety of
the client/ others is at risk. Confidentiality should not precede the safety of
a person.
• When attending to clients who become very abusive, aggressive or emotional,
SWPs should consider taking the following precautions:
- attend to the client with another SWP’s knowledge or presence;
- use a more ‘public’ space to attend to the client; and
- not attend to a client who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol as a
general rule.

8 The Senior SWP will need to debrief the SWP as soon as possible after the
crisis - where possible within the same day or the next working day.

Issues to Note:
Documentation ▪ Proper documentation shows diligence and reflects promotion
of client welfare. Failure to document means there is no
evidence of decisions and actions.
▪ Areas to be documented:
o Decisions and actions made based on evidence and
issues faced
o Risk/ Lethality Assessment Tools or other validated tools
used
▪ Exact notes captured as information may be crucial in case
of investigation.
▪ Notes are precise and clear, not vague and open to
interpretation.
▪ Documentation can be captured in a Crisis Management
Record Sheet.
▪ Documentation is maintained in a proper data storage system
(either hard copy or online) which would allow for easy
retrieval by approved persons.

Conditional ▪ Abide by the professional ethical and legal obligation of the

Confidentiality worker to not disclose information about the client without
client’s written consent.
▪ However, the worker can breach the rules of confidentiality in
situations where a client is a danger to self or others or when
the worker is mandated by law to make a report.
▪ Comply with the legal requirement on mandatory reporting of
criminal offenses and incident reporting requirements
specified by MSF.

4
 Termination in ▪ Due to the brief and intense nature of crisis work, appropriate
Crisis Work termination procedures need to be followed.
▪ SWPs conduct a debrief with their clients and process with
them how the crisis situation had impacted them.
▪ SWPs review the plans with their clients and develop new
goals and plans where necessary.

D Care for Staff

1 In dealing with crises, SWPs are subjected to much unpredictability. SWPs are
subject to vicarious stressors which may have physical and psychological impacts on
them. SWPs should monitor their mental health and maintain proper self-care.

2 Managing crises do take on an emotional, cognitive and physical toll on

workers. Supervisors and Management level staff should note, ensure and enable a
trauma informed and trauma healing practice environment. Impacts of managing
ongoing crises may permeate through the team and entire agency, affecting morale.

3 Supervisors should institute periodic check-ins for situations where SWPs are
having to manage crisis on a prolonged basis or encountering multiple crises in their
cases. Failure on the part of the SWP to manage or cope can lead to burnout,
compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. (Please see Chapter 8 Reflective Practice
and Supervision for more discussion on this).

Conducting a debrief for staff

4 A debrief is conducted following psychologically traumatic events, such as a

crisis, receiving news of an unexpected death of client, or receiving threats from
clients.
Purpose:
• To let SWPs express feelings about the crisis/ incident they have witnessed
or experienced;
• To acknowledge and normalise feelings expressed by the SWPs;
• To identify post trauma symptoms and impacts of vicarious trauma on the
staff;
• To identify SWPs who may need follow-up support;
• To provide information on positive coping and stress management and the
normal psycho/ physiological response to acutely stressful situations; and
• To identify areas of management that may need to be enhanced to prevent a
recurrence, where relevant, or to provide better support for SWPs in future
situations.

5
5 Debriefing should ideally involve all the persons involved in the incident. It
should be conducted within hours of the trauma event, as much as possible. However,
there is also a need to respect the decision of individuals who may not want to attend.
For such SWPs, the supervisor could follow up individually with them to understand
why they may not want to be part of the debriefing session and attend to the impacts
of the trauma event on them separately.

6 The debriefing session should be held in a comfortable setting where SWPs

feel safe to share. The persons who conduct the debrief should be trained in crisis
intervention or be skilled to facilitate the debrief process.
There are seven stages of debriefing:
i. Introduction – to explain process and set expectations of the session
ii. Fact Phase – to describe traumatic event from each SWP’s perspective at
a cognitive level
iii. Thought Phase – to allow participants to describe cognitive reactions and to
transition to emotional reactions
iv. Reaction Phase – to identify the most traumatic aspect of the event for the
participants and identify emotional reactions
v. Reflection Phase – to help those involved to tie in the facts, thoughts
feelings and the meaning they make of the incident
vi. Education Phase – to educate the affected SWP/s on normal reactions and
adaptive coping mechanisms. This is also to explore follow-ups needed and
changes that may need to be implemented
vii. Re-entry Phase – to allow the affected SWP/s to clarify any ambiguities and
prepare for closure of the incident

6
NOTES
NOTES
Chapter 7 MANAGEMENT OF CASES WITH SUICIDAL OR SELF
INJURY INTENT

A Cases with Suicidal or Self Injury Intent

1 Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one’s death. A suicidal attempt
involves a person attempting to commit suicide but survives. Non-suicidal self-injury
is often used by an individual as a way to try to regulate emotional pain or sooth oneself
but not as a means to end one’s life. Because the behaviours can look similar, it can
be very difficult to tell the difference between them. In general, non-suicidal self-injury
is a behaviour undertaken to feel better or to cope whereas suicidal behaviours are
undertaken to end the capacity to feel by ending one’s life. Although unintentional
death can occur with non-suicidal self-injury, it is not common.1

2 FSCs may be involved in cases where an individual has expressed an intent to

commit self-injury or commit suicide. SWPs will then in such cases, provide direct
interventions to ensure the safety of the individual and reduce the possibility of the
individual attempting to take his/ her own lives and/ or engage in self-injury. SWPs
should not undertake the management of such cases alone and should always be in
consultation with their supervisor on the decisions and actions to be taken.

B Principles in Managing Cases with Suicidal Intent or Non-suicidal Self-

Injury

1 The principles of management include:

• Protection of life should be the SWPs’ priority over other non-life threatening
issues presented by individuals.
• An early assessment of non-suicidal self-injury or suicide needs to be
conducted once SWPs identify or is alerted to the individual’s risk for suicide or
self-injury.
• Suicide intent and non-suicidal self-injury should be assessed periodically and
on an on-going basis.
• Cases should be assessed and managed jointly with significant others of the
individual who is at risk and other stakeholders, where appropriate, so that a
community is involved in keeping the individual safe.

1Reference: Silverman, M.M. Berman, A.L. Sanddal N.D. O’carroll P.W., Joiner, T.E. (2007); Rebuilding
the Tower of Babel: A Revised Nomenclature for the Study of Suicide and Suicidal Behaviours Part 2:
Suicidal-Related Ideations, Communications and Behaviours Suicide Life Threatening Behaviour, Vol
37 (3): 264-77.

1
C Conducting a Suicide/ Non-suicidal Self-injury Assessment

1 Screening for suicidal or non-suicidal self-injury intent can be performed by

trained individuals (i.e. those who have undergone crisis management training, suicide
assessment training, mental health first aid training or other related training). The
objective of the screening is to ascertain the presence of suicidal intent or non-suicidal
self-injury and the current levels of risk, develop a safety plan and make appropriate
referrals to the relevant parties. Further interventions, such as developing a
comprehensive mental health assessment, can be conducted by trained mental health
professionals (e.g. mental health trained social workers, counsellors, psychologists or
psychiatrists) in collaboration with the community partners.

2 A suicide and non-suicidal self-injury assessment needs to be conducted once

the SWPs identify or is alerted to the individual’s risk for suicide or self-injury. This
could arise when:
• an individual verbalises their intent to SWPs;
• a member of the family or other professionals alert SWPs to the individual’s
intent or past history of suicidal or self-injury attempts;
• SWPs noted injuries on the individual that had been a result of the individual’s
past suicide attempts or self-injury.

3 An assessment should also be conducted when an individual is experiencing

challenges in his/ her life circumstances, although he/ she may not have verbalised
any intent to harm himself/ herself. SWPs make efforts to directly enquire on the
individual’s methods of coping and ascertain the presence of any suicidal or self-injury
intentions that the individual may have. This is especially when the individual:
• displays mood changes
• has past episodes of suicidal attempts or ideation
• has ever verbalised the intent to die
• has a mental health condition
• faces issues that may have caused significant distress to the individual (e.g.
illnesses, legal issues, marital disputes, family conflict and violence, bullying,
gender issues etc.)
• is socially isolated or lacks social support

4 Regardless of the approach taken by SWPs, a suicide attempt/ self injury

assessment should include an understanding of the following:
• The ‘why, when, what, who and how’ behind episodes of suicide attempts and
self-injury
o ‘why’ requires an understanding of the triggers and functions of the
behaviour as well as other existing factors (e.g. mental health, personality
and outlook in life) leading to the suicidal ideation/ act or self-injury

2
 o ‘when’ refers to the time and date when the suicidal thoughts or act or self-
injury occurs and its frequency of occurrence
o ‘what’ refers to what the individual does to put himself/ herself at risk of
harm, the methods used and the individual’s perception about the act
o ‘who’ refers to persons involved in supporting the individual with the
necessary psycho-emotional support, such as a protective figure or a
person whom the individual could turn to for help; ‘who’ can also be
individuals involved who triggered the suicidal thoughts, attempts or self-
injurious behaviours
o ‘how’ refers to how a suicide plan/ self-injury is carried out, the intensity and
seriousness of the thought/ act, how the individual copes and how
committed they are in keeping themselves safe in the near future

• Intent of the act - The intent can be explicit or implicit. When a person engages
in a suicidal attempt or self-injury, the intent behind the attempt or act should
be assessed. An act with a clear death intent would warrant a closer follow-up
with the person and more stakeholders to be involved to support the person.
However, a non-suicidal self-injurious act with no intent of dying can be equally
life-endangering.

• Mental health or psychiatric care - Suicidal attempts and self-injury behaviours

have a close relationship with depression and other mental health conditions
such as schizophrenia. SWPs should understand the mental health history of
an individual. It is also important to note that the individual may not have been
officially diagnosed with a mental health condition but may be demonstrating
symptoms of the condition.

• Rational thinking capability - When a person is in high distress, judgement and

insight into one’s thinking and behaviours can be compromised. SWPs assess
the individual’s ability to make rational decisions for themselves and keep
themselves safe (e.g. the individual may appear to be fixated in carrying out his/
her plan of suicide or self-injury when discussing issues with the SWP)

• Use of alcohol or substance - Alcohol and substance use compromises the

individual’s rational thinking and increases the risk.

• Social support and coping strategies - The availability and support from family
members and other community partners could enhance the safety of the
individual. An individual with limited support would be at a higher risk of suicide
or self harm.

• Sense of hopelessness and helplessness - The individual’s general outlook in

life and their perspective towards their future is ascertained. Another related
area for assessment is the individual’s sense of helplessness, which signals
how the individual views the support given to them.

3
Note: SWPs should document clearly should they have certain information missing or
when the individual has refused to divulge information.

Defining risk level

5 There is no universal definition on risk levels in cases of individuals at risk of

suicide or self-injury. A combination of factors, which include factors giving rise to the
thought or act of self-injury or suicide, as well as factors protecting an individual from
self-injury or suicide, should be taken into account when considering the risk level
involved.

6 The following provides a broad classification of risk levels. Risk levels can
escalate quickly when situations change. Regular monitoring of such cases is
therefore of critical importance. In the event that the SWP uses instruments (e.g.
Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory, Suicide Risk Screening Tools) to gauge risk levels
and the recommended risk level from the tool differs from the SWP’s professional
opinion, a discussion should be held between SWP and his/ her supervisor to jointly
decide on the risk level.

i. High risk scenario

A ‘high’ risk scenario involves serious intent of death or serious injury by the individual.
This is characterised by:
Presence of suicide / self-injury plan

• having a detailed plan and access to highly lethal means (e.g. where an
individual indicates that he/ she has access to high dosage of medicine that he/
she would use to harm him/ herself)
• verbalised intent of self-injury and suicide by the individual with plans on how
the act would be carried out
• intense self-injury or suicide intent
• having a subjective intent (e.g. where the individual has indicated that they
would engage in suicide or self-injurious behaviours should they face a
particular situation)

Past self-injury/ suicide history

• serious past suicidal attempts or serious injuries due to previous incidents of
self-injurious behaviours

4
Presence of triggers/ stressors
• the individual is in extreme distress and has poor coping strategies
• recent losses or stressors and response towards stressor
• upcoming or impending date or event where the individual is likely to be
triggered and engage in self injury/ suicidal behaviours (e.g. death anniversary
of a loved one)

Presence of factors that aggravate risk level

• presence of multiple risk factors
• substance use, abuse or psychiatric history (especially schizophrenia,
depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, personality disorders)
• individual having impaired self-control (e.g. displaying reckless behaviour)

Limited protective factors

• individuals with very limited protective factors identified (e.g. where the
individual may have very limited social support for help or the individual is very
unwilling to seek help).

ii. Intermediate risk scenario

It involves incidents with no serious intent of death or serious injury by the individual.
This is characterised by:

• Frequent or chronic suicidal or self-injury ideations;

• non-life threatening act with limited intensity and duration;
• ambivalence to continue living but there is no immediate risk involved (e.g. a
person harbours thoughts of self-injury or suicide but at the same time,
expresses hope for the future);
• some risk factors present with identifiable protective factors; and/ or
• acts that would not warrant immediate interventions.

iii. Low risk scenario

A ‘low’ risk scenario is one where the individual has no intent of death and there are a
number of protective factors, such as the individual having self-control (e.g. an
individual makes a remark of dying or hurting himself with no other risk factors present,
has a good level of self-control and social support). This is characterised by:

• having self-injury/ suicidal ideation infrequently (e.g. having a passing thought

to do so once in a number of years) OR no prior incidents of suicide attempt or
serious self-injury;
• no intention of dying and no other risk factors present;

5
 • good self-control;
• absence of psychiatric disorders;
• a supportive social environment; and/ or
• verbalised intent of suicide/ self-harm with no plans on how the acts would be
carried out.

D Conducting Interventions
1 In accordance to social work ethics, the protection of life takes precedence over
other social interventions. The consideration on the choice of intervention and plan of
action should therefore prioritise the need to safeguard the client’s life.

2 A priority for the SWP would be to develop interventions to attend to the suicide
intent or self-injury concerns. The intervention should be provided immediately for
cases assessed to be of high risk. A safety plan should be developed together with
the individual who is at risk and, as much as possible, with their significant others to
help mitigate the risk. This plan would include ways in which to keep the individual
safe, alert the individual’s significant others on the risks present and link the individual
with other professionals or stakeholders to provide the needed support.

3 An intervention may involve crisis intervention, safety planning and safety

monitoring:
i. Crisis intervention (Please refer to Chapter 6 Crisis Management for more
details)
This refers to the immediate response that has to be undertaken when a suicidal
attempt or an incident of self-injury occurs. As soon as an SWP is aware of an
individual’s intent to attempt suicide or commit self-injury on themselves, the
SWP should make the effort to contact the individual, family members and/ or
significant others to stop the escalation of harm.

If the risk is imminent and an immediate referral for psychiatric services is

required, the family of the client should be notified and the client should be
escorted to the Emergency Room of Institute of Mental Health (IMH) or the
Accidents and Emergency (A&E) departments of other restructured hospitals. If
the client is highly resistant or unreceptive to aid, an ambulance can be called.

In a crisis, SWPs may provide a note to the hospital emergency department

providing details about the client, i.e. the client’s name and identification number,
contact number of their next of kin and current known stressors, as well as the
FSC’s interventions and plans. Where possible, FSC should use the FSC’s
interagency referral form to make a referral to the hospital.

Additionally, should further support services be required, the following

information could be included:
• Client’s consent to the referral and reasons for the lack of consent if this was
refused

6
 • SWP’s assessment of the risk which includes:
o Presenting problems e.g. psychiatric, social, financial
o Severity of the concern e.g. extent and frequency
o Urgency i.e. whether the individual poses an imminent danger to self/
others
o Type of risk behaviour e.g. suicidal, aggressive to self/ others

ii. Safety planning

A safety plan involves a collaborative process undertaken with the individual,

their family and their community network to promote safety for the individual in
the short and long term. Safety planning should form part of the overall case
plan.

A safety plan may include the following:

• The individual at-risk is aware of what the individual should and should not
do when in distress –
o understands measures to be taken to calm himself/ herself (e.g.
contacting family members, friends, a hotline);
o reminds himself/ herself on reasons for living or not engaging in self
harm or suicidal thoughts, and gets help;
o reduces access to means of committing suicide or self-injury.
• Family members are alerted to –
o the warning signs of the individual’s suicide and self-injury;
o the non-negotiables (e.g. challenging the individual to take his/ her life,
leaving the individual alone unattended especially when they are in high
risk of harm);
o ways of keeping the environment safe for the individual (e.g. removing
objects that can be used to conduct self-injury);
o look into ways to enhance protective factors for the individual (e.g. fixing
an appointment for the individual with a helping professional); and
o provide support for the individual.

• Linking up the individual and/ or family members for other support services
(e.g. referring the individual to seek mental health treatment in a hospital).
Where possible, SWPs should obtain consent before making referrals to
other agencies for other services. However, if the SWPs assess that the
individual or family members are unlikely to keep the individual safe,
referral without consent can be considered, (e.g. if the individual
behaviours threaten his/ her or others’ safety or the method used in
conducting the self-injurious / suicide attempt was life threatening).

7
 IMPORTANT TO NOTE
A ‘no self harm’ or a ‘no suicide’ contract with an at-risk individual is not
sufficient as a safety plan. SWPs should, as much as possible, work in
collaboration with family members and other stakeholders who may be in the
position to support them, even if the individual who is at risk does not provide
the consent to contact other parties. The individual’s refusal for other parties
to be involved may indicate the person to be at a higher risk of possible harm.
SWPs have to be careful in not formulating assessments of the individual’s
safety based on the individual’s self reports alone, as they may not be
providing an accurate picture of their current circumstance.

iii. Safety monitoring

A safety monitoring plan is as important as a safety plan. The following is strongly
recommended:
• On-going assessments and check in sessions with client (at least once a
week especially in the initial period of safety monitoring) to monitor risk
factors and warning signs

• Obtain regular updates and check in with family members and

stakeholders (at least once a week esp in the initial period) on the
individual’s well-being and circumstance, presence of warning signs
displayed by the individual and occurrence of thoughts/ act of self-injury
or suicidal attempts.

• Conduct a regular case review, especially when there are changes to the
individual and/ or family’s situation. More frequent reviews should be
conducted with a supervisor especially for ‘intermediate’ to ‘high’ risk
cases

• Discuss with supervisor and stakeholders the areas of support for the
individual at risk, that needs to be strengthened.

The above guidelines can be moderated if there are other professional

stakeholders jointly and actively managing the case/ monitoring the
individual’s risk, and all the parties involved are clear about their roles in
ensuring the client’s safety. There should also be regular updates between the
various stakeholders and the client’s family members on the client’s progress
and levels of risk.

8
E Management of Cases Where Client Has Passed Away Due to Suicide or
Self-injury

Support for the family

1 In the event that a client has passed away due to suicide or self-injury, SWPs
assess the family’s coping, provide support to the bereaved family and follow up for a
period of time to help the family grieve and manage any outstanding matters that may
have arose from the individual’s death (e.g. financial support, care arrangement of
other members etc.). SWPs could also conduct an assessment on how the family
members have been impacted by the death and refer them for other support, where
required. It is important for the bereaved family to be given the space to grief and
cope and be informed of available help

Support for the SWP

2 The sudden death of a client from suicidal or self-injury can have a significant
impact on the SWP concerned. Experiencing the death of a client can lead to feelings
of guilt, anger, sadness and fear of being blamed, burnout and compassion fatigue in
the SWP.

3 When dealing with the loss, SWPs would need help and support in coping. At
a personal level, support can come from family members and friends. SWPs should
be given the space to express their emotions related to the loss, time off from work,
support from a group and time for self-care, where needed. SWPs may opt to attend
the funeral of the client and meet with the client’s family should they give consent for
SWPs to do so.

4 The agency conducts a debrief with SWPs and his/ her supervisor to provide
them with the appropriate support.

Agency review

5 The agency reviews their protocols and procedures in managing suicide or

self-injury cases (e.g. the need to enhance risk assessments and safety planning). A
debrief is conducted by the agency to understand the circumstances of the case and
analyse the need to strengthen case management procedures should this be needed.

9
NOTES
NOTES
NOTES
Chapter 8 REFLECTIVE PRACTICE AND SUPERVISION

A Reflective Practice

1 Reflective practice requires one to pause and take stock of the actions and
decisions that they are making, in order to learn from their experiences. Boud, Keogh
& Walker (1985) considered reflective practice as ‘an important human activity in which
people recapture their experience, think about it, mull over and evaluate it. It is this
working with experiences that is important in learning.’

2 Reflective practice focusses on professional practice and helps the agency

ensure ethical practice by helping the SWP explore basic assumptions underpinning
their work and making them more conscious of potential biases in their thinking. It is
a key aspect in ensuring professionalism and can then lead to better social work
practice and improve outcomes for the service users. Agencies enable reflective
practice by providing their SWPs with the support, time and availability of resources.

3 Reflective practice need not be limited to just within the FSC but can include
service users, stakeholders and other relevant systems who could provide feedback
to enhance the learning.

B Developing Reflective Practice in FSCs

1 The conduct of reflective practice has to be cultivated in an FSC and this can
be done through:
• Building a culture of learning – Reflective practice requires time and effort to
develop. Agencies provide the space and culture for their SWPs to explore,
develop, reflect and at times make mistakes as part of the learning process.
• Establishing a structure for reflective practice – Reflective practice can be built
into case reviews, supervision, programme development and organisational
planning.
• Developing a model for reflective practice – There are various models of
reflective practice. The FSC considers different models of reflective practice
and develops one that best fit their organisation and style of working for
implementation. Having a model for reflective practice will enable a better
articulation of how reflective practice is undertaken within the agency.

1
C Supervision

1 Supervision, training and ongoing long-term professional development of the

SWP is a means to enhance professional competency which in turn leads to quality
service delivery. All FSCs should have a written policy on supervision which clarifies
what is expected of the SWP and the agency. While SWPs should be committed to
lifelong learning and proactively seek supervision, the FSC needs to ensure adequate
provision of supervision and where resources are not available internally, seek
external resources to meet the supervision requirements.

2 Supervision is a dynamic social process where the Supervisor facilitates

discussion, guidance and support to supervisee(s). Supervision primarily ensures that
quality professional service is rendered within the organisation’s objectives for the
protection of clients’ best interests and provision of quality outcomes.

Functions of supervision

3 Supervision serves 3 main functions:

i. Educational function
It focuses on the development of the SWPs’ competency and confidence by
enhancing their practice knowledge, skills and attitudes.
ii. Supportive function
It provides a space for SWPs to work through emotions and reactions
towards their work and help SWPs attain better self-care.
iii. Administrative function
It has a managerial function to ensure organisational accountability, by
ensuring service quality is met, and ethical practice. Performance appraisal,
however, should not be the main goal of supervision.

Principles of supervision

4 Supervisors should uphold and be guided by the principles of ethics set out
by the different professional bodies such as the Singapore Association of Social
Workers (SASW) Code of Ethics.

5 Supervisors ensure the following:

• Respect for diversity
FSCs consist of staff from different backgrounds. Their perspective and
approach on issues may vary and Supervisors are to be sensitive and respectful
of these differences.

2
 • Social Justice
Supervisors should advocate and mediate for their supervisees, where this is
necessary. Such situations would be necessary especially when there are
differences between the agency’s actions and professional ethics or differences
between the supervisee and the organisation.
• Protecting client and vulnerable family members
Supervision should be used as a platform to discuss and review the concerns
that exist in a case, especially when faced with risk related concerns or complex
social issues.
• Adopting a person-in-environment perspective
Supervision should ensure that SWPs take an ecosystem perspective in
assessment and intervention where the client’s family system and other
stakeholders are involved in the helping process.

Supervision ethics

6 Social work Supervisors and supervisees may face ethical dilemmas when
providing services to clients. To address those dilemmas, the Supervisor and the
supervisee should have a good knowledge of the code of ethics that guides their
practice with clients as well as their supervisory relationship.
• Supervisors need to be aware of their own levels of competency, strength and
limitations. They should have the necessary knowledge and skill to supervise
or provide consults and do so only within their areas of knowledge and
competence. Should they not have the necessary expertise to support the
supervisee in a particular area of work, they could engage the help of other
Supervisors.
• Supervisors are responsible in setting clear, appropriate, culturally sensitive
and professional boundaries and be mindful of the power imbalance that exist
between them and their supervisees.
• Supervisors should notify their management should the supervisee discloses
an intent of possibly harming themselves or others, and have the matter
handled appropriately.
• Supervisors evaluate supervisees’ performance fairly and respectfully. They
should not use information disclosed during the supervision process to
penalise the supervisee in the appraisal process.
(Social Work Supervision Guidelines, 2017)

3
 Types of supervision

7 There are various types of supervision:

• Managerial Supervision
This type of supervision focuses on the supervisee’s roles and tasks within the
organisation. The Supervisor is likely to be the line manager of the supervisee
and the relationship can be characterised as manager-subordinate. The area
covered during supervision may be administrative in nature.
• Clinical Supervision
This type of supervision focuses on the supervisee’s work with the client, which
supports the use of professional knowledge and skills in the conduct of
casework and counselling. Clinical supervision tends to be more process and
relationship oriented as it focuses on helping the supervisee clarify thinking
about the case, the self of the SWP and how these impact on their work with
the clients.
• Professional Supervision
This type of supervision focuses on the professional development of the staff.
This involves the Supervisor and the supervisee exploring training gaps and
identifying appropriate areas of growth for the supervisee’s career.

8 The provision of individual supervision might be the most common mode of

supervision in the FSC. However, other modes of supervision such as group, team or
peer could also be used to support the SWP’s growth and learning. The three types
of group supervision described below meet the functions of supervision but the
particular tasks and format differ slightly in each:
• Team Supervision
A team can be an identified as a small work unit with a team leader. In the
FSC’s setting, the people working together on a programme or headed by the
same Supervisor may be in a team. There may also be smaller teams who are
working together in managing the same case.

The Supervisor/ team manager may decide that team supervision would be
helpful to facilitate learning in the team and in meeting the team’s goals to
work effectively with clients. The Supervisor would be responsible for
planning the team supervision, establishing its structure and boundaries and
in facilitating its process. This might be done in consultation with team
members and to include rotation in tasks such as chairing and minute taking.
Team supervision is more process focused than staff meetings and has a
managerial and educational aim.

4
 Team supervision shouId not repIace individuaI supervision. To run a
successfuI team supervision, a Supervisor needs to be cIear on what shouId
be covered in the team supervision and what beIongs in individuaI
supervision. The Supervisor aIso is trained in group dynamics/ group work
and understands the impact of their roIe and their individuaI reIationships with
members of the team.

• Group Supervision
This has some simiIarities with team supervision and requires simiIar
understanding of group dynamics. Where it differs is in the pIanning, content
of the sessions and the extent the Supervisor heIps the group to share
responsibiIity in the supervisory process.

Group members tend to have a strong sense of ownership to the group

and usuaIIy wish to controI its’ boundaries and membership - though groups
can take in new members, with carefuI pIanning, as they mature. Groups
wishing to introduce group supervision need to make conscious decisions to
examine the practice and professionaI deveIopment of their members and set
the ruIes and process of the group for themseIves. Supervisors can be
faciIitators for the group or can take on other roIes with agreement by the
group members.

Group supervision can be a very usefuI tooI in deveIoping the skiIIs of group
members. However, knowIedge of group dynamics and group work methods
are important for this process to take pIace.

• Peer Supervision
In peer supervision, workers with simiIar IeveIs of experience and work
areas get together to discuss both practice and personaI deveIopment issues.
This tends to work best for SWPs or Supervisors who are more experienced
and deveIoped in their practice capabiIities. Sharing practice and professionaI
concerns to peers may cause anxiety in the SWPs, making them defensive and
unwiIIing to receive the comments and suggestions given. Peer supervision
groups comprising Iess experienced workers may require the services of a
consuItant to heIp faciIitate the group and keep it on track.

External consultation

9 FSCs may opt to engage an externaI consuItant to provide either individuaI or

team supervision to the SWPs. This may be needed shouId the agency Iack suitabIe
Supervisors especiaIIy for senior staff. In such instances, the agency is responsibIe
for the payment of these services.

5
10 SWPs may at their own initiative engage an external consultant to meet their
personal professional growth or accreditation requirements. This may fall outside of
the agency’s purview but involve discussions regarding the agency's client. As such,
it would be important for each FSC to develop relevant policies to guide their staff on
this – providing clarity on the possible qualifications of the consultant engaged,
confidentiality requirements and accountability issues.

D The Supervisory Relationship

1 The supervisory relationship is the core in a supervision process. In some

aspects, it parallels the relationship SWPs has with the client. However, the
supervisee is NOT a client of the Supervisor. The supervisory relationship is
characterised by:
• Respect – Both the Supervisor and the supervisees are fellow professionals
with their own rights and perspectives. Just as respect is a key value to uphold
in our work with the clients, the Supervisor models this by demonstrating
respect to the supervisee in their relationship.
• Uniqueness – Each supervisee has different competencies, personality and
learning style. The Supervisors take into consideration the uniqueness of each
individual and tailor their supervision to the individual and their learning style
where possible.
• Collaboration – Supervisors are usually at a higher position of power vis a vis
the supervisee. The Supervisor is then expected to have the required levels of
competency and knowledge to provide guidance. Collaboration between the
Supervisor and the supervisee is enabled when the Supervisor takes on a
position of ‘authoritative doubt’ (Mason, 2005), offering the supervisee
possibilities and expanding their ideas.
• Positive Affirmation – Learning is enriched from a position of strength. The
supervisee needs to experience a positive supervision experience to enable
learning to take place. The Supervisor would need to uncover the strength of
the supervisee, communicate observations tactfully and be conscious on
having and providing a positive perspective.
• Reflexivity – Reflective practice and reflexivity facilitates growth and learning.
The Supervisor should also model this by having their supervision practice
observed.
• Confidentiality – In the supervisory relationship, trust must be built and
maintaining confidentiality is an essential component to building this trust. This
clause on confidentiality, however, is conditional and could be breached should
the safety and interest of the client or the supervisee be at risk. Supervisors
are obligated to report and address the concerns shared.

6
 • Growth – The relationship needs to be angled from the perspective of
professional growth of the supervisee. The fundamental purpose of supervision
is to enable the provision of better service quality for the service users.

2 A Supervisor’s guidance is critical in helping supervisees shape their

professional practice and identity. Their roles and responsibilities may include the
following:
• The Supervisor needs to ensure their availability in supporting the supervisee.
When the Supervisor is not available for the supervisee, the supervisee is clear
on the next person they could approach for support and guidance.
• The Supervisor creates an environment of safety to enable the supervisee to
share and learn in an open manner. As learning is most effective in the style
preferred by the learner, the Supervisor has to adapt to the various styles of
learning and adjust accordingly. Supervisors may also make reference to the
Kolb’s Learning Cycle, to understand the different learning styles of their
supervisees.
• Both the Supervisor and the supervisee should have the option of requesting
for a change in the person providing the supervisory role, should they assess
that the current match is not a suitable one.
• It is the responsibility of the Supervisor to ensure that the supervisee maintains
professional standard and ethics in their work.
• The Supervisor and supervisee establish a clear boundary in the supervisory
relationship.
• The Supervisor helps the supervisee to maintain an appropriate workload in
terms of managing cases and other roles they may play in the agency. The
Supervisor supports the supervisee in ensuring that the latter’s time is well
managed with a good balance maintained between work and training.
• The Supervisor will guide the supervisee in translating theories to practice,
connecting the latter to appropriate resources and coaching on practice
methods, approaches and skills relevant for the supervisee’s professional
growth.
• The Supervisor regularly provides feedback and review the work of the
supervisee in a constructive and formative way focusing on the supervisee’s
professional development so as to better serve the clients.

Reflective practice in supervision

3 There are various types of reflective practice that is conducted in supervision:

• Reflection-on-action

7
 • Reflection-in-action
• Reflection before action

In each of these, the SWPs are guided in reflecting on their emotions, responses and
actions as they conduct their practice. This is either conducted after the practice has
taken place (reflection-on-action), as the practice is taking place (reflection-in-action)
or prior to the practice taking place. It enables the SWPs to be alert and very self-
aware of the responses they developed in facing situations posed by the clients, and
pre-empt their future responses to ensure that they are appropriate.

4 The following consists of the process involved in reflective practice and how a
Supervisor may transfer learning.

LEARNING
REVIEW REFLEcT LEARN
TRANsFER

How do l assess What have l

What am l How will l apply
what l am learnt from
paying attention my learning into
paying attention undertaking
to in the case? practice?
to? practice this way?

Why am l What challenges

What might l Why is this learning
assessing the will l face
not be paying relevant to my
information this transferring my
attention to? practice? What are
way? learning into
the implications for practice?
me as a worker and
Why am l paying What might be for the client?
attention to other ways of How will l know
these things? assessing & What are the sources my learning has
interpreting the of knowledge which been applied in
information? facilitates my learning practice − what
What indicators am l
− what else do l need
knowledge looking for?
What to know?
sources am l
using? knowledge
sources am l What theoretical
knowledge What
using? theoretical
What theoretical supports my
learning? knowledge will
knowledge tells support my
me this is What theoretical learning into
important? knowledge tells practice?
me this is
important?

Competency of the Supervisor

5 FSCs should match the knowledge and skills required by the supervisee with
that of the Supervisor’s. Supervisors may not possess the expertise in all practice
related areas. There may be situations where cross supervision is needed or an
external Supervisor is brought in to provide additional support.

8
6 Supervisors should receive sufficient orientation and training before they are
tasked to supervise others. It is also the responsibility of the Supervisor to continually
upgrade their skills and knowledge, to enable them to fulfil the demands of their role
as a Supervisor.

Supervisor’s workload

7 Agencies need to recognise the important role that Supervisors play in

supporting SWPs’ case management practice. Supervisors should hold a smaller
case/ work load to ensure focus on the provision of supervision. This would enable
them to provide the support to SWPs and help develop the latter’s practice
competency.

Supervisee’s responsibility

8 While a Supervisor plays a vital role in developing professionalism, a

supervisee’s motivation to learn is equally important. The following are roles and
responsibilities of a supervisee:
• Supervisee undertakes supervision proactively as part of their professional
development in an open and willing manner. This includes bringing in any
doubts, uncertainties and questions that they may have into supervision.
• Supervisee prepares for supervision by thinking through their work and having
clear goals to bring into the supervision session.
• Supervisee is aware of their professional accreditation or standards
requirements, agency’s supervision and HR policy and be able to raise
concerns should there be a need.
• Supervisee develops an open, non-defensive stance to discuss issues of self
and concerns related to their work with the clients. This includes having difficult
conversations on disagreements and conflicts they may have with their
Supervisor.
• Supervisee has the responsibility to develop their knowledge and skills in their
work with the clients. This can be achieved through various methods of learning
such as supervision, self-learning through reflections, readings, obtaining
relevant training etc.

E Structure of Supervision

1 FSCs should put in place a policy on the provision of supervision outlining the
structure and expectations in the supervisory process. A supervision structure should
clearly state how supervision is to be carried out for different levels of staff and the
required frequency of supervision.

9
 Staff Level Minimum Supervision Supervisor Level
Requirement
Social Work Weekly supervision Social Worker with 3 years or
Practitioner 6 hours per month more years in the position
0-1 year
Social Work Twice a month Senior Social Work Practitioner
Practitioner 4 hours per month
1-3 years
Social Work Once a month Senior Social Work Practitioner
Practitioner 3 hours per month with 5 years or more years in
3-5 years and the position
above
Senior Social Once a month Senior Social Worker with 8
Work Practitioner 3 hours per month years and above in the position
or
Lead Social Worker
Lead Social Work Once a month Master Social Worker
Practitioner 3 hours per month External clinical consultant

Supervision contract

2 The main purpose of the supervision contract is to outline the responsibilities of

each participant and setting the goals of learning as well as the methods that will be
undertaken to facilitate the learning.

3 The process of creating a supervision contract promotes genuine collaboration

when both parties are able to openly discuss their expectations and make explicit the
terms of agreement. The supervision contract is then reviewed regularly to ensure
that the learning goals are being met or amended to meet changing needs. A revised
contract can be drawn up to meet the changing needs of the supervisee.

4 Components in Supervision Contract

• Goals of supervision
• Ground rules in the supervision relationship
• Logistic and structural issues such as frequency, type, methods,
documentation in the supervision sessions
• Review and evaluative procedures

Documentation of supervision

5 Each supervisory session is documented. Documentation on each

supervision sessions should be properly kept and be accessible to the Supervisor,

10
supervisee and the head of the agency. Documentation on clinical supervision
sessions pertaining to the supervisee should be kept separate from documentation of
casework supervision specific to a case. The latter should be kept in the case file.
This allows for a quick retrieval of information on how supervisory decision on the case
was made.

6 Social work regulatory boards may request for documentation of the

supervision received when supervisees apply for accreditation.

7 Recommended supervision related documents to be kept include:

• Supervision Contract
• Supervision Recording
• Supervision Log
• Supervision Evaluation Form

F Supervision with a Risk Lens

1 In the FSC setting, SWPs manage a range or types of cases. Some of these
cases involve the management of risk and safety concerns within the family (e.g.
suicide, family violence, abuse). Apart from needing to support the SWPs in ensuring
their emotional and professional resilience to face the challenges of such cases,
supervision is also a means of ensuring that the SWPs remain alert to the risk and
safety concerns that exist or are imminent, and that these risk and safety concerns are
being attended to. Supervision therefore helps to ensure the safety of the clients
involved.

2 In other to do this, however, Supervisors have to be trained on issues of

managing risk and safety concerns and be alert to such concerns themselves.

Professional dangerousness

3 Professional dangerousness is the process by which individual SWPs or

multidisciplinary networks can, act in such a way as to collude with, maintain or
increase the dangerous dynamics of the family in which abuse takes place (Reder,
Duncan & Gray, 1993, 1999).

4 Clients and families may show various forms of resistance whilst working with
the SWP. Some of these forms of resistance include the show of:
• Hostility
• Passive aggressiveness
• Passive helplessness

11
 • Challenging/ Chaotic behaviours

Hostage syndrome

5 As a result of the hostile resistance shown by the client and families, SWPs
may demonstrate ‘hostage syndrome’ where SWPs become compliant with the abuser
with the view that this will reduce the threat and stress to the SWP. This would
reinforce the positive attributes of the person who is being hostile and abusive - in that
the person had the ability to harm the SWP but did not do so. This then gives the
abusive person considerable control over the situation (Stanley and Goddard, 2002).

6 These are the possible reasons for which an SWP may demonstrate hostage
syndrome:
• Fear
• Own unresolved childhood experiences
• Personal history of physical abuse
• Perceiving and over identifying with the client as the ‘underdog’
• Professional pressure not to admit fear of client
(Stanley & Goddard, 1993)

7 The following are signs of a hostage syndrome:

• Avoiding clients or avoiding confrontation with the family
• Seeing only one of the caregivers
• Early termination of a case
• Denial or minimising severity of the situation, rationalising the abuser’s
behaviour or the child’s and other vulnerable members’ injuries
• Unfounded optimism about changes being achieved
• Underestimating the level of violence in the family
• Return of children or other vulnerable members to households where violence
still exists
• Denial of own feelings of being scared or threatened

Common decision making errors

8 Another form of professional dangerousness is when SWPs formulate decision

making errors in their case practice. The following list is not exhaustive and are
examples of these decision making errors:

12
 • Being biased – the SWP is biased towards certain groups of clientele due to
their own personal issues and history.
• Focus on recent memorable events rather than patterns of behaviour – the
SWP focusses on the latest positive change that the client has demonstrated
without considering past patterns of behaviour where these positive changes
tended to be short-lived. The SWPs should identify and study patterns that
exist and monitor positive successes over a period of time.
• Rule of optimism – the SWPs is overly optimistic on the client’s progress and
looks only at the positive or successful behaviors of the clients, ignoring the
negative behaviours as evidence or justification to support their decisions. The
SWPs should analyse cases taking into consideration both positive and
negative experiences with the clients.
• Uncritical of new information that supports own view but critical of information
that goes against the SWP’s views – this is similar to the point above where the
SWP only looks for evidence that supports their own view of the client and the
client’s situation.

9 Supervision, through the processes of reflective practice, enables the

Supervisor to identify the responses being made by the SWPs and correct/ apprehend
any professional dangerousness that may be taking place. It brings to the fore the
responses and emotions of the SWPs, facilitating discussions around this.

G Self Care

1 SWPs have a professional obligation to ensure self-care in order to ensure the

continued provision of quality services to the clients. It also forms an important step
in retaining valued professionals and helping practitioners maintain their commitment
to the profession.

2 Agencies need to develop self-care strategies/ plans that would help buffer the
SWPs against the unwanted impact of the work they do. There should be an ongoing
consistent effort to help support and sustain the SWPs before the negative impacts
are being felt.

Recognising the signs and symptoms

3 Recognising the signs and symptoms forms the next crucial step in addressing
the adverse signs and symptoms often associated with the helping profession.

i. Burnout

Burnout is a term frequently used to describe a state of emotional, mental, and

physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress when SWPs feel

13
 overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands. Burnout damages the SWPs’
ability to empathise and function in the helping relationship and tends to occur when
SWPs exhaust themselves both physically and emotionally through overwork and
lack of proper self-care. Common symptoms of burnout include, but are not limited
to:
• Anxiety
• Increased frequency of illness due to depleted immunity
• Depressive symptoms
• Irritability or outbursts of anger
• Loss of appetite
• Insomnia or sleep disturbances
• Physiological symptoms such as headaches, chest pain, shortness of breath or
gastrointestinal pain
• Loss of enjoyment and motivation to work which may extend to other areas of
the person’s life
• Increased absenteeism
• Withdrawal from socialising
• Sense of detachment or disconnectedness from others and the environment
• Sense of apathy and hopelessness
• Deteriorating work performance and productivity

ii. Secondary traumatic stress/ compassion fatigue

Secondary traumatic stress, most commonly associated with compassion fatigue, is a

prolonged experience of behaviours and emotions that arise from knowing about a
traumatising event experienced by others. In addition to the symptoms associated
with burnout, SWPs may also experience changes in memory, reduction in their sense
of efficacy, a depletion of personal resources and disruptions in their perception of
safety, trust, and independence.

iii. Vicarious traumatisation

Vicarious traumatisation occurs when SWPs who were not an immediate witness or
victim of the trauma, absorb and integrate disturbing aspects of the client’s/ victim’s
traumatic experience as if they had experienced it themselves. Research has indicated
that the SWPs with unresolved personal trauma history are vulnerable to vicarious
traumatisation. The SWPs’ worldview and sense of self may be affected as they react
to the client’s experience. Symptoms of vicarious traumatisation are similar to that of
direct trauma but with less intensity. Common symptoms include, but are not limited
to:

14
 • Social withdrawal
• Mood swings
• Heightened sensitivity to violence
• Somatic symptoms
• Disrupted sleeping patterns
• Sexual difficulties
• Difficulties managing boundaries with clients
• Difficulties in relationships
• Self-harming behaviours
• Substance abuse
• Helplessness and powerless

iv. Countertransference

Countertransference occurs when workers ascribe characteristics of significant people

and events in their past to their clients. The client’s emotions, behaviours and issues
may stir up unresolved or suppressed emotions within the SWP who might then
identify too closely with the client and use the relationship to fulfil unmet needs.

Formulating a self-care plan

4 The formulation of a self-care plan is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach. A self-

care plan is a personal process, and crafted based on the SWPs’ unique life history,
stress threshold, coping styles, responses to stressors and challenges, and individual
goals and aspirations. The self-care plan would evolve with the changes surrounding
the SWPs’ professional and personal growth.

5 The objectives commonly noted in self-care plans can include but are not
limited to the following:
• taking care of physical health;
• managing and reducing stress;
• honouring emotional and spiritual needs;
• nurturing relationships; and
• finding work/ life balance

6 Some research has indicated that self-care is part of healing, which is to focus
on obtaining what is needed to survive and energise. Part of self-care is also knowing
when to seek help from others. Receiving help from a trained professional or therapist
not only allows for an alternative perspective, but also assistance in the development
of self-care strategies.

15
7 Regular supervision provides for the identification of ‘blind spots’, guidance and
mentoring on the development of practice knowledge and skills so as to better manage
complex or difficult cases, workload demands and other issues. SWPs can learn to
be aware of their internal processes and bring it up for discussion with their
Supervisors.

8 It is crucial for the Supervisors to pay attention to signs of job stress and
address them with their supervisees. The Supervisors should provide resources to
help supervisees and make outside referrals where necessary. Peer consultation can
be helpful to the Supervisors and the supervisees in such cases.

Self-Care of the Supervisor

9 Being an effective Supervisor requires good self-awareness, where the

Supervisor is conscious of their own needs and responsibility for self-care.

10 Supervisors may feel that their ability to supervise depends on their levels of
effort and expertise, negating their own need to be able to manage and express stress.
They may identify and become overly-involved with their clients’ and supervisees’
experiences, such that they may feel guilty at not being able to help achieve desired
results. T hey may perceive that the agency discourages the i r expression of such
feelings and may fear of being judged as incompetent.

11 The Supervisors need to enable themselves and their supervisees to

recognize stress symptoms and find ways of expressing and dealing with the stress
so that it does not become unbearable leading to increased frustrations and be
covered through secrecy. Support for the Supervisor in terms of group support or
external consultation is needed. Just like their supervisees, Supervisors should receive
regular supervision and consults.

12 A Supervisor who is stressed in her/ his work situation will be unable to support
the supervisees and work through the latter's stress. In turn, this will affect the
supervisee's ability to support clients.

Meeting own needs as a Supervisor

13 The Supervisors need to manage their own needs as a Supervisor through the
following ways:
• Feel a right to require cooperation and work from supervisees.
• Learn to be honest in acknowledging the difficulties that originate within them,
those which originate from the supervisee and those from the agency.
• Provide feedback to the agency and point out if their policies and procedures
(or lack of these) are making the supervisory tasks more difficult.

16
• Participate in support groups inside or outside the agency to share experiences
with others and try out new ideas and approaches in supervision.
• Develop other leisure interests outside of the work sphere. It is helpful to
maintain a work-life balance.
• Learn to recognise feelings of frustration and distress within the self and seek
help from the Supervisor/ consultant/ support group in bringing this into the
open and discussing it.
• Look for training and refresher courses and refreshers in supervisory skills
• Ensure that they, the agency and the supervisees understand and recognise
the supervisory tasks.
• Try not to feel overly responsible for the supervisees. The Supervisors cannot
manage the supervisees’ lives or their work for them. The supervisees are
responsible for themselves.

17
NOTES
NOTES
NOTES
FORMS AND ANNEXES
 HOME VISIT ASSESSMENT FORM

Date / Time of Visit :

Duration :
People Present :
Conducted by :

Physical Condition / Needs

Remarks (if any):
Physical General condition Excellent
condition of of home Good
home Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Concerns noted

Hygiene / Excellent
Cleanliness Good
Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Concerns noted

Appliances & Availability and Excellent

furnishings condition of Good
furniture / Satisfactory
appliances Unsatisfactory
Concerns noted

Safety issues Overall home Excellent

condition. Good
Satisfactory
Indicate if there are Unsatisfactory
possible safety Concerns noted
needs and
concerns to
individual residing
there.
(e.g. sleeping
arrangement, grills
in windows for
family with children,
availability of grab
bars, non-slip
flooring for elderly
etc.)

1
 Social & Emotional Condition / Needs
Remarks (if any):
Living Persons living in Excellent
arrangement the household. Good
Satisfactory
Indicate if there are Unsatisfactory
concerns of Concerns noted
overcrowding or
presence of
unrelated or
possible higher risk
housemates.

Emotional Relationship Positive,

health of between persons supportive,
members living in the receptive, reciprocal
household: More supportive
between adults, than non-supportive
couple More non-
subsystems, supportive than
parent- supportive
child/children Non-supportive
subsystem, Not observed
between siblings

Physiological conditions / Needs

Remarks (if any):
Physical Presence of health Yes
health of issues No
members
Presence of Yes
disability No

Availability of Yes
physical or medical No
aid(s) and
resources to cope

Overall Observation & Assessment

2
 FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT

Date :
By :

Current housing type: HDB/ Private (Purchased / Rented)/ others

I. FAMILY INCOME and EXPENDITURE

INCOME (per month) AMOUNT EXPENDITURE AMOUNT Arrears /
($) (per month) ($) Credit
balance ($)
as at (Date)
Net Salary Rent or Mortgage
(after CPF deduction) payment (cash only)

Contributions from Service and Conservancy

family members Charges (SCC)

Assistance received Utility Charges

from Other Sources (Power Supply)
(as below list)

Name of Period of Food and Sundry

Agency Assistance
Educational Expenses
(School fees, pocket
1.
money, etc.)

Childcare/ Babysitter’s
2. fees

3. Transport

Work related expenses

4. (meal allowances etc.)

Medical Expenses
(Private GP/ Polyclinic/
Hospital)

Maintenance paid to
Parents/ wife/ children

Telecommunication
Others: charges including internet

Insurance

1
 Arrears instalment
committed
(SP, SCC, medical, rent,
mortgage, maintenance,
telecommunication, etc.)

Other Expenditure items1

(provide details) (e.g.
credit card instalment,
cigarettes, etc.)

Total Total
Per Capita Income (PCI)
II. BANK / SAVINGS INFORMATION
Account Holder Bank Name Account Number Balance Last update
(balance as at)

III. ASSESSMENT (include family’s identified barriers and strengths which could be
positively tapped on)

IV. RECOMMENDATION
Name of scheme / assistance Amt ($) Period

Remarks:

1
This may include uncommon expenses which applicants need to make due to the family’s extenuating
circumstances e.g. expenses for a maid to take care of family member(s) with special needs, medication and
supplements not covered under Medifund, elder care etc. In addition, SWPs should also ask if there are foregone
expenses i.e. expenses which are necessary but which applicants forego because of their financial constraints e.g.
providing balanced and nutritious meals for the family, clinic or hospital visits for treatment/follow-up treatment etc.

2
 Suicide Risk Assessment

This assessment guide highlights the key factors that Social Work Practitioners need
to be aware of when assessing suicide risk. It is essential to look out for warning signs
especially when there is acute risk: when an individual is likely to carry out the suicide
act. For such cases, intervention is needed immediately to mitigate the risk.
(Please refer to Chapter 7 Management of Cases with Suicidal and Self-Injury Intent
for more details)

SUICIDE SEVERITY RATING SCALE

SUICIDE IDEATION DEFINITIONS AND PROMPTS Current Past

Possible questions that can be asked are in bold and italics. Month
1) Wish to be Dead: Yes/No Yes/No
Individual entertains thoughts about being dead or wish to fall asleep
and not wake up.
Have you ever wished you were dead or wished you could go to
sleep and not wake up?

2) Suicidal Thoughts:
General non-specific thoughts of wanting to end one’s life/ commit
suicide, “l’ve thought about killing myself” without having specific ways
to kill oneself/ associated methods, intent or plan.
Have you had any thoughts of killing yourself?

3) Suicidal Thoughts with Method (without Specific Plan or Intent to

Act):
Individual entertains thoughts of suicide and has thought of at least
one method during the period of assessment. This is different from
having a specific plan with time, place or method details worked out.
“l thought about overdosing on my medication but has never made a
specific plan as to when where or how l would actually do it….and l
would never go through with it.”
Have you been thinking about how you might kill yourself?

4) Suicidal Intent (without Specific Plan):

Active suicidal thoughts of killing self and individual reports having
some intent to act on such thoughts, as opposed to “l have the
thoughts but l definitely will not do anything about them.”
Have you had these thoughts and had some intention of acting
on them?

5) Suicide Intent with Specific Plan:

Thoughts of killing self with details of plan fully or partially worked out
and person has some intent to carry it out.
Have you started to work out or worked out the details of how to
kill yourself? Do you intend to carry out this plan?

1
 SUICIDE IDEATION DEFINITIONS AND PROMPTS Current Past
Possible questions that can be asked are in bold and italics. Month
6) Suicide Behaviour Question:
Have you ever done anything, started to do anything, or prepared
to do anything to end your life?
Examples: Collected pills, gave away valuables, wrote a will or suicide
note, took out pills but didn’t swallow any, went to a high floor but didn’t
jump etc.

If YES, ask: How long ago did you do any of these?

Over a year ago? Between three months and a year ago?
Within the last three months?

Adapted from Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (SSRS)

2
 Mental Health Status Assessment

At the FSC, SWPs may need to conduct a generic mental health assessment for some
of the clients. This is not a formal psychiatric assessment which is conducted by a
doctor or a psychiatrist. It is part of the assessment to be conducted by SWPs, when
needed.

The mental health assessment is conducted by systematically observing the client’s

behaviour, state of feeling, thinking process to better understand the client’s emotional
and cognitive functioning.

What to Observe
• General appearance
• Behaviour
• Thought processes and the communication of this
• Emotion and emotional response
• Impulse control
• Insight, awareness of self and others and the impact of their actions
• Reality testing and cognitive functioning.

How to Observe

This does not differ greatly from how SWP conducts interviews. If there is concern
about the mental health status, more care may need to be given to the volume, choice
of words and the mindfulness of the client’s reaction. Note how the client
communicates verbally and non-verbally and how the client relates information.

Observation is not restricted to contact with the client but include those around the
client. It is helpful to consider perspectives of others who come into frequent contact
with the client. This can include family members, flat-mates and even neighbours or
significant others in the community with reliable information. This may include talking
and visiting them to gather more information. Environmental observations like state of
the home will also form an essential part of the assessment.

1
 Mental Health Status Assessment

Client Name :
Date Completed :
Conducted by :

Key:
F – Frequent O – Occasional NP – Not Present H – History ND – No Data

General Areas F O NP H ND
Appearance Physically unkempt, unclean
Clothing atypical, unusual,
bizarre
Unusual physical characteristic -
twitches, posture
Behaviour General movement -
accelerated, slowed, atypical,
fidgety, restless, inappropriate
Speech - inappropriate volume,
slurring, stammer
Sleep, diet and energy level -
inappropriate level observed
Emotions Euphoria, elation
Fear, anxiety, apprehension
Depression, sadness
Perception Disorientation of person, place
and time
Poor immediate recall, recent
and remote memory
Presence of illusions
Presence of hallucination -
sounds, visual or others
Lack of insight into their issues
and their impact on others
Thought Inability to focus and
Content concentrate
Distortion of reality e.g. a
woman with anorexia who thinks
that she is fat
Delusion - an inappropriate idea
that cannot be dissuaded using
evidence e.g. a man believing

1
 that he has a large inheritance
with no evidence to show for it
Thought Inability to link ideas and no flow
Processes to ideas
Illogical and incoherent in
presentation of thoughts
Difficulties in evaluating their
situation and making logical
decisions e.g. binge-drinking,
high risk sex behaviour
Preoccupations Somatic preoccupation - over
focus on bodily functions,
physical health
Obsessions - persistent
thoughts that are intrusive and
unwanted that haunts the
person
Compulsions - urges that cannot
be controlled
Phobias - irrational persistent
fears
High Risk Ideas Suicidal Ideation
Homicidal Ideation
Delusions/ hallucination that can
lead to harm to self or others
Impulse Difficulties in controlling anger;
Control strong desires including sexual
urges
Environment Inappropriate physical
surroundings - poor hygiene,
many pets that have affected
the individual’s quality of life
Presence of waste, junk and
hoarding

Worker's Summary

2
 ANNEX A

PENAL CODE CHAPTER VI

OFFENCES AGAINST THE STATE

SECTION INFORMATION ABOUT THE SECTION

121 Waging or attempting to wage war or abetting the waging of war
against the Government
121A Offences against the President’s person
121B Offences against authority
121C Abetting offences under section 121A or 121B
121D Intentional omission to give information of offences against
section 121, 121A, 121B or 121C by a person bound to inform
122 Collecting arms, etc., with the intention of waging war against the
Government
123 Concealing with intent to facilitate a design to wage war
124 Assaulting President, etc., with intent to compel or restrain the
exercise of any lawful power
125 Waging war against any power in alliance or at peace with Singapore
126 Committing depredation on the territories of any power in alliance or
at peace with Singapore
127 Receiving property taken by war or depredation mentioned in
sections 125 and 126
128 Public servant voluntarily allowing prisoner of State or war in his
custody to escape
129 Public servant negligently suffering prisoner of State or war in his
custody to escape
130 Aiding escape of, rescuing, or harbouring such prisoner
130A “Harbour”
130A. In this Chapter, “harbour” includes the supplying a person with
shelter, food, drink, money, clothes, arms, ammunition, or means of
conveyance, or the assisting a person in any way to evade
apprehension

1
 PENAL CODE CHAPTER VII

OFFENCES RELATING TO THE ARMED FORCES

SECTION INFORMATION ABOUT THE SECTION

131 Abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce an officer or a serviceman
from his duty
132 Abetment of mutiny, if mutiny is committed in consequence thereof
133 Abetment of an assault by an officer or a serviceman on his superior
officer, when in the execution of his office
134 Abetment of such assault, if the assault is committed
135 Abetment of the desertion of an officer or a serviceman
136 Harbouring a deserter
137 Deserter concealed on board merchant vessel through negligence of
master
138 Abetment of act of insubordination by an officer or a serviceman
139 Saving
139. Where provision is made in any law relating to the discipline
of the Singapore Armed Forces for the punishment of an offence
corresponding to an offence defined in this Chapter, no person who is
subject to such provision shall be subject to punishment under this
Code for the offence defined in this Chapter
140 Wearing the dress of a serviceman
140A
‘Harbour’
140A. In this Chapter, 'harbour’ includes the supplying a person
with shelter, food, drink, money, clothes, arms, ammunition, or means
of conveyance, or the assisting a person in any way to evade
apprehension
140B Application of Chapter VII to Singapore Police Force

2
 PENAL CODE CHAPTER VIII

OFFENCES RELATING TO UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY

SECTION INFORMATION ABOUT THE SECTION

141 Unlawful assembly
142 Being a member of an unlawful assembly
143 Punishment
143. Whoever is a member of an unlawful assembly, shall be punished
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or
with both
144 Joining an unlawful assembly armed with any deadly weapon
145 Joining or continuing in an unlawful assembly, knowing that it has been
commanded to disperse
146 Force used by one member in prosecution of common object
147 Punishment for rioting
148 Rioting, armed with a deadly weapon
149 Every member of an unlawful assembly to be deemed guilty of any offence
committed in prosecution of common object
150 Hiring, or conniving at hiring, of persons to join an unlawful assembly
151 Knowingly joining or continuing in any assembly of 5 or more persons after
it has been commanded to disperse
151A
Posting placards, etc.
151A. [Repealed by Act 51 of 2007]
152 Assaulting or obstructing public servant when suppressing riot, etc.
153 Wantonly giving provocation, with intent to cause riot
154 Owner or occupier of land on which an unlawful assembly is held
155 Liability of person for whose benefit a riot is committed
156 Liability of agent of owner or occupier for whose benefit a riot is committed
157 Harbouring persons hired for an unlawful assembly
158 Being hired to take part in an unlawful assembly or riot

3
 PENAL CODE CHAPTER XII

OFFENCES RELATING TO COIN AND GOVERNMENT STAMPS

SECTION INFORMATION ABOUT THE SECTION

230 “Coin” and “current coin”
231 Counterfeiting coin
232 Counterfeiting current coin
233 Making or selling instrument for counterfeiting coin
234 Making or selling instrument for counterfeiting current coin
235 Possession of instrument or material for the purpose of using the
same for counterfeiting coin
236 Abetting in Singapore the counterfeiting out of Singapore of coin or
current coin
237 Import or export of counterfeit coin
238 Import or export of counterfeits of current coin
239 Delivery to another of coin, possessed with the knowledge that it is
counterfeit
240 Delivery of current coin, possessed with the knowledge that it is
counterfeit
241 Delivery to another of coin as genuine, which when first possessed
the deliverer did not know to be counterfeit
241A Delivery to another of current coin as genuine, which when first
possessed the deliverer did not know to be counterfeit
242 Possession of counterfeit coin by a person who knew it to be
counterfeit when he became possessed thereof
243 Possession of current coin by a person who knew it to be counterfeit
when he became possessed thereof
246 Fraudulently or dishonestly diminishing the weight or altering the
composition of any coin
247 Fraudulently or dishonestly diminishing the weight or altering the
composition of current coin
248 Altering appearance of any coin with intent that it shall pass as a coin
of a different description
249 Altering appearance of current coin with intent that it shall pass as a
coin of a different description
250 Delivery to another of coin possessed with the knowledge that it is
altered
251 Delivery of current coin possessed with the knowledge that it is
altered

4
252 Possession of altered coin by a person who knew it to be altered
when he became possessed thereof
253 Possession of current coin by a person who knew it to be altered
when he became possessed thereof
254 Delivery to another of coin as genuine, which when first possessed
the deliverer did not know to be altered
254A Delivery to another of current coin as genuine, which when first
possessed the deliverer did not know to be altered
255 Counterfeiting a Government stamp
256 Having possession of an instrument or material for the purpose of
counterfeiting a Government stamp
257 Making or selling an instrument for the purpose of counterfeiting a
Government stamp
258 Sale of counterfeit Government stamp
259 Having possession of a counterfeit Government stamp
260 Using as genuine a Government stamp known to be counterfeit
261 Effacing any writing from a substance bearing a Government stamp,
or removing from a document a stamp used for it, with intent to cause
loss to Government
262 Using a Government stamp known to have been before used
263 Erasure of mark denoting that stamp has been used

5
 PENAL CODE CHAPTER XVI

OFFENCES AFFECTING THE HUMAN BODY

SECTION INFORMATION ABOUT THE SECTION

299 Culpable homicide
300 Murder
301 Culpable homicide by causing the death of a person other than the
person whose death was intended
302 Punishment for murder
304 Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder
304A Causing death by rash or negligent act
305 Abetment of suicide of child or insane person
306 Abetment of suicide
307 Attempt to murder
308 Attempt to commit culpable homicide
309 Attempt to commit suicide
310 Infanticide
311 Punishment for infanticide
312 Causing miscarriage
313 Causing miscarriage without woman’s consent
314 Death caused by act done with intent to cause miscarriage
315 Child destruction before, at or immediately after birth
316 Causing death of a quick unborn child by an act amounting to
culpable homicide
317 Exposure and abandonment of a child under 12 years by parent or
person having care of it
318 Concealment of birth by secret disposal of dead body
319 Hurt
320 Grievous hurt
321 Voluntarily causing hurt
322 Voluntarily causing grievous hurt
323 Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt
324 Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means
325 Punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt
326 Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means
327 Voluntarily causing hurt to extort property or to constrain to an illegal
act
328 Causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an
offence

6
329 Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to extort property, or to constrain to
an illegal act
330 Voluntarily causing hurt to extort confession or to compel restoration
of property
331 Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to extort confession or to compel
restoration of property
332 Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty
333 Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty
334 Voluntarily causing hurt on provocation
335 Causing grievous hurt on provocation
336 Punishment for act which endangers life or the personal safety of
others
337 Causing hurt by an act which endangers life or the personal safety of
others
338 Causing grievous hurt by an act which endangers life or the personal
safety of others
339 Wrongful restraint
340 Wrongful confinement
341 Punishment for wrongful restraint
342 Punishment for wrongful confinement
343 Wrongful confinement for 3 or more days
344 Wrongful confinement for 10 or more days
345 Wrongful confinement of person for whose liberation a writ has been
issued
346 Wrongful confinement in secret
347 Wrongful confinement for the purpose of extorting property or
constraining to an illegal act
348 Wrongful confinement for the purpose of extorting confession or of
compelling restoration of property
349 Force
350 Criminal force
351 Assault
352 Punishment for using criminal force otherwise than on grave and
sudden provocation
353 Using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his
duty
354 Assault or use of criminal force to a person with intent to outrage
modesty
354A Outraging modesty in certain circumstances
355 Assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour otherwise than on
grave and sudden provocation

7
356 Assault or criminal force in committing or attempting to commit theft
of property carried by a person
357 Assault or criminal force in attempting wrongfully to confine a person
358 Assaulting or using criminal force on grave and sudden provocation
359 Kidnapping
360 Kidnapping from Singapore
361 Kidnapping from lawful guardianship
362 Abduction
363 Punishment for kidnapping
363A Punishment for abduction
364 Kidnapping or abducting in order to murder
365 Kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine
a person
366 Kidnapping or abducting a woman to compel her marriage, etc.
367 Kidnapping or abducting in order to subject a person to grievous hurt,
slavery, etc.
368 Wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement a kidnapped person
369 Kidnapping or abducting child under 10 years with intent to steal
movable property from the person of such child
370 Buying or disposing of any person as a slave
371 Habitual dealing in slaves
372 Selling minor for purposes of prostitution, etc.
373 Buying minor for purposes of prostitution, etc.
373A Importing woman for purposes of prostitution, etc.
374 Unlawful compulsory labour
375 Rape
376 Sexual assault by penetration
376A Sexual penetration of minor under 16
376B Commercial sex with minor under 18
376C Commercial sex with minor under 18 outside Singapore
376D Tour outside Singapore for commercial sex with minor under 18
376E Sexual grooming of minor under 16
376F Procurement of sexual activity with person with mental disability
376G Incest
377 Sexual penetration of a corpse
377A Outrages on decency
377B Sexual penetration with living animal
377C Interpretation of sections 375 to 377B (sexual offences)
377D Mistake as to age

8
 PENAL CODE CHAPTER VI

OFFENCES AGAINST THE STATE

Waging or attempting to wage war or abetting the waging of war against

the Government
121. Whoever wages war against the Government, or attempts to wage such
war, or abets the waging of such war, shall be punished with death, or with
imprisonment for life and shall, if he is not sentenced to death, also be liable to
fine.
[51/2007]

Illustration

A joins an insurrection against the Government. A has committed the offence

defined in this section.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 121]

Offences against the President's person

121A. Whoever compasses, imagines, invents, devises, or intends the
death of or hurt to or imprisonment or restraint of the President, shall be
punished with death, or with imprisonment for life and shall, if he is not
sentenced to death, also be liable to fine.
[51/2007]

Offences against authority

121B. Whoever compasses, imagines, invents, devises or intends the
deprivation or deposition of the President from the sovereignty of Singapore, or
the overawing by criminal force of the Government, shall be punished with
imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.
[51/2007]

Abetting offences under section 121A or 121B

121C. Whoever abets the commission of any of the offences punishable by
section 121A or 121B shall be punished with the punishment provided for those
offences.

9
Intentional omission to give information of offences against section 121,
121A, 121B or 121C by a person bound to inform
121D. Whoever knowing or having reason to believe that any offence
punishable under section 121, 121A, 121B or 121C has been committed
intentionally omits to give any information respecting that offence which he is
legally bound to give, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to 10 years, or with fine, or with both.
[51/2007]

Collecting arms, etc., with the intention of waging war against the
Government
122. Whoever collects men, arms or ammunition or otherwise prepares to
wage war, with the intention of either waging or being prepared to wage war
against the Government, shall be punished with imprisonment for life or
imprisonment for a term not exceeding 20 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 122]

Concealing with intent to facilitate a design to wage war

123. Whoever by any act, or by any illegal omission, conceals the existence
of a design to wage war against the Government, intending by such
concealment to facilitate, or knowing it to be likely that such concealment will
facilitate, the waging of such war, shall be punished with imprisonment for a
term which may extend to 15 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 123]

Assaulting President, etc., with intent to compel or restrain the exercise

of any lawful power
124. Whoever, with the intention of inducing or compelling the President or
a Member of Parliament or the Cabinet, to exercise or refrain from exercising in
any manner any of the lawful powers of the President, or such Member, assaults
or wrongfully restrains, or attempts wrongfully to restrain, or overawes by means
of criminal force, or the show of criminal force, or attempts so to overawe, the
President or such Member, shall be punished with imprisonment for life or for a
term which may extend to 20 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 124]

10
Waging war against any power in alliance or at peace with Singapore
125. Whoever wages war against the government of any power in alliance
or at peace with the Government, or attempts to wage such war, or abets the
waging of such war, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, to which fine
may be added; or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 15 years,
to which fine may be added, or with fine.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 125]

Committing depredation on the territories of any power in alliance or at

peace with Singapore
126. Whoever commits depredation, or makes preparations to commit
depredation, on the territories of any power in alliance or at peace with the
Government, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend
to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine, and any property used, or intended
to be used, in committing such depredation, or acquired by such depredation,
shall be forfeited.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 126]

Receiving property taken by war or depredation mentioned in

sections 125 and 126
127. Whoever receives any property knowing the same to have been taken
in the commission of any of the offences mentioned in sections 125 and 126,
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years,
and shall also be liable to fine, and the property so received shall be forfeited.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 127]

Public servant voluntarily allowing prisoner of State or war in his

custody to escape
128. Whoever, being a public servant, and having the custody of any
prisoner of State or prisoner of war, voluntarily allows such prisoner to escape
from any place in which such prisoner is confined, shall be punished with
imprisonment for life, or imprisonment for a term which may extend to 15 years,
and shall also be liable to fine.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 128]

Public servant negligently suffering prisoner of State or war in his

custody to escape
129. Whoever, being a public servant, and having the custody of any
prisoner of State or prisoner of war, negligently suffers such prisoner to escape
from any place of confinement in which such prisoner is confined, shall be

11
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, and shall
also be liable to fine.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 129]

Aiding escape of, rescuing, or harbouring such prisoner

130. Whoever knowingly aids or assists any prisoner of State or prisoner of
war in escaping from lawful custody or rescues or attempts to rescue any such
prisoner, or harbours or conceals any such prisoner who has escaped from
lawful custody, or offers or attempts to offer any resistance to the recapture of
such prisoner, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to 15 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[51/2007]

Explanation .—A prisoner of State or prisoner of war who is permitted to be at large

on his parole within certain limits in Singapore, is said to escape from lawful custody
if he goes beyond the limits within which he is allowed to be at large.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 130]

“Harbour”
130A. In this Chapter, “harbour” includes the supplying a person with shelter,
food, drink, money, clothes, arms, ammunition, or means of conveyance, or the
assisting a person in any way to evade apprehension.

12
 PENAL CODE CHAPTER VII

OFFENCES RELATING TO THE ARMED FORCES

Abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce an officer or a serviceman from

his duty
131. Whoever abets the committing of mutiny by an officer or any
serviceman in the Singapore Armed Forces or any visiting forces lawfully
present in Singapore or attempts to seduce any such officer or serviceman from
his allegiance or his duty, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable
to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 131]

Abetment of mutiny, if mutiny is committed in consequence thereof

132. Whoever abets the committing of mutiny by an officer or any
serviceman in the Singapore Armed Forces or any visiting forces lawfully
present in Singapore shall, if mutiny be committed in consequence of that
abetment, be punished with death or with imprisonment for life, or with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable
to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 132]

Abetment of an assault by an officer or a serviceman on his superior

officer, when in the execution of his office
133. Whoever abets an assault by an officer or any serviceman in the
Singapore Armed Forces or any visiting forces lawfully present in Singapore,
on any superior officer being in the execution of his office, shall be punished
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and shall also be
liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 133]

Abetment of such assault, if the assault is committed

134. Whoever abets an assault by an officer or any serviceman in the
Singapore Armed Forces or any visiting forces lawfully present in Singapore,
on any superior officer being in the execution of his office, shall, if such assault
be committed in consequence of that abetment, be punished with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 134]

Abetment of the desertion of an officer or a serviceman

135. Whoever abets the desertion of any officer or any serviceman in the
Singapore Armed Forces or any visiting forces lawfully present in Singapore,

13
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or
with fine, or with both.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 135]

Harbouring a deserter
136. Whoever, except as hereinafter excepted, knowing or having reason to
believe that an officer or a serviceman in the Singapore Armed Forces or any
visiting forces lawfully present in Singapore has deserted, harbours such officer
or serviceman shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend
to 2 years, or with fine, or with both.

Exception.—This provision does not extend to the case in which the harbour is
given by a wife to her husband.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 136]

Deserter concealed on board merchant vessel through negligence of

master
137. The master or person in charge of a merchant vessel, on board of which
any deserter from the Singapore Armed Forces or any visiting forces lawfully
present in Singapore is concealed, shall, though ignorant of such concealment,
be liable to a penalty not exceeding $1,500, if he might have known of such
concealment, but for some neglect of his duty as such master or person in
charge, or but for some want of discipline on board of the vessel.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 137]

Abetment of act of insubordination by an officer or a serviceman

138. Whoever abets what he knows to be an act of insubordination by an
officer or any serviceman in the Singapore Armed Forces or any visiting forces
lawfully present in Singapore, shall, if such act of insubordination be committed
in consequence of that abetment, be punished with imprisonment for a term
which may extend to 6 months, or with fine, or with both.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 138]

Saving
139. Where provision is made in any law relating to the discipline of the
Singapore Armed Forces for the punishment of an offence corresponding to an
offence defined in this Chapter, no person who is subject to such provision shall
be subject to punishment under this Code for the offence defined in this
Chapter.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 139]

14
Wearing the dress of a serviceman
140. Whoever, not being a serviceman in the Singapore Armed Forces or
any visiting forces lawfully present in Singapore, wears any garb or carries any
token resembling any garb or token used by such a serviceman, with the
intention that it may be believed that he is such a serviceman, shall be punished
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which
may extend to $2,500, or with both.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 140]

“Harbour”
140A. In this Chapter, “harbour” includes the supplying a person with shelter,
food, drink, money, clothes, arms, ammunition, or means of conveyance, or the
assisting a person in any way to evade apprehension.

Application of Chapter VII to Singapore Police Force

140B. The provisions of this Chapter relating to offences committed in
relation to members of the Singapore Armed Forces or any visiting forces
lawfully present in Singapore shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to
similar acts committed in relation to members of the Singapore Police Force or
any volunteer, auxiliary or special force attached to, or coming under the
jurisdiction of, that Force.

15
 PENAL CODE CHAPTER VIII

OFFENCES RELATING TO UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY

Unlawful assembly
141. An assembly of 5 or more persons is designated an “unlawful
assembly”, if the common object of the persons composing that assembly is —
(a) to overawe by criminal force, or show of criminal force, the Legislative
or Executive Government, or any public servant in the exercise of the
lawful power of such public servant;
(b) to resist the execution of any law, or of any legal process;
(c) to commit any offence;
(d) by means of criminal force, or show of criminal force, to any person,
to take or obtain possession of any property, or to deprive any person
of the enjoyment of a right of way, or of the use of water or other
incorporeal right of which he is in possession or enjoyment, or to
enforce any right or supposed right; or
(e) by means of criminal force, or show of criminal force, to compel any
person to do what he is not legally bound to do, or to omit to do what
he is legally entitled to do.
[51/2007]

Explanation .—An assembly which was not unlawful when it assembled may
subsequently become an unlawful assembly.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 141]

Being a member of an unlawful assembly

142. Whoever, being aware of facts which render any assembly an unlawful
assembly, intentionally joins that assembly, or continues in it, is said to be a
member of an unlawful assembly.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 142]

Punishment
143. Whoever is a member of an unlawful assembly, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 143]

Joining an unlawful assembly armed with any deadly weapon

144. Whoever, being armed with any deadly weapon, or with anything which,
used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death, is a member of an
unlawful assembly shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may

16
extend to 5 years, or with fine, or with caning, or with any combination of such
punishments.
[51/2007]

Illustration

A wooden pole sharpened at the end is a thing which, used as a weapon of offence,
is likely to cause death.
This illustration is applicable to sections 148 and 158.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 144]

Joining or continuing in an unlawful assembly, knowing that it has been

commanded to disperse
145. Whoever joins or continues in an unlawful assembly, knowing that such
unlawful assembly has been commanded in the manner prescribed by law to
disperse, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to
5 years, or with fine, or with both.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 145]

Force used by one member in prosecution of common object

146. Whenever force or violence is used by an unlawful assembly or by any
member thereof, in prosecution of the common object of such assembly, every
member of such assembly is guilty of the offence of rioting.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 146]

Punishment for rioting

147. Whoever is guilty of rioting shall be punished with imprisonment for a
term which may extend to 7 years and shall also be liable to caning.
[62/73; 51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 147]

Rioting, armed with a deadly weapon

148. Whoever is guilty of rioting, being armed with a deadly weapon, or with
anything which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years and shall
also be liable to caning.
[62/73; 51/2007]

Illustration

The last section is subject to the same illustration as section 144.

[Indian PC 1860, s. 148]

17
Every member of an unlawful assembly to be deemed guilty of any
offence committed in prosecution of common object
149. If an offence is committed by any member of an unlawful assembly in
prosecution of the common object of that assembly, or such as the members of
that assembly knew to be likely to be committed in prosecution of that object,
every person who, at the time of the committing of that offence, is a member of
the same assembly is guilty of that offence.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 149]

Hiring, or conniving at hiring, of persons to join an unlawful assembly

150. Whoever hires, or engages, or employs, or promotes or connives at the
hiring, engagement, or employment of any person to join or become a member
of any unlawful assembly shall be punishable as a member of such unlawful
assembly, and for any offence which may be committed by any such person as
a member of such unlawful assembly, in pursuance of such hiring, engagement,
or employment, in the same manner as if he had been a member of such
unlawful assembly, or himself had committed such offence.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 150]

Knowingly joining or continuing in any assembly of 5 or more persons

after it has been commanded to disperse
151. Whoever knowingly joins or continues in any assembly of 5 or more
persons likely to cause a disturbance of the public peace, after such assembly
has been lawfully commanded to disperse, shall be punished with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both.
[51/2007]

Explanation .—If the assembly is an unlawful assembly within the meaning of

section 141, the offender will be punishable under section 145.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 151]

Posting placards, etc.

151A. [Repealed by Act 51 of 2007]

Assaulting or obstructing public servant when suppressing riot, etc.

152. Whoever assaults or threatens to assault, or obstructs or attempts to
obstruct, any public servant in the discharge of his duty as such public servant
in endeavouring to disperse an unlawful assembly or to suppress a riot or an
affray, or uses, or threatens or attempts to use, criminal force to such public
servant, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 8
years, or with fine, or with both.
[62/73; 51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 152]

18
Wantonly giving provocation, with intent to cause riot
153. Whoever malignantly or wantonly, by doing anything which is illegal,
gives provocation to any person, intending or knowing it to be likely that such
provocation will cause the offence of rioting to be committed, shall, if the offence
of rioting is committed in consequence of such provocation, be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, or with fine, or with both;
and if the offence of rioting is not committed, with imprisonment for a term which
may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 153]

Owner or occupier of land on which an unlawful assembly is held

154. Whenever any unlawful assembly or riot takes place, the owner or
occupier of the land upon which such unlawful assembly is held or such riot is
committed, and any person having or claiming an interest in such land, shall be
punishable with fine not exceeding $5,000, if he or his agent or manager,
knowing that such offence is being or has been committed, or having reason to
believe it is likely to be committed, do not give the earliest notice thereof in his
or their power to the principal officer at the nearest police station, and do not, in
the case of his or their having reason to believe that it is about to be committed,
use all lawful means in his or their power to prevent it, and in the event of its
taking place, do not use all lawful means in his or their power to disperse or
suppress the riot or unlawful assembly.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 154]

Liability of person for whose benefit a riot is committed

155. Whenever a riot is committed for the benefit or on behalf of any person
who is the owner or occupier of any land respecting which such riot takes place,
or who claims any interest in such land, or in the subject of any dispute which
gave rise to the riot, or who has accepted or derived any benefit therefrom, such
person shall be punishable with fine, if he or his agent or manager, having
reason to believe that such riot was likely to be committed, or that the unlawful
assembly by which such riot was committed was likely to be held, shall not
respectively use all lawful means in his or their power to prevent such riot or
assembly from taking place, and for suppressing and dispersing the same.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 155]

Liability of agent of owner or occupier for whose benefit a riot is

committed
156. Whenever a riot is committed for the benefit or on behalf of any person
who is the owner or occupier of any land respecting which such riot takes place,
or who claims any interest in such land, or in the subject of any dispute which
gave rise to the riot, or who has accepted or derived any benefit therefrom, the
agent or manager of such person shall be punishable with fine, if such agent or

19
manager, having reason to believe that such riot was likely to be committed, or
that the unlawful assembly by which such riot was committed was likely to be
held, shall not use all lawful means in his power to prevent such riot or assembly
from taking place, and for suppressing and dispersing the same.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 156]

Harbouring persons hired for an unlawful assembly

157. Whoever harbours, receives or assembles in any house or premises in
his occupation or charge, or under his control, any persons, knowing that such
persons have been hired, engaged or employed, or are about to be hired,
engaged or employed, to join or become members of an unlawful assembly,
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or
with fine, or with both.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 157]

Being hired to take part in an unlawful assembly or riot

158. Whoever is engaged or hired, or offers or attempts to be hired or
engaged, to do or assist in doing any of the acts specified in section 141, shall
be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with
fine, or with both; and whoever, being so engaged or hired as aforesaid, goes
armed, or engages or offers to go armed, with any deadly weapon, or with
anything which used as a weapon of offence is likely to cause death, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years, or with
fine, or with both.
[51/2007]

Illustration

The last section is subject to the same illustration as section 144.

[Indian PC 1860, s. 158]

20
 PENAL CODE CHAPTER XII

OFFENCES RELATING TO COIN AND GOVERNMENT STAMPS

“Coin” and “current coin”

230. “Coin” is metal used as money stamped and issued by the authority of
the Government or by the authority of the government of any foreign country in
order to be so used.
“Current coin” means coin which is legal tender in Singapore or in any
foreign country.
[51/2007]

Illustrations

(a) to (c) [Deleted by Act 51 of 2007]

[Indian PC 1860, s. 230]

Counterfeiting coin
231. Whoever counterfeits or knowingly performs any part of the process of
counterfeiting coin, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Explanation .—A person commits this offence, who, intending to practise deception,
or knowing it to be likely that deception will thereby be practised, causes a genuine
coin to appear like a different coin.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 231]

Counterfeiting current coin

232. Whoever counterfeits or knowingly performs any part of the process of
counterfeiting current coin, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term
which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 232]

Making or selling instrument for counterfeiting coin

233. Whoever makes or mends, or performs any part of the process of
making or mending, or buys, sells or disposes of, any die or instrument, for the
purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended
to be used, for the purpose of counterfeiting coin, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and shall also be liable
to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 233]

21
Making or selling instrument for counterfeiting current coin
234. Whoever makes or mends, or performs any part of the process of
making or mending, or buys, sells or disposes of, any die or instrument for the
purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended
to be used, for the purpose of counterfeiting current coin, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable
to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 234]

Possession of instrument or material for the purpose of using the same

for counterfeiting coin
235. Whoever is in possession of any instrument or material for the purpose
of using the same for counterfeiting coin, or knowing or having reason to believe
that the same is intended to be used for that purpose, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and shall also be liable
to fine; and if the coin to be counterfeited is current coin, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable
to fine.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 235]

Abetting in Singapore the counterfeiting out of Singapore of coin or

current coin
236. Whoever, being within Singapore, abets the counterfeiting of coin or
current coin out of Singapore, shall be punished in the same manner as if he
abetted the counterfeiting of such coin or current coin within Singapore.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 236]

Import or export of counterfeit coin

237. Whoever imports into Singapore, or exports therefrom, any counterfeit
coin, knowing or having reason to believe that the same is counterfeit, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and shall
also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 237]

Import or export of counterfeits of current coin

238. Whoever imports into Singapore, or exports therefrom, any counterfeit
coin which he knows or has reason to believe to be a counterfeit of current coin,
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years,
and shall also be liable to fine.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 238]

22
Delivery to another of coin, possessed with the knowledge that it is
counterfeit
239. Whoever, having any counterfeit coin which at the time when he
became possessed of it he knew to be counterfeit, fraudulently or with intent
that fraud may be committed, delivers the same to any person, or attempts to
induce any person to receive it, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term
which may extend to 5 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 239]

Delivery of current coin, possessed with the knowledge that it is

counterfeit
240. Whoever, having any counterfeit coin which is a counterfeit of current
coin, and which at the time when he became possessed of it he knew to be a
counterfeit of current coin, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be
committed, delivers the same to any person, or attempts to induce any person
to receive it, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend
to 7 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 240]

Delivery to another of coin as genuine, which when first possessed the

deliverer did not know to be counterfeit
241. Whoever delivers to any other person as genuine, or attempts to induce
any other person to receive as genuine, any counterfeit coin which he knows to
be counterfeit, but which he did not know to be counterfeit at the time when he
took it into his possession, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which
may extend to 2 years, or with fine to an amount which may extend to 10 times
the value of the coin counterfeited, or with both.

Illustration

A, a coiner, delivers counterfeit Hong Kong dollars to his accomplice B, for the
purpose of uttering them. B sells the dollars to C, another utterer, who buys them
knowing them to be counterfeit. C pays away the dollars for goods to D, who receives
them, not knowing them to be counterfeit. D, after receiving the dollars, discovers that
they are counterfeit, and pays them away as if they were good. Here D is punishable
only under this section, but B and C are punishable under section 239 or 240 as the
case may be.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 241]

23
Delivery to another of current coin as genuine, which when first
possessed the deliverer did not know to be counterfeit
241A. Whoever delivers to any other person as genuine, or attempts to
induce any other person to receive as genuine, any counterfeit coin which is a
counterfeit of current coin which he knows to be counterfeit, but which he did
not know to be counterfeit at the time when he took it into his possession, shall
be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years, or with
fine, or with both.
[51/2007]

Possession of counterfeit coin by a person who knew it to be counterfeit

when he became possessed thereof
242. Whoever, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, is in
possession of counterfeit coin, having known at the time when he became
possessed of it that the coin was counterfeit, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and shall also be liable
to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 242]

Possession of current coin by a person who knew it to be counterfeit

when he became possessed thereof
243. Whoever, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, is in
possession of counterfeit coin, which is a counterfeit of current coin, having
known at the time when he became possessed of it that it was a counterfeit,
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years,
and shall also be liable to fine.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 243]

Fraudulently or dishonestly diminishing the weight or altering the

composition of any coin
246. Whoever fraudulently or dishonestly performs on any coin any
*

operation which diminishes the weight or alters the composition of that coin shall
be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and
shall also be liable to fine.

Explanation .—A person who scoops out part of the coin and puts anything else
into the cavity, alters the composition of that coin.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 246]

24
Fraudulently or dishonestly diminishing the weight or altering the
composition of current coin
247. Whoever fraudulently or dishonestly performs on any current coin any
operation which diminishes the weight or alters the composition of that coin,
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years,
and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 247]

Altering appearance of any coin with intent that it shall pass as a coin of
a different description
248. Whoever performs on any coin any operation which alters the
appearance of that coin, with the intention that that coin shall pass as a coin of
a different description, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which
may extend to 3 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 248]

Altering appearance of current coin with intent that it shall pass as a

coin of a different description
249. Whoever performs on any current coin any operation which alters the
appearance of that coin, with the intention that that coin shall pass as a coin of
a different description, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which
may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 249]

Delivery to another of coin possessed with the knowledge that it is

altered
250. Whoever, having coin in his possession with respect to which the
offence defined in section 246 or 248 has been committed, and having known
at the time when he became possessed of the coin that such offence had been
committed with respect to it, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be
committed, delivers the coin to any other person, or attempts to induce any
other person to receive the coin, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term
which may extend to 5 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 250]

Delivery of current coin possessed with the knowledge that it is altered

251. Whoever, having coin in his possession with respect to which the
offence defined in section 247 or 249 has been committed, and having known
at the time when he became possessed of the coin that such offence had been
committed with respect to it, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be
committed, delivers the coin to any other person, or attempts to induce any

25
other person to receive the coin, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term
which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 251]

Possession of altered coin by a person who knew it to be altered when

he became possessed thereof
252. Whoever, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, is in
possession of coin with respect to which the offence defined in section 246 or
248 has been committed, having known at the time of becoming possessed
thereof that that offence had been committed with respect to such coin, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and shall
also be liable to fine.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 252]

Possession of current coin by a person who knew it to be altered when

he became possessed thereof
253. Whoever, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, is in
possession of coin with respect to which the offence defined in section 247 or
249 has been committed, having known at the time of becoming possessed
thereof that that offence had been committed with respect to such coin, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years, and shall
also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 253]

Delivery to another of coin as genuine, which when first possessed the

deliverer did not know to be altered
254. Whoever delivers to any other person as genuine or as a coin of a
different description from what it is, or attempts to induce any person to receive
as genuine or as a different coin from what it is, any coin in respect of which he
knows that any such operation as that mentioned in section 246 or 248 has
been performed, but in respect of which he did not, at the time when he took it
into his possession, know that such operation had been performed, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine
to an amount which may extend to 10 times the value of the coin for which the
altered coin is passed or attempted to be passed.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 254]

Delivery to another of current coin as genuine, which when first

possessed the deliverer did not know to be altered
254A. Whoever delivers to any other person as genuine or as a coin of a
different description from what it is, or attempts to induce any person to receive
as genuine or as a different coin from what it is, any coin in respect of which he

26
knows that any such operation as that mentioned in section 247 or 249 has
been performed, but in respect of which he did not, at the time when he took it
into his possession, know that such operation had been performed, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years, or with
fine, or with both.
[51/2007]

Counterfeiting a Government stamp

255. Whoever counterfeits, or knowingly performs any part of the process
*

of counterfeiting, any stamp issued by the Government for the purpose of

revenue, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to
10 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[51/2007]

Explanation .—A person who counterfeits by causing a genuine stamp of one

denomination to appear like a genuine stamp of a different denomination commits this
offence.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 255]
*
Pursuant to section 39(1) of the Stamp Duties (Amendment) Act 1999 (Act 33 of
1999), any reference to a Government stamp or stamp in sections 255 to 262 of the
Penal Code (Cap. 224) shall be read as including a reference to a stamp certificate
issued under the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. 312) as amended by the Stamp Duties
(Amendment) Act 1999.

Having possession of an instrument or material for the purpose of

counterfeiting a Government stamp
256. Whoever has in his possession any instrument or material for the
*

purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended

to be used, for the purpose of counterfeiting any stamp issued by the
Government for the purpose of revenue, shall be punished with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 256]
*
Pursuant to section 39(1) of the Stamp Duties (Amendment) Act 1999 (Act 33 of
1999), any reference to a Government stamp or stamp in sections 255 to 262 of the
Penal Code (Cap. 224) shall be read as including a reference to a stamp certificate
issued under the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. 312) as amended by the Stamp Duties
(Amendment) Act 1999.

Making or selling an instrument for the purpose of counterfeiting a

Government stamp
257. Whoever makes, performs any part of the process of making, buys,
*

sells or disposes of, any instrument for the purpose of being used, or knowing
or having reason to believe that it is intended to be used, for the purpose of
counterfeiting any stamp issued by the Government for the purpose of revenue,
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years,
and shall also be liable to fine.

27
[Indian PC 1860, s. 257]
*
Pursuant to section 39(1) of the Stamp Duties (Amendment) Act 1999 (Act 33 of
1999), any reference to a Government stamp or stamp in sections 255 to 262 of the
Penal Code (Cap. 224) shall be read as including a reference to a stamp certificate
issued under the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. 312) as amended by the Stamp Duties
(Amendment) Act 1999.

Sale of counterfeit Government stamp

258. Whoever sells, or offers for sale, any stamp which he knows or has
*

reason to believe to be a counterfeit of any stamp issued by the Government

for the purpose of revenue, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term
which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 258]
*
Pursuant to section 39(1) of the Stamp Duties (Amendment) Act 1999 (Act 33 of
1999), any reference to a Government stamp or stamp in sections 255 to 262 of the
Penal Code (Cap. 224) shall be read as including a reference to a stamp certificate
issued under the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. 312) as amended by the Stamp Duties
(Amendment) Act 1999.

Having possession of a counterfeit Government stamp

259. Whoever has in his possession any stamp which he knows to be a
*

counterfeit of any stamp issued by the Government for the purpose of revenue,
intending to use or dispose of the same as a genuine stamp, or in order that it
may be used as a genuine stamp, shall be punished with imprisonment for a
term which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 259]
*
Pursuant to section 39(1) of the Stamp Duties (Amendment) Act 1999 (Act 33 of
1999), any reference to a Government stamp or stamp in sections 255 to 262 of the
Penal Code (Cap. 224) shall be read as including a reference to a stamp certificate
issued under the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. 312) as amended by the Stamp Duties
(Amendment) Act 1999.

Using as genuine a Government stamp known to be counterfeit

260. Whoever uses as genuine any stamp, knowing it to be a counterfeit of
*

any stamp issued by the Government for the purpose of revenue, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, or with
fine, or with both.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 260]
*
Pursuant to section 39(1) of the Stamp Duties (Amendment) Act 1999 (Act 33 of
1999), any reference to a Government stamp or stamp in sections 255 to 262 of the
Penal Code (Cap. 224) shall be read as including a reference to a stamp certificate
issued under the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. 312) as amended by the Stamp Duties
(Amendment) Act 1999.

28
Effacing any writing from a substance bearing a Government stamp, or
removing from a document a stamp used for it, with intent to cause loss
to Government
*
261. Whoever, fraudulently or with intent to cause loss to the Government,
removes or effaces from any substance bearing any stamp issued by the
Government for the purpose of revenue, any writing or document for which such
stamp has been used, or removes from any writing or document a stamp which
has been used for such writing or document, in order that such stamp may be
used for a different writing or document, shall be punished with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to 3 years, or with fine, or with both.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 261]
*
Pursuant to section 39(1) of the Stamp Duties (Amendment) Act 1999 (Act 33 of
1999), any reference to a Government stamp or stamp in sections 255 to 262 of the
Penal Code (Cap. 224) shall be read as including a reference to a stamp certificate
issued under the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. 312) as amended by the Stamp Duties
(Amendment) Act 1999.

Using a Government stamp known to have been before used

262. Whoever, fraudulently or with intent to cause loss to the Government,
*

uses for any purpose a stamp issued by the Government for the purpose of
revenue, which he knows to have been before used, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 262]
*
Pursuant to section 39(1) of the Stamp Duties (Amendment) Act 1999 (Act 33 of
1999), any reference to a Government stamp or stamp in sections 255 to 262 of the
Penal Code (Cap. 224) shall be read as including a reference to a stamp certificate
issued under the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. 312) as amended by the Stamp Duties
(Amendment) Act 1999.

Erasure of mark denoting that stamp has been used

263. Whoever, fraudulently or with intent to cause loss to the Government,
erases or removes from a stamp issued by the Government for the purpose of
revenue, any mark put or impressed upon such stamp for the purpose of
denoting that the stamp has been used, or knowingly has in his possession, or
sells or disposes of, any such stamp from which such mark has been erased or
removed, or sells or disposes of any such stamp which he knows to have been
used, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3
years, or with fine, or with both.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 263]

29
 PENAL CODE CHAPTER XVI

OFFENCES AFFECTING THE HUMAN BODY

Offences affecting life

Culpable homicide
299. Whoever causes death by doing an act with the intention of causing
death, or with the intention of causing such bodily injury as is likely to cause
death, or with the knowledge that he is likely by such act to cause death,
commits the offence of culpable homicide.

Illustrations

(a) A lays sticks and turf over a pit, with the intention of thereby causing death, or with the
knowledge that death is likely to be thereby caused. Z, believing the ground to be firm, treads
on it, falls in and is killed. A has committed the offence of culpable homicide.

(b) A knows Z to be behind a bush. B does not know it. A, intending to cause, or knowing
it to be likely to cause Z’s death, induces B to fire at the bush. B fires and kills Z. Here B may
be guilty of no offence; but A has committed the offence of culpable homicide.

(c) [Deleted by Act 51 of 2007]

Explanation 1.—A person who causes bodily injury to another who is labouring
under a disorder, disease or bodily infirmity, and thereby accelerates the death of that
other, shall be deemed to have caused his death.

Explanation 2.—Where death is caused by bodily injury, the person who causes
such bodily injury shall be deemed to have caused the death, although by resorting to
proper remedies and skilful treatment the death might have been prevented.

Explanation 3.—The causing of the death of a child in the mother’s womb is not
homicide. But it may amount to culpable homicide to cause the death of a living child,
if any part of that child has been brought forth, though the child may not have breathed
or been completely born.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 299]

Murder
300. Except in the cases hereinafter excepted culpable homicide is
murder —
(a) if the act by which the death is caused is done with the intention of
causing death;

30
 (b) if it is done with the intention of causing such bodily injury as the
offender knows to be likely to cause the death of the person to whom
the harm is caused;
(c) if it is done with the intention of causing bodily injury to any person,
and the bodily injury intended to be inflicted is sufficient in the ordinary
course of nature to cause death; or
(d) if the person committing the act knows that it is so imminently
dangerous that it must in all probability cause death, or such bodily
injury as is likely to cause death, and commits such act without any
excuse for incurring the risk of causing death, or such injury as
aforesaid.

Illustrations

(a) A shoots Z with the intention of killing him. Z dies in consequence. A commits murder.

(b) A, knowing that Z is labouring under such a disease that a blow is likely to cause his
death, strikes him with the intention of causing bodily injury. Z dies in consequence of the
blow. A is guilty of murder, although the blow might not have been sufficient in the ordinary
course of nature to cause the death of a person in a sound state of health. But if A, not knowing
that Z is labouring under any disease, gives him such a blow as would not in the ordinary
course of nature kill a person in a sound state of health, here A, although he may intend to
cause bodily injury, is not guilty of murder, if he did not intend to cause death, or such bodily
injury as in the ordinary course of nature would cause death.

(c) A intentionally gives Z a knife-cut or club-wound sufficient to cause the death of a man
in the ordinary course of nature. Z dies in consequence. Here A is guilty of murder, although
he may not have intended to cause Z’s death.

(d) A, without any excuse, fires a loaded cannon into a crowd of persons and kills one of
them. A is guilty of murder, although he may not have had a premeditated design to kill any
particular individual.

[51/2007]

When culpable homicide is not murder

Exception 1.—Culpable homicide is not murder if the offender whilst deprived of the
power of self-control by grave and sudden provocation, causes the death of the person
who gave the provocation, or causes the death of any other person by mistake or
accident.

The above exception is subject to the following provisos:

(a) that the provocation is not sought or voluntarily provoked by the offender as an
excuse for killing or doing harm to any person;

31
 (b) that the provocation is not given by anything done in obedience to the law, or by a
public servant in the lawful exercise of the powers of such public servant;

(c) that the provocation is not given by anything done in the lawful exercise of the right
of private defence.

Explanation .—Whether the provocation was grave and sudden enough to prevent
the offence from amounting to murder is a question of fact.

Illustrations

(a) A, under the influence of passion excited by a provocation given by Z, intentionally

kills Y, Z’s child. This is murder, inasmuch as the provocation was not given by the child, and
the death of the child was not caused by accident or misfortune in doing an act caused by the
provocation.

(b) Y gives grave and sudden provocation to A. A, on this provocation, fires a pistol at Y,
neither intending nor knowing himself to be likely to kill Z, who is near him, but out of
sight. A kills Z. Here A has not committed murder but merely culpable homicide.

(c) A is lawfully arrested by Z, a police officer. A is excited to sudden and violent passion
by the arrest, and kills Z. This is murder, inasmuch as the provocation was given by a thing
done by a public servant in the exercise of his powers.

(d) A appears as a witness before Z, a Magistrate. Z says that he does not believe a word
of A’s deposition, and that A has perjured himself. A is moved to sudden passion by these
words, and kills Z. This is murder.

(e) A attempts to pull Z’s nose. Z, in the exercise of the right of private defence, lays hold
of A to prevent him from doing so. A is moved to sudden and violent passion in consequence,
and kills Z. This is murder, inasmuch as the provocation was given by a thing done in the
exercise of the right of private defence.

(f) Z strikes B. B is by this provocation excited to violent rage. A, a bystander, intending to

take advantage of B’s rage, and to cause him to kill Z, puts a knife into B’s hand for that
purpose. B kills Z with the knife. Here B may have committed only culpable homicide, but A is
guilty of murder.

[51/2007]

Exception 2.—Culpable homicide is not murder if the offender, in the exercise in

good faith of the right of private defence of person or property, exceeds the power
given to him by law, and causes the death of the person against whom he is exercising
such right of defence, without premeditation and without any intention of doing more
harm than is necessary for the purpose of such defence.

32
 Illustration

[Deleted by Act 51 of 2007]

Exception 3.—Culpable homicide is not murder if the offender, being a public

servant, or aiding a public servant acting for the advancement of public justice,
exceeds the powers given to him by law, and causes death by doing an act which he,
in good faith, believes to be lawful and necessary for the due discharge of his duty as
such public servant, and without ill-will towards the person whose death is caused.

Exception 4.—Culpable homicide is not murder if it is committed without

premeditation in a sudden fight in the heat of passion upon a sudden quarrel, and
without the offender having taken undue advantage or acted in a cruel or unusual
manner.

Explanation .—It is immaterial in such cases which party offers the provocation or
commits the first assault.

Exception 5.—Culpable homicide is not murder when the person whose death is
caused, being above the age of 18 years, suffers death or takes the risk of death with
his own consent.

Illustration

A, by instigation, voluntarily causes Z, a person under 18 years of age, to commit

suicide. Here, on account of Z’s youth, he was incapable of giving consent to his own
death. A has therefore abetted murder.

Exception 6.—Culpable homicide is not murder if the offender being a woman

voluntarily causes the death of her child being a child under the age of 12 months, and
at the time of the offence the balance of her mind was disturbed by reason of her not
having fully recovered from the effect of giving birth to the child or by reason of the
effect of lactation consequent upon the birth of the child.

Exception 7.—Culpable homicide is not murder if the offender was suffering from
such abnormality of mind (whether arising from a condition of arrested or retarded
development of mind or any inherent causes or induced by disease or injury) as
substantially impaired his mental responsibility for his acts and omissions in causing
the death or being a party to causing the death.

[Indian PC 1860, s. 300]

33
Culpable homicide by causing the death of a person other than the
person whose death was intended
301. If a person, by doing anything which he intends or knows to be likely to
cause death, commits culpable homicide by causing the death of any person
whose death he neither intends nor knows himself to be likely to cause, the
culpable homicide committed by the offender is of the description of which it
would have been if he had caused the death of the person whose death he
intended or knew himself to be likely to cause.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 301]

Punishment for murder

302. —(1) Whoever commits murder within the meaning of section 300(a)
shall be punished with death.
(2) Whoever commits murder within the meaning of section 300(b), (c) or (d)
shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life and shall, if he is not
punished with death, also be liable to caning.
[Act 32 of 2012 wef 01/01/2013]

Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder

304. Whoever commits culpable homicide not amounting to murder shall —
(a) if the act by which death is caused is done with the intention of
causing death, or of causing such bodily injury as is likely to cause
death, be punished with —
(i) imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to caning; or
(ii) imprisonment for a term which may extend to 20 years, and
shall also be liable to fine or to caning; or

(b) if the act is done with the knowledge that it is likely to cause death,
but without any intention to cause death, or to cause such bodily injury
as is likely to cause death, be punished with imprisonment for a term
which may extend to 10 years, or with fine, or with caning, or with any
combination of such punishments.
[Act 32 of 2012 wef 01/01/2013]

Causing death by rash or negligent act

304A. Whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or
negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, shall be punished —
(a) in the case of a rash act, with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to 5 years, or with fine, or with both; or

34
 (b) in the case of a negligent act, with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 304A]

Abetment of suicide of child or insane person

305. If any person under 18 years of age, any insane person, any delirious
person, any idiot, or any person in a state of intoxication, commits suicide,
whoever abets the commission of such suicide shall be punished with death or
imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years,
and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 305]

Abetment of suicide
306. If any person commits suicide, whoever abets the commission of such
suicide shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10
years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 306]

Attempt to murder
307. —(1) Whoever does any act with such intention or knowledge and under
such circumstances that if he by that act caused death he would be guilty of
murder, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 15
years, and shall also be liable to fine; and if hurt is caused to any person by
such act, the offender shall be liable either to imprisonment for life, or to
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 20 years, and shall also be liable
to caning or fine or both.
[62/73; 51/2007]

Illustrations

(a) A shoots at Z with intention to kill him, under such circumstances that, if death
ensued, A would be guilty of murder. A is liable to punishment under this section.

(b) A, with intention of causing the death of a child of tender years, throws the child into a
river. A has committed the offence defined by this section, although the death of the child does
not ensue.

(c) A, intending to murder Z, buys a gun and loads it. A has not yet committed the
offence. A fires the gun at Z. He has committed the offence defined in this section; and if by
such firing he wounds Z, he is liable to the punishment provided by the latter part of this
section.

35
 (d) A, intending to murder Z by poison, purchases poison and mixes the same with food
which remains in A’s keeping; A has not yet committed the offence defined in this
section. A places the food on Z’s table or delivers it to Z’s servants to place it on Z’s table. A
has committed the offence defined in this section.

[51/2007]

Other offences by convicts

(2) When any person offending under this section is under sentence of
imprisonment for life, he may, if hurt is caused, be punished with death.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 307]

Attempt to commit culpable homicide

308. Whoever does any act with such intention or knowledge and under such
circumstances that if he by that act caused death he would be guilty of culpable
homicide not amounting to murder, shall be punished with imprisonment for a
term which may extend to 7 years, or with fine, or with both; and if hurt is caused
to any person by such act, the offender shall be punished with imprisonment for
a term which may extend to 15 years, or with fine, or with caning, or with any
combination of such punishments.
[51/2007]

Illustration

A, on grave and sudden provocation, fires a pistol at Z, under such circumstances

that if he thereby caused death he would be guilty of culpable homicide not amounting
to murder. A has committed the offence defined in this section.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 308]

Attempt to commit suicide

309. Whoever attempts to commit suicide, and does any act towards the
commission of such offence, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term
which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 309]

Infanticide
310. When any woman by any wilful act or omission causes the death of her
child being a child under the age of 12 months, but at the time of the act or
omission the balance of her mind was disturbed by reason of her not having
fully recovered from the effect of giving birth to the child or by reason of the
effect of lactation consequent upon the birth of the child, she shall,

36
notwithstanding that the circumstances were such that but for this section the
offence would have amounted to murder, be guilty of the offence of infanticide.

Punishment for infanticide

311. Whoever commits the offence of infanticide shall be punished at the
discretion of the court with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term
which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Causing miscarriage; injuries to

unborn children; exposure of infants; and concealment of births

Causing miscarriage
312. Subject to the provisions of the Termination of Pregnancy Act (Cap.
324), whoever voluntarily causes a woman with child to miscarry, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, or with
fine, or with both; and if the woman is quick with child, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable
to fine.
[32/80]

Explanation .—A woman who causes herself to miscarry is within the meaning of
this section.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 312]

Causing miscarriage without woman's consent

313. Whoever commits the offence defined in section 312, without the
consent of the woman, whether the woman is quick with child or not, shall be
punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 313]

Death caused by act done with intent to cause miscarriage

314. Subject to the provisions of the Termination of Pregnancy Act (Cap.
324), whoever with intent to cause the miscarriage of a woman with child does
any act which causes the death of such woman, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable
to fine; and if the act is done without the consent of the woman, shall be
punished either with imprisonment for life, or with the punishment above-
mentioned.
[32/80]

Explanation .—It is not essential to this offence that the offender should know that
the act is likely to cause death.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 314]

37
Child destruction before, at or immediately after birth
315. —(1) Subject to the provisions of the Termination of Pregnancy Act,
whoever, with intent to destroy the life of a child capable of being born alive, by
any wilful act causes a child to die before it has an existence independent of its
mother or by such act causes the child to die after its birth, shall, unless such
act is immediately necessary to save the life of the mother, be punished with
imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, or with fine, or with both.
[32/80; 51/2007]

(2) For the purposes of this section, evidence that a woman had at any
material time been pregnant for a period of 28 weeks or more shall be prima
facie evidence that she was at that time pregnant of a child capable of being
born alive.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 315]

Causing death of a quick unborn child by an act amounting to culpable

homicide
316. Whoever does any act under such circumstances that if he thereby
caused death he would be guilty of culpable homicide, and does by such act
cause the death of a quick unborn child, shall be punished with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Illustration

A, knowing that he is likely to cause the death of a pregnant woman, does an act
which, if it caused the death of the woman, would amount to culpable homicide. The
woman is injured, but does not die; but the death of an unborn quick child with which
she is pregnant is thereby caused. A is guilty of the offence defined in this section.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 316]

Exposure and abandonment of a child under 12 years by parent or

person having care of it
317. Whoever, being the father or mother of a child under the age of 12
years, or having the care of such child, exposes or leaves such child in any
place with the intention of wholly abandoning such child shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, or with fine, or with both.

Explanation .—This section is not intended to prevent the trial of the offender for
murder or culpable homicide as the case may be, if the child dies in consequence of
the exposure.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 317]

38
Concealment of birth by secret disposal of dead body
318. Whoever by secretly burying or otherwise disposing of the dead body
of a child, whether such child dies before or after or during its birth, intentionally
conceals or endeavours to conceal the birth of such child shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 318]

Hurt

Hurt
319. Whoever causes bodily pain, disease or infirmity to any person is said
to cause hurt.

Explanation .—A person is said to cause hurt if he causes another person to be

unconscious.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 319]

Grievous hurt
320. The following kinds of hurt only are designated as “grievous”:
(a) emasculation;
(aa) death;
(b) permanent privation of the sight of either eye;
(c) permanent privation of the hearing of either ear;
(d) privation of any member or joint;
(e) destruction or permanent impairing of the powers of any member or
joint;
(f) permanent disfiguration of the head or face;
(g) fracture or dislocation of a bone;
(h) any hurt which endangers life, or which causes the sufferer to be,
during the space of 20 days, in severe bodily pain, or unable to follow
his ordinary pursuits;
(i) penetration of the vagina or anus, as the case may be, of a person
without that person’s consent, which causes severe bodily pain.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 320]

39
Voluntarily causing hurt
321. Whoever does any act with the intention of thereby causing hurt to any
person, or with the knowledge that he is likely thereby to cause hurt to any
person, and does thereby cause hurt to any person, is said “voluntarily to cause
hurt”.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 321]

Voluntarily causing grievous hurt

322. Whoever voluntarily causes hurt, if the hurt which he intends to cause
or knows himself to be likely to cause is grievous hurt, and if the hurt which he
causes is grievous hurt, is said “voluntarily to cause grievous hurt”.

Explanation .—A person is not said voluntarily to cause grievous hurt except when
he both causes grievous hurt and intends or knows himself to be likely to cause
grievous hurt. But he is said voluntarily to cause grievous hurt if, intending or knowing
himself to be likely to cause grievous hurt of one kind, he actually causes grievous hurt
of another kind.

Illustration

A, intending or knowing himself to be likely permanently to disfigure Z’s face,

gives Z a blow which does not permanently disfigure Z’s face but which causes Z to
suffer severe bodily pain for the space of 20 days. A has voluntarily caused grievous
hurt.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 322]

Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt

323. Whoever, except in the case provided for by section 334, voluntarily
causes hurt, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend
to 2 years, or with fine which may extend to $5,000, or with both.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 323]

Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means

324. Whoever, except in the case provided for by section 334, voluntarily
causes hurt by means of any instrument for shooting, stabbing or cutting, or any
instrument which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death, or by
means of fire or any heated substance, or by means of any poison or any
corrosive substance, or by means of any explosive substance, or by means of
any substance which it is deleterious to the human body to inhale, to swallow,
or to receive into the blood, or by means of any animal, shall be punished with

40
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, or with fine, or with
caning, or with any combination of such punishments.
[62/73; 51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 324]

Punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt

325. Whoever, except in the case provided for by section 335, voluntarily
causes grievous hurt, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine or to caning.
[62/73; 51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 325]

Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means

326. Whoever, except in the case provided for by section 335, voluntarily
causes grievous hurt by means of any instrument for shooting, stabbing or
cutting, or any instrument which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause
death, or by means of fire or any heated substance, or by means of any poison
or any corrosive substance, or by means of any explosive substance, or by
means of any substance which it is deleterious to the human body to inhale, to
swallow, or to receive into the blood, or by means of any animal, shall be
punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to 15 years, and shall also be liable to fine or to caning.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 326]

Voluntarily causing hurt to extort property or to constrain to an illegal

act
327. Whoever voluntarily causes hurt for the purpose of extorting from the
sufferer, or from any person interested in the sufferer, any property or valuable
security, or of constraining the sufferer, or any person interested in such
sufferer, to do anything which is illegal or which may facilitate the commission
of an offence, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend
to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine or to caning.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 327]

Causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence

328. Whoever administers to, or causes to be taken by, any person any
poison or any stupefying, intoxicating or unwholesome drug or other thing, with
intent to cause hurt to such person, or with intent to commit or to facilitate the
commission of an offence, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause
hurt, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10
years, and shall also be liable to fine or to caning.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 328]

41
Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to extort property, or to constrain to
an illegal act
329. Whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt for the purpose of extorting
from the sufferer, or from any person interested in the sufferer, any property or
valuable security, or of constraining the sufferer, or any person interested in
such sufferer, to do anything which is illegal or which may facilitate the
commission of an offence, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable
to fine or to caning.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 329]

Voluntarily causing hurt to extort confession or to compel restoration of

property
330. Whoever voluntarily causes hurt for the purpose of extorting from the
sufferer, or from any person interested in the sufferer, any confession or any
information which may lead to the detection of an offence or misconduct, or for
the purpose of constraining the sufferer, or any person interested in the sufferer,
to restore or to cause the restoration of any property or valuable security, or to
satisfy any claim or demand, or to give information which may lead to the
restoration of any property or valuable security, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable
to fine or to caning.
[51/2007]

Illustrations

(a) A, a police officer, tortures Z in order to induce Z to confess that he committed a

crime. A is guilty of an offence under this section.

(b) A, a police officer, tortures B to induce him to point out where certain stolen property is
deposited. A is guilty of an offence under this section.

(c) A, a customs officer, tortures Z in order to compel him to confess to a pretended offence
against the customs laws. A is guilty of an offence under this section.

[Indian PC 1860, s. 330]

Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to extort confession or to compel

restoration of property
331. Whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt for the purpose of extorting
from the sufferer, or from any person interested in the sufferer, any confession
or any information which may lead to the detection of an offence or misconduct,
or for the purpose of constraining the sufferer, or any person interested in the
sufferer, to restore or to cause the restoration of any property or valuable

42
security, or to satisfy any claim or demand, or to give information which may
lead to the restoration of any property or valuable security, shall be punished
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be
liable to fine or to caning.
[62/73]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 331]

Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty

332. Whoever voluntarily causes hurt to any person being a public servant
in the discharge of his duty as such public servant, or with intent to prevent or
deter that person or any other public servant from discharging his duty as such
public servant, or in consequence of anything done or attempted to be done by
that person in the lawful discharge of his duty as such public servant, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, or with
fine, or with caning, or with any combination of such punishments.
[62/73; 51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 332]

Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty
333. Whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt to any person being a public
servant in the discharge of his duty as such public servant, or with intent to
prevent or deter that person or any other public servant from discharging his
duty as such public servant, or in consequence of anything done or attempted
to be done by that person in the lawful discharge of his duty as such public
servant, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to
15 years, and shall also be liable to fine or to caning.
[62/73; 51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 333]

Voluntarily causing hurt on provocation

334. Whoever voluntarily causes hurt on grave and sudden provocation, if
he neither intends nor knows himself to be likely to cause hurt to any person
other than the person who gave the provocation, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 months, or with fine which may
extend to $2,500, or with both.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 334]

Causing grievous hurt on provocation

335. Whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt on grave and sudden
provocation, if he neither intends nor knows himself to be likely to cause
grievous hurt to any person other than the person who gave the provocation,

43
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 years, or
with fine which may extend to $10,000, or with both.
[51/2007]

Explanation .—Sections 334 and 335 are subject to the same provisos as exception
1 of section 300.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 335]

Punishment for act which endangers life or the personal safety of others
336. Whoever does any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human
life or the personal safety of others, shall be punished —
(a) in the case of a rash act, with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $2,500, or with
both; or
(b) in the case of a negligent act, with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to 3 months, or with fine which may extend to $1,500, or with
both.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 336]

Causing hurt by an act which endangers life or the personal safety of

others
337. Whoever causes hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or
negligently as to endanger human life or the personal safety of others, shall be
punished —
(a) in the case of a rash act, with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to $5,000, or with
both; or
(b) in the case of a negligent act, with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $2,500, or with
both.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 337]

Causing grievous hurt by an act which endangers life or the personal

safety of others
338. Whoever causes grievous hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly
or negligently as to endanger human life or the personal safety of others, shall
be punished —

44
 (a) in the case of a rash act, with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to 4 years, or with fine which may extend to $10,000, or with
both; or
(b) in the case of a negligent act, with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to 2 years, or with fine which may extend to $5,000, or with
both.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 338]

Wrongful restraint and wrongful confinement

Wrongful restraint
339. Whoever voluntarily obstructs any person, so as to prevent that person
from proceeding in any direction in which that person has a right to proceed, is
said wrongfully to restrain that person.

Exception.—The obstruction of a private way over land or water which a person in

good faith believes himself to have a lawful right to obstruct, is not an offence within
the meaning of this section.

Illustrations

A obstructs a path along which Z has a right to pass, A not believing in good faith
that he has a right to stop the path. Z is thereby prevented from passing. A wrongfully
restrains Z.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 339]

Wrongful confinement
340. Whoever wrongfully restrains any person in such a manner as to
prevent that person from proceeding beyond certain circumscribing limits, is
said “wrongfully to confine” that person.

Illustrations

(a) A causes Z to go within a walled space, and locks Z in. Z is thus prevented from
proceeding in any direction beyond the circumscribing line of wall. A wrongfully confines Z.

(b) A places men with firearms at the outlets of a building and tells Z that they will fire
at Z if Z attempts to leave the building. A wrongfully confines Z.

[Indian PC 1860, s. 340]

45
Punishment for wrongful restraint
341. Whoever wrongfully restrains any person shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may
extend to $1,500, or with both.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 341]

Punishment for wrongful confinement

342. Whoever wrongfully confines any person shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may
extend to $3,000, or with both.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 342]

Wrongful confinement for 3 or more days

343. Whoever wrongfully confines any person for 3 days or more, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with
fine, or with both.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 343]

Wrongful confinement for 10 or more days

344. Whoever wrongfully confines any person for 10 days or more, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and shall
also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 344]

Wrongful confinement of person for whose liberation a writ has been

issued
345. Whoever keeps any person in wrongful confinement, knowing that a
writ for the liberation of that person has been duly issued, shall be punished
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, in addition to any
term of imprisonment to which he may be liable under any other section of this
Code.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 345]

Wrongful confinement in secret

346. Whoever wrongfully confines any person in such a manner as to
indicate an intention that the confinement of that person may not be known to
any person interested in the person so confined, or to any public servant, or that
the place of such confinement may not be known to or discovered by any such
person or public servant as hereinbefore mentioned, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, in addition to any other
punishment to which he may be liable for such wrongful confinement.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 346]

46
Wrongful confinement for the purpose of extorting property or
constraining to an illegal act
347. Whoever wrongfully confines any person for the purpose of extorting
from the person confined, or from any person interested in the person confined,
any property or valuable security, or of constraining the person confined, or any
person interested in such person, to do anything illegal or to give any
information which may facilitate the commission of an offence, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and shall
also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 347]

Wrongful confinement for the purpose of extorting confession or of

compelling restoration of property
348. Whoever wrongfully confines any person for the purpose of extorting
from the person confined, or from any person interested in the person confined,
any confession or any information which may lead to the detection of an offence
or misconduct, or for the purpose of constraining the person confined, or any
person interested in the person confined, to restore, or to cause the restoration
of any property or valuable security, or to satisfy any claim or demand, or to
give information which may lead to the restoration of any property or valuable
security, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3
years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 348]

Criminal force and assault

Force
349. A person is said to use force to another if he causes motion, change of
motion, or cessation of motion to that other, or if he causes to any substance
such motion, or change of motion, or cessation of motion as brings that
substance into contact with any part of that other’s body, or with anything which
that other is wearing or carrying, or with anything so situated that such contact
affects that other’s sense of feeling:
Provided that the person causing the motion, or change of motion, or
cessation of motion, causes that motion, change of motion, or cessation of
motion in one of the following 3 ways:

(a) by his own bodily power;

(b) by disposing any substance in such a manner that the motion, or
change or cessation of motion, takes place without any further act on
his part, or on the part of any other person;

47
 (c) by inducing any animal to move, to change its motion, or to cease to
move.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 349]

Criminal force
350. Whoever intentionally uses force to any person, without that person’s
consent, in order to cause the committing of any offence, or intending by the
use of such force illegally to cause, or knowing it to be likely that by the use of
such force he will illegally cause injury, fear or annoyance to the person to whom
the force is used, is said to use criminal force to that other.

Illustrations

(a) Z is sitting in a moored boat on a river. A unfastens the moorings, and thus intentionally
causes the boat to drift down the stream. Here A intentionally causes motion to Z, and he does
this by disposing substances in such a manner that the motion is produced without any other
act on any person’s part. A has therefore intentionally used force to Z; and if he has done so
without Z’s consent, in order to cause the committing of any offence, or intending or knowing
it to be likely that this use of force will cause injury, fear or annoyance to Z, A has used criminal
force to Z.

(b) Z is riding a horse. A lashes Z’s horse, and thereby causes it to quicken its pace.
Here A has caused change of motion to Z by inducing the horse to change its motion. A has
therefore used force to Z; and if A has done this without Z’s consent, intending or knowing it
to be likely that he may thereby injure, frighten or annoy Z, A has used criminal force to Z.

(c) Z is riding a horse. A, intending to cause hurt to Z, seizes the horse and stops it.
Here A has caused cessation of motion to Z, and he has done this by his own bodily
power. A has therefore used force to Z; and as A has acted thus intentionally without Z’s
consent, in order to cause the commission of an offence, A has used criminal force to Z.

(d) A intentionally pushes against Z in the street. Here A has by his own bodily power
moved his own person so as to bring it into contact with Z. He has therefore intentionally used
force to Z, and if he has done so without Z’s consent, intending or knowing it to be likely that
he may thereby injure, frighten or annoy Z, he has used criminal force to Z.

(e) A throws a stone, intending or knowing it to be likely that the stone will be thus brought
into contact with Z, or with Z’s clothes, or with something carried by Z, or that it will strike water
and dash up the water against Z’s clothes, or something carried by Z. Here if the throwing of
the stone produces the effect of causing any substance to come into contact with Z, or Z’s
clothes, A has used force to Z; and if he has done so without Z’s consent, intending thereby
to injure, frighten or annoy Z, he has used criminal force to Z.

(f) A intentionally pulls up a woman’s veil. Here A intentionally uses force to her; and if he
does so without her consent, intending or knowing it to be likely that he may thereby injure,
frighten or annoy her, he has used criminal force to her.

48
 (g) Z is bathing. A pours into the bath water which he knows to be boiling.
Here A intentionally by his own bodily power causes such motion in the boiling water as brings
that water into contact with Z, or with other water so situated that such contact must affect Z’s
sense of feeling; A has therefore intentionally used force to Z; and if he has done this
without Z’s consent, intending or knowing it to be likely that he may thereby cause injury, fear
or annoyance to Z, A has used criminal force to Z.

(h) A incites a dog to spring upon Z without Z’s consent. Here, if A intends to cause injury,
fear or annoyance to Z, he uses criminal force to Z.

(i) [Deleted by Act 51 of 2007]

[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 350]

Assault
351. Whoever makes any gesture or any preparation, intending or knowing
it to be likely that such gesture or preparation will cause any person present to
apprehend that he who makes that gesture or preparation is about to use
criminal force to that person, is said to commit an assault.

Explanation .—Mere words do not amount to an assault. But the words which a
person uses may give to his gestures or preparations such a meaning as may make
those gestures or preparations amount to an assault.

Illustrations

(a) A shakes his fist at Z, intending or knowing it to be likely that he may thereby cause Z to
believe that A is about to strike Z. A has committed an assault.

(b) A begins to unloose the muzzle of a ferocious dog, intending or knowing it to be likely
that he may thereby cause Z to believe that he is about to cause the dog to attack Z. A has
committed an assault upon Z.

(c) A takes up a stick, saying to Z, “I will give you a beating”. Here, though the words used
by A could in no case amount to an assault, and though the mere gesture, unaccompanied by
any other circumstances might not amount to an assault, the gesture explained by the words
may amount to an assault.

[Indian PC 1860, s. 351]

Punishment for using criminal force otherwise than on grave and

sudden provocation
352. Whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any person otherwise than
on grave and sudden provocation given by that person, shall be punished with

49
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 months, or with fine which may
extend to $1,500, or with both.
[51/2007]

Explanation .—Grave and sudden provocation will not mitigate the punishment for
an offence under this section, if the provocation is sought or voluntarily provoked by
the offender as an excuse for the offence; or
if the provocation is given by anything done in obedience to the law or by a public
servant in the lawful exercise of the powers of such public servant; or
if the provocation is given by anything done in the lawful exercise of the right of
private defence.
Whether the provocation was grave and sudden enough to mitigate the offence,
is a question of fact.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 352]

Using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty
353. Whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any person being a public
servant in the execution of his duty as such public servant, or with intent to
prevent or deter that person from discharging his duty as such public servant,
or in consequence of anything done or attempted to be done by such person in
the lawful discharge of his duty as such public servant, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 4 years, or with fine, or with both.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 353]

Assault or use of criminal force to a person with intent to outrage

modesty
354. —(1) Whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any person, intending
to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage the modesty of
that person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend
to 2 years, or with fine, or with caning, or with any combination of such
punishments.
[51/2007]

(2) Whoever commits an offence under subsection (1) against any person
under 14 years of age shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which
may extend to 5 years, or with fine, or with caning, or with any combination of
such punishments.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 354]

Outraging modesty in certain circumstances

354A.—(1) Whoever, in order to commit or to facilitate the commission of an
offence against any person under section 354, voluntarily causes or attempts
to cause to that person death, or hurt, or wrongful restraint, or fear of instant
death, instant hurt or instant wrongful restraint, shall be punished with

50
imprisonment for a term of not less than 2 years and not more than 10 years
and with caning.
[23/84]

(2) Whoever commits an offence under subsection (1) —

(a) in a lift in any building; or
(b) against any person under 14 years of age,
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of not less than 3 years and not
more than 10 years and with caning.

Assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour otherwise than on

grave and sudden provocation
355. Whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any person, intending
thereby to dishonour that person, otherwise than on grave and sudden
provocation given by that person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a
term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 355]

Assault or criminal force in committing or attempting to commit theft of

property carried by a person
356. Whoever assaults or uses criminal force on any person, in committing
or attempting to commit theft of any property which that person is then wearing
or carrying, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of not less than one
year and not more than 7 years, and shall also be liable to caning.
[23/84]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 356]

Assault or criminal force in attempting wrongfully to confine a person

357. Whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any person, in attempting
wrongfully to confine that person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a
term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to $3,000,
or with both.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 357]

Assaulting or using criminal force on grave and sudden provocation

358. Whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any person on grave and
sudden provocation given by that person, shall be punished with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to
$1,000, or with both.
[51/2007]

Explanation .—This section is subject to the same explanation as section 352.

[Indian PC 1860, s. 358]

51
 Kidnapping, abduction, slavery and forced labour

Kidnapping
359. Kidnapping is of two kinds: kidnapping from Singapore, and kidnapping
from lawful guardianship.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 359]

Kidnapping from Singapore

360. Whoever conveys any person beyond the limits of Singapore without
the consent of that person, or of some person legally authorised to consent on
behalf of that person, is said to kidnap that person from Singapore.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 360]

Kidnapping from lawful guardianship

361. Whoever takes or entices any minor under 14 years of age if a male, or
under 16 years of age if a female, or any person of unsound mind, out of the
keeping of the lawful guardian of such minor or person of unsound mind, without
the consent of such guardian, is said to kidnap such minor or person from lawful
guardianship.

Explanation .—The words “lawful guardian” in this section include any person
lawfully entrusted with the care or custody of such minor or other person.

Exception.—This section does not extend to the act of any person who in good faith
believes himself to be the father of an illegitimate child or who in good faith believes
himself to be entitled to the lawful custody of such child, unless such act is committed
for an immoral or unlawful purpose.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 361]

Abduction
362. Whoever by force compels, or by any deceitful means induces any
person to go from any place, is said to abduct that person.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 362]

Punishment for kidnapping

363. Whoever kidnaps any person from Singapore or from lawful
guardianship, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend
to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine or to caning.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 363]

52
Punishment for abduction
363A. Whoever abducts any person shall be punished with imprisonment for
a term which may extend to 7 years, or with fine, or with caning, or with any
combination of such punishments.
[51/2007]

Kidnapping or abducting in order to murder

364. Whoever kidnaps or abducts any person in order that such person may
be murdered, or may be so disposed of as to be put in danger of being
murdered, shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life and shall, if he
is not sentenced to death, also be liable to caning.

Illustrations

(a) A kidnaps Z from Singapore, intending or knowing it to be likely that Z may be sacrificed
to an idol. A has committed the offence defined in this section.

(b) A forcibly carries or entices B away from his home in order that B may be
murdered. A has committed the offence defined in this section.

[Indian PC 1860, s. 364]

364A. [Repealed by Act 19/2010 wef 21/11/2010]

Kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine a

person
365. Whoever kidnaps or abducts any person with intent to cause that
person to be secretly and wrongfully confined, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable
to fine or to caning.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 365]

Kidnapping or abducting a woman to compel her marriage, etc.

366. Whoever kidnaps or abducts any woman with intent that she may be
compelled, or knowing it to be likely that she will be compelled to marry any
person against her will, or in order that she may be forced or seduced to illicit
intercourse, or to a life of prostitution, or knowing it to be likely that she will be
forced or seduced to illicit intercourse, or to a life of prostitution, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall
also be liable to fine or to caning.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 366]

53
Kidnapping or abducting in order to subject a person to grievous hurt,
slavery, etc.
367. Whoever kidnaps or abducts any person in order that such person may
be subjected, or may be so disposed of as to be put in danger of being subjected
to grievous hurt or slavery, or to non-consensual penile penetration of the anus,
or knowing it to be likely that such person will be so subjected or disposed of,
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years,
and shall also be liable to fine or to caning.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 367]

Wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement a kidnapped person

368. Whoever, knowing that any person has been kidnapped or has been
abducted, wrongfully conceals or keeps such person in confinement, shall be
punished in the same manner as if he had kidnapped or abducted such person
with the same intention or knowledge or for the same purpose as that with or
for which he conceals or detains such person in confinement.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 368]

Kidnapping or abducting child under 10 years with intent to steal

movable property from the person of such child
369. Whoever kidnaps or abducts any child under the age of 10 years, with
the intention of taking dishonestly any movable property from the person of such
child, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10
years, and shall also be liable to fine or to caning.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 369]

Buying or disposing of any person as a slave

370. Whoever imports, exports, removes, buys, sells or disposes of any
person as a slave, or accepts, receives or detains against his will any person
as a slave, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend
to 7 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 370]

Habitual dealing in slaves

371. Whoever habitually imports, exports, removes, buys, sells, traffics or
deals in slaves, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with
imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 371]

Selling minor for purposes of prostitution, etc.

372. Whoever sells, lets to hire, or otherwise disposes of any person under
the age of 21 years with intent that such person shall at any age be employed

54
or used for the purpose of prostitution or illicit intercourse with any person or for
any unlawful and immoral purpose, or knowing it to be likely that such person
will at any age be employed or used for any such purpose, shall be punished
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be
liable to fine.

Explanation .—When a female under the age of 21 years is sold, let for hire, or
otherwise disposed of to a prostitute or to any person who keeps or manages a brothel,
the person so disposing of such female shall, until the contrary is proved, be presumed
to have disposed of her with the intent that she shall be used for the purpose of
prostitution.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 372]

Buying minor for purposes of prostitution, etc.

373. Whoever buys, hires or otherwise obtains possession of any person
under the age of 21 years with intent that such person shall at any age be
employed or used for the purpose of prostitution or illicit intercourse with any
person or for any unlawful and immoral purpose, or knowing it to be likely that
such person will at any age be employed or used for any such purpose, shall
be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and
shall also be liable to fine.

Explanation .—Any prostitute, or any person keeping or managing a brothel, who

buys, hires or otherwise obtains possession of a female under the age of 21 years
shall, until the contrary is proved, be presumed to have obtained possession of such
female with the intent that she shall be used for the purpose of prostitution.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 373]

Importing woman for purposes of prostitution, etc.

373A. Whoever —
(a) by any false pretence, false representation, or fraudulent or deceitful
means, brings, or assists in bringing, into Singapore any woman with
intent that such woman may be employed or used for the purpose of
prostitution;
(b) brings, or assists in bringing, into Singapore any woman with intent
that such woman may be sold or bought for the purpose of
prostitution; or
(c) sells or buys any woman for the purpose of prostitution,
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, and
shall also be liable to fine.

55
Unlawful compulsory labour
374. Whoever unlawfully compels any person to labour against the will of
that person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend
to one year, or with fine, or with both.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 374]

Sexual offences

Rape
375. —(1) Any man who penetrates the vagina of a woman with his penis —
(a) without her consent; or
(b) with or without her consent, when she is under 14 years of age,
shall be guilty of an offence.
[51/2007]

(2) Subject to subsection (3), a man who is guilty of an offence under this
section shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 20
years, and shall also be liable to fine or to caning.
[51/2007]

(3) Whoever —
(a) in order to commit or to facilitate the commission of an offence under
subsection (1) —
(i) voluntarily causes hurt to the woman or to any other person;
or
(ii) puts her in fear of death or hurt to herself or any other
person; or

(b) commits an offence under subsection (1) with a woman under 14

years of age without her consent,
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of not less than 8 years and not
more than 20 years and shall also be punished with caning with not less than
12 strokes.
[51/2007]

(4) No man shall be guilty of an offence under subsection (1) against his
wife, who is not under 13 years of age, except where at the time of the
offence —
(a) his wife was living apart from him —
(i) under an interim judgment of divorce not made final or a
decree nisi for divorce not made absolute;

56
 (ii) under an interim judgment of nullity not made final or a
decree nisi for nullity not made absolute;
(iii) under a judgment or decree of judicial separation; or
(iv) under a written separation agreement;

(b) his wife was living apart from him and proceedings have been
commenced for divorce, nullity or judicial separation, and such
proceedings have not been terminated or concluded;
(c) there was in force a court injunction to the effect of restraining him
from having sexual intercourse with his wife;
(d) there was in force a protection order under section 65 or an expedited
order under section 66 of the Women’s Charter (Cap. 353) made
against him for the benefit of his wife; or
(e) his wife was living apart from him and proceedings have been
commenced for the protection order or expedited order referred to in
paragraph (d), and such proceedings have not been terminated or
concluded.
[51/2007]

(5) Notwithstanding subsection (4), no man shall be guilty of an offence

under subsection (1)(b) for an act of penetration against his wife with her
consent.
[51/2007]
[UK SOA 2003, s. 1; SPC 1985 Ed., s. 375 (repealed); SPC 1985 Ed., s. 376 (repealed); Indian PC
1860, s. 375; Malaysia PC 2006 Ed., s. 375]

Sexual assault by penetration 376.—

(1) Any man (A) who —
(a) penetrates, with A’s penis, the anus or mouth of another person (B);
or
(b) causes another man (B) to penetrate, with B’s penis, the anus or
mouth of A,
shall be guilty of an offence if B did not consent to the penetration.
[51/2007]

(2) Any person (A) who —

(a) sexually penetrates, with a part of A’s body (other than A’s penis) or
anything else, the vagina or anus, as the case may be, of another
person (B);

57
 (b) causes a man (B) to penetrate, with B’s penis, the vagina, anus or
mouth, as the case may be, of another person (C); or
(c) causes another person (B), to sexually penetrate, with a part of B’s
body (other than B’s penis) or anything else, the vagina or anus, as
the case may be, of any person including A or B,
shall be guilty of an offence if B did not consent to the penetration.
[51/2007]

(3) Subject to subsection (4), a person who is guilty of an offence under this
section shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 20
years, and shall also be liable to fine or to caning.
[51/2007]

(4) Whoever —
(a) in order to commit or to facilitate the commission of an offence under
subsection (1) or (2) —
(i) voluntarily causes hurt to any person; or
(ii) puts any person in fear of death or hurt to himself or any
other person; or

(b) commits an offence under subsection (1) or (2) against a person (B)
who is under 14 years of age,
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of not less than 8 years and not
more than 20 years and shall also be punished with caning with not less than
12 strokes.
[51/2007]
[UK SOA 2003, ss. 2, 4; SPC 1985 Ed., s. 376(2) (repealed)]

Sexual penetration of minor under 16376A.—

(1) Any person (A) who —
(a) penetrates, with A’s penis, the vagina, anus or mouth, as the case
may be, of a person under 16 years of age (B);
(b) sexually penetrates, with a part of A’s body (other than A’s penis) or
anything else, the vagina or anus, as the case may be, of a person
under 16 years of age (B);
(c) causes a man under 16 years of age (B) to penetrate, with B’s penis,
the vagina, anus or mouth, as the case may be, of another person
including A; or

58
 (d) causes a person under 16 years of age (B) to sexually penetrate, with
a part of B’s body (other than B’s penis) or anything else, the vagina
or anus, as the case may be, of any person including A or B,
with or without B’s consent, shall be guilty of an offence.
[51/2007]

(2) Subject to subsection (3), a person who is guilty of an offence under this
section shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10
years, or with fine, or with both.
[51/2007]

(3) Whoever commits an offence under this section against a person (B) who
is under 14 years of age shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which
may extend to 20 years, and shall also be liable to fine or to caning.
[51/2007]

(4) No person shall be guilty of an offence under this section for an act of
penetration against his or her spouse with the consent of that spouse.
[51/2007]

(5) No man shall be guilty of an offence under subsection (1)(a) for

penetrating with his penis the vagina of his wife without her consent, if his wife
is not under 13 years of age, except where at the time of the offence —
(a) his wife was living apart from him —
(i) under an interim judgment of divorce not made final or a
decree nisi for divorce not made absolute;
(ii) under an interim judgment of nullity not made final or a
decree nisi for nullity not made absolute;
(iii) under a judgment or decree of judicial separation; or
(iv) under a written separation agreement;

(b) his wife was living apart from him and proceedings have been
commenced for divorce, nullity or judicial separation, and such
proceedings have not been terminated or concluded;
(c) there was in force a court injunction to the effect of restraining him
from having sexual intercourse with his wife;
(d) there was in force a protection order under section 65 or an expedited
order under section 66 of the Women’s Charter (Cap. 353) made
against him for the benefit of his wife; or
(e) his wife was living apart from him and proceedings have been
commenced for the protection order or expedited order referred to in
paragraph (d), and such proceedings have not been terminated or
concluded.
[51/2007]

59
[UK SOA 2003, ss. 6, 8; SPC 1985 Ed., s. 375(e) (read with s. 376(1) (repealed)); SPC 1985 Ed., s.
375; Malaysia PC 2006 Ed., s. 375]

Commercial sex with minor under 18

376B.—(1) Any person who obtains for consideration the sexual services of
a person, who is under 18 years of age, shall be punished with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to 7 years, or with fine, or with both.
[51/2007]

(2) Any person who communicates with another person for the purpose of
obtaining for consideration, the sexual services of a person who is under 18
years of age, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend
to 2 years, or with fine, or with both.
[51/2007]

(3) No person shall be guilty of an offence under this section for any sexual
services obtained from that person’s spouse.
[51/2007]

(4) In this section, “sexual services” means any sexual services involving —
(a) sexual penetration of the vagina or anus, as the case may be, of a
person by a part of another person’s body (other than the penis) or
by anything else; or
(b) penetration of the vagina, anus or mouth, as the case may be, of a
person by a man’s penis.
[51/2007]
[Canada CC R.S. 1985, s. 212; SPC 1985 Ed., s. 376A(1)]

Commercial sex with minor under 18 outside Singapore

376C.—(1) Any person, being a citizen or a permanent resident of
Singapore, who does, outside Singapore, any act that would, if done in
Singapore, constitute an offence under section 376B, shall be guilty of an
offence.
[51/2007]

(2) A person who is guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable to
the same punishment to which he would have been liable had he been
convicted of an offence under section 376B.
[51/2007]
[NZ CA 1961, s. 144A]

Tour outside Singapore for commercial sex with minor under 18376D.—
(1) Any person who —

60
 (a) makes or organises any travel arrangements for or on behalf of any
other person with the intention of facilitating the commission by that
other person of an offence under section 376C, whether or not such
an offence is actually committed by that other person;
(b) transports any other person to a place outside Singapore with the
intention of facilitating the commission by that other person of an
offence under section 376C, whether or not such an offence is
actually committed by that other person; or
(c) prints, publishes or distributes any information that is intended to
promote conduct that would constitute an offence under
section 376C, or to assist any other person to engage in such
conduct,
shall be guilty of an offence.
[51/2007]

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)(c), the publication of information

means publication of information by any means, whether by written, electronic,
or other form of communication.
[51/2007]

(3) A person who is guilty of an offence under this section shall be punished
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, or with fine, or with
both.
[51/2007]
[NZ CA 1961, s. 144C]

Sexual grooming of minor under 16

376E.—(1) Any person of or above the age of 21 years (A) shall be guilty of
an offence if having met or communicated with another person (B) on 2 or more
previous occasions —
(a) A intentionally meets B or travels with the intention of meeting B; and
(b) at the time of the acts referred to in paragraph (a) —
(i) A intends to do anything to or in respect of B, during or after
the meeting, which if done will involve the commission by A
of a relevant offence;
(ii) B is under 16 years of age; and
(iii) A does not reasonably believe that B is of or above the age
of 16 years.
[51/2007]

(2) In subsection (1), “relevant offence” means an offence under —

(a) section 354, 354A, 375, 376, 376A, 376B, 376F, 376G or 377A;

61
 (b) section 7 of the Children and Young Persons Act (Cap. 38); or
(c) section 140(1) of the Women’s Charter (Cap. 353).
[51/2007]

(3) For the purposes of this section, it is immaterial whether the 2 or more
previous occasions of A having met or communicated with B referred to in
subsection (1) took place in or outside Singapore.
[51/2007]

(4) A person who is guilty of an offence under this section shall be punished
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, or with fine, or with
both.
[51/2007]
[UK SOA 2003, s. 15]

Procurement of sexual activity with person with mental disability376F.—

(1) Any person (A) shall be guilty of an offence if —
(a) A intentionally touches another person (B) who has a mental
disability;
(b) the touching is sexual and B consents to the touching;
(c) A obtains B’s consent by means of an inducement offered or given, a
threat made or a deception practised by A for that purpose; and
(d) A knows or could reasonably be expected to know that B has a mental
disability.
[51/2007]

(2) Subject to subsection (3), a person who is guilty of an offence under this
section shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2
years, or with fine, or with both.
[51/2007]

(3) If the touching involved —

(a) penetration of the vagina or anus, as the case may be, with a part of
the body or anything else; or
(b) penetration of the mouth with the penis,
a person who is guilty of an offence under this section shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, or with fine, or with both.
[51/2007]

(4) No person shall be guilty of an offence under this section for any act with
that person’s spouse.
[51/2007]

(5) For the purposes of this section —

62
 “mental disability” means an impairment of or a disturbance in the
functioning of the mind or brain resulting from any disability or disorder
of the mind or brain which impairs the ability to make a proper
judgement in the giving of consent to sexual touching;

“touching” includes touching —

(a) with any part of the body;
(b) with anything else; or
(c) through anything,
and includes penetration.
[51/2007]
[UK SOA 2003, ss. 34, 79; UK MH Bill 2004, clause 2(6)]

Incest
376G.—(1) Any man of or above the age of 16 years (A) who —
(a) sexually penetrates the vagina or anus of a woman (B) with a part of
A’s body (other than A’s penis) or anything else; or
(b) penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of a woman (B) with his penis,
with or without B’s consent where B is to A’s knowledge A’s grand-daughter,
daughter, sister, half-sister, mother or grandmother (whether such relationship
is or is not traced through lawful wedlock), shall be guilty of an offence.
[51/2007]

(2) Any woman of or above the age of 16 years who, with consent, permits
her grandfather, father, brother, half-brother, son or grandson (whether such
relationship is or is not traced through lawful wedlock) to penetrate her in the
manner described in subsection (1)(a) or (b), knowing him to be her
grandfather, father, brother, half-brother, son or grandson, as the case may be,
shall be guilty of an offence.
[51/2007]

(3) Subject to subsection (4), a man who is guilty of an offence under

subsection (1) shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to 5 years.
[51/2007]

(4) If a man commits an offence under subsection (1) against a woman

under 14 years of age, he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which
may extend to 14 years.
[51/2007]

(5) A woman who is guilty of an offence under subsection (2) shall be

punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years.

63
 [51/2007]
[UK SOA 2003, s. 64; SPC 1985 Ed., ss. 376A, 376B, 376C (repealed)]

Sexual penetration of a corpse

377.—(1) Any man who penetrates, with his penis, the vagina, anus or
mouth, as the case may be, of a human corpse, shall be guilty of an offence.
[51/2007]

(2) A man who is guilty of an offence under subsection (1) shall be punished
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years, or with fine, or with
both.
[51/2007]

(3) Any person (A) who causes any man (B) to penetrate with B’s penis, the
vagina, anus or mouth, as the case may be, of a human corpse, shall be guilty
of an offence if B did not consent to the penetration.
[51/2007]

(4) A person who is guilty of an offence under subsection (3) shall be

punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 20 years, and shall
also be liable to fine or to caning.
[51/2007]
[UK SOA 2003, s. 70]

Outrages on decency
377A. Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the
commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male
person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years.

Sexual penetration with living animal

377B.—(1) Any person (A) who —
(a) penetrates, with A’s penis, the vagina, anus or any orifice of an
animal; or
(b) causes or permits A’s vagina, anus or mouth, as the case may be, to
be penetrated by the penis of an animal,
shall be guilty of an offence.
[51/2007]

(2) A person who is guilty of an offence under subsection (1) shall be

punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with
fine, or with both.
[51/2007]

64
 (3) Any person (A) who —
(a) causes any man (B) to penetrate, with B’s penis, the vagina, anus or
any orifice of an animal; or
(b) causes the vagina, anus or mouth, as the case may be, of another
person (B) to be penetrated with the penis of an animal,
shall be guilty of an offence if B did not consent to the penetration.
[51/2007]

(4) A person who is guilty of an offence under subsection (3) shall be

punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 20 years, and shall
also be liable to fine or to caning.
[51/2007]
[UK SOA 2003, s. 69]

Interpretation of sections 375 to 377B (sexual offences)

377C. In sections 375 to 377B —
(a) penetration is a continuing act from entry to withdrawal;
(b) references to a part of the body include references to a part which is
surgically constructed (in particular, through a sex reassignment
procedure);
(c) for the purposes of identifying the sex of a person —
(i) the sex of a person as stated in that person’s identity card
issued under the National Registration Act (Cap. 201) at the
time the sexual activity took place shall be prima facie
evidence of the sex of that person; and
(ii) a person who has undergone a sex reassignment procedure
shall be identified as being of the sex to which that person
has been reassigned;

(d) penetration, touching or other activity is “sexual” if —

(i) because of its nature it is sexual, whatever its circumstances
or any person’s purpose in relation to it may be; or
(ii) because of its nature it may be sexual and because of its
circumstances or the purpose of any person in relation to it
(or both) it is sexual;

(e) “vagina” includes vulva.

[51/2007]
[UK SOA 2003, ss. 78, 79; WC 1997 Ed., s. 12(3)]

65
Mistake as to age
377D.—(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) and notwithstanding anything
in section 79, a reasonable mistake as to the age of a person shall not be a
defence to any charge of an offence under section 376A(2), 376B or 376C.
[51/2007]

(2) In the case of a person who at the time of the alleged offence was under
21 years of age, the presence of a reasonable mistaken belief that the minor,
who is of the opposite sex, was of or above —
(a) the age of 16 years, shall be a valid defence to a charge of an offence
under section 376A(2); or
(b) the age of 18 years, shall be a valid defence to a charge of an offence
under section 376B or 376C.
[51/2007]

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2), the defence under that subsection
shall no longer be available if at the time of the offence, the person charged with
that offence has previously been charged in court for an offence under
section 376A, 376B, 376C or 376E, or section 7 of the Children and Young
Persons Act (Cap. 38) or section 140(1)(i) of the Women’s Charter (Cap. 353).
[51/2007]
[WC 1997 Ed., s. 140(4) and (5)]

66
 ANNEX B

GUIDELINES FOR
CASE MASTER ACTION PLANNING
(CASE MAP)

March 2019

1
Content Page

Section Title Page

1 Objectives of Guidelines 5-6

2 Principles of Case Master Action Planning 6-7

3 Desired Outcome of Case Master Action 7-8

Planning

4 Framework of Case Master Action Planning 8

5 Development of Case Master Action Plan 9 - 10

6 Roles of a Lead Case Agency in Case Master 11 - 15

Action Planning

7 Roles of Stakeholders involved in Case Master 16 - 18

Action Planning

8 Case Escalation Protocol 18 - 20

9 References 21 - 22

10 Annex A: Examples of Complex Cases involving 23 - 25

Multi-Agencies and the possible Lead Agencies

11 Annex B: Coordinated Case Management 26

Framework

12 Annex C: Case Master Action Plan Template 27

13 Annex D: Considerations for an Aligned Case 28 - 29

Plan

14 Annex E: Principles of case handovers 30

developed by MSF’s Office of the Director of
Social Welfare

15 Annex F: Transfer of Lead Case Manager 31

2
This guide was developed by an inter-agency Workgroup as part of the overall efforts
to strengthen the delivery, planning and coordination of social assistance and services
for lower-income households with multiple needs.

This Workgroup comprised representatives from the following agencies:

Chairperson

Ministry of Social and Ms Denise Low Director

Family Development (Service Delivery and
Coordination Division)

Members

Agency for Integrated Care Dr Wong Loong Mun Chief

(Care Transition Division)

Agency for Integrated Care Ms Kan Hong Qing Senior Manager

(Care Transition Division)

Central Provident Fund Ms Sim Hoon Head

Board (QSM Office)

e2i Ms Kristin Loh Assistant Director

(Career Centre Business
Champion)

Housing & Development Mr John Lim Deputy Director

Board (Rental Housing Allocation
Sections)

Ministry of Health Ms Long Chey May Senior Principal Project

Administrator (Allied Health
Professionals), Office of the
Director of Medical Services

Ministry of Education Mdm Lee Tee Choon Superintendent South 4

(Schools Division)

Ministry of Education Ms Geraldine Ong Deputy Director

(Student Affairs, ITE)

Ministry of Social and Ms Rachel Ang Deputy Director

Family Development (Social Service ICT
Programme Office)

Workforce Singapore Ms Catherine Goh Deputy Director

(Career Services Division)

3
Secretariat Team

Ministry of Social and Ms Gail Tan General Manager

Family Development SSO @ Tampines, Pasir Ris
and Punggol

Ministry of Social and Ms Irene Chong Assistant General Manager

Family Development SSO @ Woodlands and
Sembawang

Ministry of Social and Ms Melissa Kong Manager

Family Development (Service Delivery and
Coordination Division)

With inputs from

• Early Childhood Development Agency

• Office of the Director of Social Welfare, Ministry of Social and Family

Development

• Rehabilitation and Protection Group, Ministry of Social and Family Development

• Social Policy and Services Group (ComCare and Social Support Division and
Service Delivery and Coordination Division), Ministry of Social and Family
Development

• Participants in Focus Group Discussions from Agency for Integrated Care, Child
Protection Specialist Centres, Cluster Support, Family Resource Centres, Family
Service Centres, Family Violence Specialist Centres, Public Healthcare
Institutions and Schools

• Participants in Case Simulation Exercises from Agency for Integrated Care,

Family Service Centres, Community Mental Health agencies, Housing &
Development Board and Public Healthcare Institutions

4
1. Objectives of the Guidelines for Case Master Action Planning

1.1 Low-income and/or vulnerable clients1 2 who have multiple needs and/or risk
factors (see Figure 1 for an example of risk factors and needs) usually require a range
of services from different agencies3 and hence may be seen by multiple caseworkers
(please refer to Annex A for examples of such cases). With different agency
mandates and caseworkers’ varied perspectives, adopting a common frame for
integrated case management work amongst agencies is crucial. It enables agencies
to appreciate a holistic view of the client’s needs and provide a multi-prong yet
coordinated4 and integrated approach to address the risks/needs more effectively.

Figure 1: List of risk factors and needs

1.2 The Guidelines for Case Master Action Planning serves as a reference for all
agencies / caseworkers engaged in multi-agency5 work to:

(i) Facilitate a coordinated and holistic approach in case planning to meet

the needs of cases with multiple risk factors and/or needs;

1
Agencies may have a different primary “client”. In this Guidelines, the “client” is a generic term to refer
to the entire family unit (inclusive of the child/children in the family) or case.
2
“Clients” can refer to “individuals” and “families” and are used interchangeably in this document.
3
“Agencies” can include both government agencies, social service agencies, as well as Grassroots
Organisations, schools and community agencies.
4
In this document, “coordinated” also includes “alignment” and may be used interchangeably.
5
“Multi-agency” and “inter-agency” are used interchangeably in this Guidelines, and refer to the process
of having more than 1 agency working together on a case.

5
 (ii) Outline the roles and responsibilities of a lead agency 6 to help drive
alignment of multi-agency case plans and case coordination;

(iii) Outline the roles and responsibilities of agencies / caseworkers involved;

and

(iv) Provide an escalation protocol for agencies to highlight barriers and

challenges in the interagency work or if there are concerns surrounding
the coordination and progress of the case.

1.3 The approach adopted in this Guidelines takes reference from the Systems
Theory: seeing clients’ issues in relation to their family system and the larger
ecosystem. Systems Theory aids us in developing a holistic view of individuals within
their environment, and is useful for cases when the client is facing multiple stressors
and/or known to many agencies, and where several interconnected systems may be
influencing one another. As one function of the helping professionals is to aid the
clients to navigate the various systems that affect their lives, it is crucial to have a deep
understanding of how subsystems are interrelated and influence one another.

1.4 Having an understanding of the many theories that inform the work with families
provides workers with more angles of assessment and more avenues for intervention.
It is essential that workers do not make a decision by just focusing on one particular
theory of preference.

1.5 The Guidelines also referenced the Resource Dependence theoretical

framework which postulates that agencies depend on other organizations for
resources needed to meet their objectives. This is especially important as one agency
may not be able to meet all of the client’s needs, due to a possible range of reasons
(e.g. lack of resources, agency mandate, expertise etc). Hence the collaboration and
inter-dependence amongst agencies serves to bring together each other’s resources
to meet these needs. Coordination serves to manage this increasing inter-
connectedness.

1.6 These Guidelines are built upon the Coordinated Case Management (CCM)
Framework originally developed in 2016 (please refer to Annex B for the CCM
Framework) by an inter-agency workgroup convened by the Ministry of Social and
Family Development (MSF). The Guidelines should be read in conjunction with
existing protocols such as the Hoarding Management Framework, MOE-SSO-FSC
referral protocol, and FSC’s Case Management Plan.

2 Principles of Case Master Action Planning

2.1 The following principles undergird effective practice towards reaching

coordinated and aligned multi-agency case plans:

(i) Collaborative inter-agency approach: Adopt a collaborative approach

across different agencies in rendering aligned services that minimise
unnecessary friction and stress for client and their families; and

6
“Lead case agency” and “lead case manager” are used interchangeably.

6
 (ii) Client-centric approach: Clients’ well-being and interests, especially
the vulnerable members of the family, should be prioritised over agency’s
needs. Agencies’ decisions and plans should be guided by this principle.
Clients’ views should also be taken into consideration, in respecting their
inherent dignity and worth.

3 Desired Outcome of Case Master Action Planning

3.1 The desired outcome of Case Master Action Planning is to support clients
towards stability and self-reliance by better coordinating the efforts of the multi-
agencies and clients through the following means:

(i) Effective lead agency that coordinates and aligns help agencies’ efforts
in supporting families towards achieving stability and/or self-reliance
(this may include riding on available levers agencies may have);

(ii) Seamless and timely information exchange and clear

communication across help agencies to facilitate more cohesive and
prompt delivery of assistance to clients; and

(iii) Improved service delivery through timely resolution of systemic, cross-

cutting social issues.

3.2 What a client would see is one integrated action plan, i.e. One Client, One Case
Plan, (see Figure 2) that includes the various agencies’ plans implemented in a
coordinated manner, in some order of priority.

7
Figure 2: One Client, One Case Plan

4 Framework for Case Master Action Planning

4.1 The framework in Figure 3 identifies three types of levers to support and guide
case coordination efforts:

(i) Policy levers - Driven by agency mandate and philosophy, client

experience can be enhanced through streamlined information systems
and data-sharing arrangement;

(ii) Process / Practice enhancement – Standards, guidelines and inter-

agency protocols can be established (e.g. on roles and responsibility of
a lead case agency; case escalation protocol etc) and cross-sector
systems knowledge can be developed; and

(iii) People development - Capability development of effective case

managers and/or case leads can be strengthened through relevant and
cross-sector training and attachment etc.

Figure 3: Framework for Coordinated, Aligned Case Plans

8
5 Development of Case Master Action Plan (Case MAP)

5.1 Effective engagement is crucial in working with families with multiple needs
and/or risk factors. This is especially so if these families have had a history of non-
engagement or had rejected previous support services for various reasons. Holistic
information gathering is thus pivotal in gaining a broader, more detailed and accurate
picture of the case. This ensures that appropriate intervention plans can be
developed, and services delivered in a coordinated manner.

5.2 Figure 4 shows the workflow when a case is surfaced for case coordination,
and how agencies can work towards developing a Case MAP (see Annex C7 for a
guide on critical information to be captured and Annex D for the considerations for an
aligned case plan).

5.3 As many agencies may be involved in a case with multiple needs or risks,
convening a multi-agency case conference8 is a useful approach in gathering all
relevant stakeholders at one platform to exchange information on their work with the
family in a timely manner and coordinate follow-up plans. This is also a measure of
good practice for management of complex cases. From here, they can better
collectively formulate a holistic assessment and develop a coordinated and integrated
intervention plan for the family.

5.4 Through case conferencing, the various systems and agencies can discuss and
agree on collaborative ways to address the needs of the family. There could be a
possibility of holding more than one case conference for the client – depending on the
urgency and role of the agencies. For example, in the event of crisis management,
agencies should refer to their existing crisis management protocols to respond to the
crisis, address/lower the risks and bring the situation to stability and ensure safety of
persons. A crisis management case discussion may be convened with relevant
agencies to address the crisis first, prior to bringing in other partners to work on other
needs.

5.5 One key outcome from the case conference is to develop one Case MAP - an
integrated and aligned case plan drawn up with all agencies. The Case MAP is
implemented in consultation with the families. After the multi-agency case conference,
a family conference may be held where the Lead Agency (or another stakeholder who
has good rapport with the family) can discuss with the family on the Case MAP. The
family should be guided on drawing up suitable goals within the agreed timeline, take
ownership and responsibility for the plans, and commit to working with the respective
agencies on achieving these goals.

5.6 Some tips on how to conduct an inter-agency case conference can be found in
MSF Strengthening Families Together Practitioner’s Resource Guide, Volume 2,
Working Effectively with Systems to Support Vulnerable Families, (Apr 2015),
Retrieved from https://app.msf.gov.sg/Publications/Strengthening-Families-Together-
SFT-Pilot-Practitioners-Resource-Guides.

7This serve as a reference guide. Agencies may use your existing templates or develop one to capture
the suggested information.
8
“Case conference” is used interchangeably with “case discussion”.

9
10
6 Roles of a Lead Case Agency in Case Master Action Planning

6.1 A client or family with multiple needs may be known to (or would benefit from
referral to) multiple agencies. Whilst he/she is receiving services and support from
these agencies, to reduce the likelihood of cases falling through the cracks, one lead
case manager/agency - amongst all the help services known to the family - should be
identified to be the primary case coordinator. The lead agency should ensure that all
agencies’ plans are coordinated, aligned and holistic, with each agency playing its part
in providing timely services and support for these families until case closure. The lead
case agency may change over time depending on the circumstances of the case;
which would be agreed upon by the agencies involved.

(i) ldentification of the lead case agency10

6.2 The lead case agency should be determined based on a consensus among the
agencies. The following are usually appropriate reference points:

(a) Need-service fit. The lead agency will normally be the service which has
the largest involvement in supporting the needs of the client. The multi-
agency team may decide how this should be best achieved. E.g.

- Which agency has the most interaction and rapport with the client;
and

- Which agency bears the responsibility for most of the items on the
action plan or actions.

(b) Statutory involvement11 (e.g. the client is under active statutory order and
case management for rehabilitation or for the protection of vulnerable
adults and children); and

(c) Has casework and case management capabilities, and able to make a
comprehensive needs assessment for the client.

6.3 The following table in Figure 5 depicts the common case manager or
stakeholders responsible for the corresponding nature of cases or issue/s of concern
to help agencies easily identify a lead agency based on the presenting issue. For a
client or family with multiple needs and may be known to (or would benefit from referral
to) multiple agencies, agencies should take reference from the table below based on

10
While the need-service fit and statutory involvement serve as guiding points, there will be instances
whereby the lead case agency will be determined by service model requirements (e.g. in the case of
crisis shelters where community case worker takes the lead).
11
Statutory services should take the lead on safety concerns in terms of case direction and close
monitoring for risks concerns. However, they need not be the ones taking the lead in coordinating and
engaging agencies on needs of the family. There may be some cases known to a statutory agency but
the risks may have stabilised enough, and only require community support to address the needs. For
such cases, it may not be necessary for the statutory agency to take the lead. In some situations, where
community services are required for the family members who have more complex needs (and not for
the primary client, who is under the purview of the statutory agency), the community agency may take
the lead.

11
the case’ main presenting issue and above pointers i.e. 6.2(a) to (c) to identify a lead
agency amongst all stakeholders. For example, a family facing a combination of
financial difficulties, youth delinquency issues, has elderly family member with
dementia, has marital conflicts, children displaying delinquency and hoarding issues
may best be managed by a Family Service Centre as the lead agency to bring relevant
agencies together to provide help on the individual issues, e.g. HDB on decluttering
efforts and youth agencies youth engagement, and ensure that agencies are clear of
their roles and responsibilities for the case and that the Case Master Action Plan is
aligned and coordinated.

Nature of case Common Case Manager

Elderly aged 60 years and above with health Community Network for Seniors (CNS)
and/or social issues

Individuals at-risk, suspected, or diagnosed with Agency for Integrated Care (Community Mental
physical and/or mental health conditions Health)

Healthy in general but sudden decline or Medical Social Workers (MSWs) at respective
encounter sudden functional decline, e.g. those hospitals*
with traumatic injury, newly diagnosed with
debilitating condition
Frequent admitters with:
(i) Social reasons (i) Community Social Worker
(ii) Medical reasons (ii) Medical Social Workers (MSWs) at
respective hospitals
*End of life:
(i) Inpatient (inclusive of hospice), community (i) Medical Social Workers (MSWs) at
hospital respective hospitals* / hospice
(ii) Cared for at home (ii) Community Social Worker
Family issues Family Service Centres (FSCs)

Hoarding situation Housing & Development Board (HDB)

Statutory Cases (Abuse/neglect, probation, MSF/Rehabilitation and Protection Group

juvenile homes) (RPG)
MSF/Social Service Office’s (SSO) ComCare MSF SSO’s Social Assistance Team
cases with no clear case leads
*refers to restructured hospitals for physical health issues and Institute of Mental Health for mental
health issues.

Figure 5: Nature of cases and corresponding Case Leads12

12
Table reflects common Lead Agency for the most pressing or presenting issue. Whilst families with
multiple needs tend to have many agencies supporting them, one agency would be best placed to Lead
in the integrated case management efforts.

12
 (ii) Roles of a lead agency or case manager

6.4 The lead case manager serves to drive holistic service delivery and
interventions, so that no issue or client falls through the gap. The main roles of the
lead case manager are to:

(a) Touch base with all agencies client is/was known to, regardless of how
minimal their involvement might have been. This will reduce the
likelihood of important information being omitted;

(b) Facilitate interagency case discussions amongst different agencies13 to

reach a joint assessment on the risks and needs, and develop a
coordinated approach in intervention (based on prioritised risks/needs)
within agreed timelines;

(c) Ensure that discussions, decisions and timelines are documented and
followed through;

(d) Proactively refer to other agencies who can better support clients and
meet their needs;

(e) Work with client to identify their needs14 (ranging from health, social,
economic, to behavioural needs etc.), and prioritise the needs to be
addressed. Each need, though important, may have to be addressed
based on the urgency: some need to be addressed immediately, while
others are more long term;

(f) Be the main contact point for clients, but onus should be on each agency
to maintain accountability by conveying their respective action plan items
clearly;

(g) Align help agencies’ efforts towards developing a case master action
plan to achieve the desired outcomes for client and the family;

(h) Maintain an overview of the actions required of each agency and to

follow up with the agencies if necessary;

(i) Coordinate the review process; and

(j) Encourage all agencies involved in the case to fulfil their respective roles
stated in Section 7, ‘Role of agencies involved in Case Master Action
Planning’.

13
As far as possible, an interagency case discussion is a useful platform to bring different agencies
together, where information shared can contribute to holistic assessment and joint case planning.
14
Whilst the Lead case manager may have one primary client, the needs of the family (including
significant others) should be taken into consideration, and hence the value to work collaboratively with
other agencies who may be working with other family members.

13
13
 (iii) Transfer of lead case agency’s roles

6.5 A transfer of roles may be required in the following scenarios:

(a) Statutory order and case management becomes required / no longer

necessary (e.g. case is referred to / discharged from Child Protective
Service);

(b) There is a change in client’s situation/presenting needs; or

(c) Changing dynamics in the agency’s relationship and rapport with client.

6.6 Any transfer of roles should be communicated to all stakeholders and clients,
and documented. When there is a transfer of roles (e.g. transfer of lead case manager,
transfer of agency’s workers etc), agency staff are responsible for ensuring a proper
handover and transitional support of cases. This includes what has worked in the
partnerships with all collaborating agencies to ensure that the good practices that had
established the strong partnership can continue. Please find Annexes as attached:

• Annex E – Principles of case handovers developed by MSF’s Office of

the Director of Social Welfare
• Annex F – Template for transfer of a lead case manager

6.7 The following flowchart (Figure 6) depicts good practice for transfer of roles,
with corresponding suggested turnaround times:

14
 Figure 615: Workflow for Transfer of Lead Case Agency

Existing lead case manager and other partner agencies (involved in the case) agree that
another agency should assume the lead role to better meet family’s needs. Team to
consider the aspects listed in Section 6 when identifying the new lead case agency.

No Refer to Section 8
Proposed new lead case agency agreeable
to transfer of lead case management on Case Escalation
Protocol

Yes

Existing Lead to provide the following within 4 calendar days:

a) Formal case transfer summary e.g. assessments, case management plans (if
proposed new lead is not client’s existing case manager)
b) Information on all stakeholders, areas and timeline of follow-ups.

New Lead to acknowledge receipt of case summary within 3 calendar days.

Face-to-face handover session between existing and new lead case managers to clarify
roles and follow-up actions within 1 week of referral.

Both case managers to have joint session with family within 1 week from handover
discussion. Session should help family understand the joint case management plan and
the role of each agency involved in the case.

(As time may be needed for the new lead case manager and clients to build rapport, the
previous one may still be involved in the transition phase if necessary)

New Lead to coordinate the multi-agency case management meetings in

accordance with Section 6 of guidelines “Roles of a lead case manager” and
existing protocols (e.g. CSWP, CP Manual etc).

15
Agencies may have existing transfer protocols for selected clientele group. Where applicable, these
may supersede the workflow shown in Figure 6.

15
7 Roles of Stakeholders involved in Case Master Action Planning

7.1 When a client is attended to by multiple agencies, these agencies should share
the responsibility and accountability for the action plans and client’s progress.
Agencies should seek to utilise their expertise / services and align individual agency
efforts to forge a common action plan and not focus solely on their own areas. During
the case conference, agencies may offer help to other agencies that serve as levers
(where appropriate) to nudge clients towards their goals. To enhance effectiveness
of the intervention efforts and better service outcomes, each agency should:

(i) Build a relationship of trust and mutual respect, and support for partner
agencies;

(ii) Clarify expectations when working together which include agreeing on

the following:

(a) The desired outcomes and intervention plans for the client and family;

(b) When agencies will meet for reviews - regular case reviews, ad hoc
reviews and joint case conferences / collaborations meant to address
developments in the case to meet the dynamic needs of the client;

(c) Who should attend meetings - assign appropriate staff to manage

cases and attend meetings;

(d) How information will be updated (e.g. emails, phone calls if urgent
etc.);

(e) Expectations, roles, and tasks of each agency and caseworker

involved in Case Master Action Planning; and

(f) Proper handover/ transition support/update among agencies.

(iii) Communicate One Case Plan16 (as agreed with other agencies) to the
client, who will receive consistent messaging and reduce likelihood of
misalignment of goals;

(iv) Actively reach out to other agencies to understand their current efforts
with client and/or if the case is already coordinated with other agencies;

(v) Maintain accountability by adhering to the deadlines which were

agreed upon at the case discussion and keeping all partner agencies
updated on progress and changes to interventions based on agreed
actions and timelines;

(vi) Keep clear documentation of decisions made and actions taken to

facilitate follow-ups, and reduce the possibility of lapses in case
coordination;

16
Agencies will still be responsible for their respective agency plans with the client.

16
 (vii) Tap on the knowledge, skills and networks of other partners to
provide holistic and effective intervention; and

(viii) Adopt an inter-agency approach in case coordination and reviews

to strengthen partnerships and to resolve any disputes that arise. Agency
staff should:

(a) [If applicable] Utilise common risk and needs assessment tools such
as:

• Family Violence: Child Abuse Reporting Guide (CARG), Danger

Assessment Tool, Sector Specific Screening Guide (SSSG);

• Needs of Family: Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual (BPSS), Code of

Social Work Practice (CSWP), Family and Adult Support Tool
(FAST); and

• Vulnerable Adult Abuse, Neglect and Self-Neglect: Vulnerable

Adult Triage Form.

(b) Avoid working in silo by:

• Practising collective decision-making (in tandem with clients), but

be flexible enough to review case action plans in the face of new
information;

• Disseminating all important information promptly to all relevant

parties (e.g. key developments in risks, needs and services
obtained by client);

• Undertaking timely response to correspondence by other

agencies; and

• Contributing to case discussions; following through with decisions

made and adhering to the agreed timelines (unless circumstances
necessitate change).

(c) Tap on the knowledge, skills and networks of other partners to

provide holistic and effective intervention. Thus, each agency should
review risk factors17 and case action plans in consultation with other
agencies involved in the Case MAP effort. Nonetheless, individual
agency staff still have the responsibility to monitor the progress of
their client.

17
Risks and Needs Assessment is key to targeted intervention for effective outcome. It is important to
have a common risk assessment framework to standardise definitions among agencies for a
coordinated approach. See Section 1.1 for Indicators of Vulnerability.

17
7.2 To ensure that agency staff are able to meet the needs of the client, agencies
should ensure that:

(i) Staff managing complex cases have the requisite skills and
competencies;

(ii) All staff, especially lead case managers [See Section 6], receive regular
supervision and consultation; and

(iii) Covering staff is available when case workers involved in the case are
away on leave or away for a period of time and there is a proper handover
of cases.

8 Case Escalation Protocol

8.1 The case escalation protocol aims to provide timely and positive resolution of
professional differences between agencies working with families of complex needs,
and to bring in the necessary support required for certain type of cases with the
potential to fall through the cracks i.e. cases with system barriers, lapsed cases and
refused help cases. Generally, a good working relationship between agencies and
professional difference in views can be a driving force in developing good practices.
Occasional difference of opinions about the way forward in an individual case may
also arise which requires timely resolution so as not to delay decision making.

(i) Areas of possible differences - disagreements can arise in a number

of areas, but are most likely to arise around thresholds of risks/needs,
roles and responsibilities, or the need for action, when and how. Some
examples include:

(a) Different views over a particular course of action (e.g.

disengagement of client18; taking statutory action) or disagreement
in reaching an aligned action plan;

(b) Opinion that another agency has not completed or worked on an

agreed plan of action for no acceptable or understood reason;

(c) Difference in opinion on role or involvement of a particular agency;

(d) Unable to determine who the lead case agency should be due to
the complexity of the case; or

18
Disengagement of clients should be a last resort. The scope of disengagement will be on the specific
issue only, and the client should still be assisted on other matters. The following list serves as a guide
to decide on whether disengagement is appropriate:
(i) Does this pass the test of public scrutiny?
(ii) Was issue addressed by the agencies earlier?
(iii) Has the agency pointed client to an alternative solution/s outside their purview?
(iv) Were there any new developments/ issues that arose?

18
 (e) Difference in agencies’ internal processes and guidelines in coming
up with an integrated plan for the case.

(ii) System barriers - some vulnerable families face systems barriers for
which a Whole-of-Government policy review would be needed (e.g.
transnational families in accessing affordable healthcare and
employment support). It is important to systematically identify emerging
issues for policy review, to reduce clients churning in the system. This
is done through tighter coordination amongst agencies and advocating
for flexibility in the provision of tangible assistance with the various help
systems (i.e. health, education, housing, etc.) according to the needs of
the individual and / or family.

(iii) Lapsed Cases – Cases where another agency did not fulfil the
committed intervention within a stipulated timeframe without
justifications.

(iv) Refused Help Cases – Cases where clients have refused help from
agencies despite attempts made by agencies as per their engagement
protocols, but agencies assess that the case presents risk either to client
himself or the community.

8.2 Disagreement is reduced by open and regular communication and clarity over
roles and responsibilities. The best way of resolving differences is through open and
transparent discussion and where possible a face-to-face meeting between parties
concerned; to review and revisit the objectives of the case and its direction.

8.3 The following flowchart (Figure 7) relates specifically to either situations where
there are system barriers or inter-agency differences which cannot be resolved by or
among the agencies despite efforts to do so. It does not cover differences within
individual agencies which should be addressed by their agency’s own escalation
policy.

8.4 In gist, these cases can be escalated to MSF SSO Regional Services (RS)
Team and thereafter to the SSO General Managers, for further discussion. Where
necessary, the case will then be escalated to the MSF HQ.

19
 Figure 7: Workflow for Case Escalation

Agencies surface cases for escalation due to concerns listed in Section 8.1

Non-system barrier

Staff consult with respective manager/supervisor and attempt to resolve disagreement

between them
System barrier

Yes Resolved?
No

No further escalation Agencies to seek assistance from MSF SSO Regional Services
action required (RS) Team

Agency made at least one

RS Team to facilitate discussion among the agencies
failed appeal?
No

Yes
Regional Services (RS) Team to Resolved?
Yes
advise agency to make an appeal
(with guidance if needed) No
RS AGM to escalate to GM. If still unresolved, case to be
escalated to agency’s parent / funding Ministry / Organisation
GM/ RS AGM to support agency to appeal
to government agencies
Yes
Resolved?

GM/ RS AGM consults and/or appeals to No

GM/ RS AGM access government POCs Case is escalated to MSF HQ to review options with agencies
to come to mutual agreement on plan. If no agreement is
made, MSF HQ will make the decision.

Yes
System barriers resolved?

No

GM/ RS AGM re-assesses the case

direction and consult MSF HQ when
necessary.

20
 References

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2014). Patient- and Family-centered Care

Coordination: A Framework for Integrating Care for Children and Youths across
Multiple Systems.

Atkinson, M., Jones, M. & Lamont, E. (2007). Multi-agency working and its implications
for practice: A review of the Literature.

Atkins, M., Wilkin, A., Stott, A., Doherty, P. & Kinder, K. (2002). Multi Agency Working:
A Detailed Study

Bunger, Alicia C. (2010). Defining Service Coordination: A Social Work

Perspective, Journal of Social Service Research, 36:5, 385-
401, DOI: 10.1080/01488376.2010.510931

Children’s Workforce Development Council, (2011), Providing intense support for

families with multiple and complex needs, Retrieved from
http://www.outcomesforchildren.org/lpg_documents/cavan_familysupport/providing_i
ntense_support_families_cdwc.pdf

Cottam, H. [TED] (2015). Social Services Are Broken: How We Can Fix Them.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr8nvXvl-y8

Families and Societies, (2015), Vulnerability of families with children: Major risks,
future challenges and policy recommendations, Retrieved from
http://www.familiesandsocieties.eu/wp-
content/uploads/2015/11/WP49MynarskaEtAl2015.pdf

Harley, D.A., Donnell, C. & Rainey, J.A. (2003). Interagency Collaboration: Reinforcing
Professional Bridges to Serve Aging Populations with Multiple Service Needs. Journal
of Rehabilitation, 69(2), 32-37

Home Office. (2014). Multi Agency Working and Information Sharing Project.
Retrieved from
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/33887
5/MASH.pdf

Horwath, J. & Morrison, T. (2011). Effective Inter-agency Collaboration to Safeguard

Children: Rising to the Challenge Through Collective Development. Children and
Youth Services Review, 33, 368-375

Horwath, J. & Morrison, T. (2007). Collaboration, Integration and Change in Children’s

Services: Critical Issues and Key ingredients. Child Abuse & Neglect, 31, 55-69

21
Lee, M.Y., Teater, B., Greene, G.J., Solovey, A.D., Grove, D., Fraser, J.S., Washburn,
P. & Hsu, K.S. (2011). Key Processes, Ingredients and Components of Successful
Systems Collaboration: Working with Severely Emotionally or Behaviorally Disturbed
Children and Their Families. Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 39, 394-405

Lincolnshire SCB Policy and Procedures Manual, (Oct 2017), Professional Resolution
and Escalation Protocol, Retrieved from
http://lincolnshirescb.proceduresonline.com/chapters/pr_prof_resolution.html

Lindeke, L.L., Leonard, B.J., Presler, B. & Garwick, A. (2002). Family-centered Care
Coordination for Children with Special Needs across Multiple Settings. Journal of
Pediatric Health Care, 16, 290-297

Ministry of Social & Family Development, MSF Strengthening Families Together

Practitioner’s Resource Guide, Volume 2, Working Effectively with Systems to Support
Vulnerable Families, (Apr 2015), Retrieved from
https://app.msf.gov.sg/Publications/Strengthening-Families-Together-SFT-Pilot-
Practitioners-Resource-Guides

Park, J. & Turnbull, A. (2003). Service Integration in Early Intervention: Determining

Interpersonal and Structural Factors for Its Success. Infants & Young Children, 16(1),
48-58

Progression Routes Initiative (n.d.) Case Management Guidebook, Retrieved from

http://www.casemanagementguidebook.ie/Protocols/Protocols/Holistic-assessment-
establishing-lead-agency.aspx

Rothman, J. (1991). A Model of Case Management: Toward Empirically Based

Practice. Social Work, 36(6), 520-528

Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (Superu), (Nov 2015), In Focus: Families
with complex needs: International approaches, Retrieved from
http://www.superu.govt.nz/sites/default/files/Families%20with%20complex%20needs
.pdf

Victoria State Government, (2012), Families with multiple and complex needs,
Retrieved from
http://www.cpmanual.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/Families%20with%20multiple%20
%26%20complex%20needs%20specialist%20resource%203016%20.pdf

22
 Annex A

Examples of Complex Cases involving Multi-Agencies and

the possible Lead Agencies

1. Case where the lead agency was a community agency

23
2. Case where the lead agency was the FSC

24
3. Case where the lead agency was the SSO

25
 Annex B

Coordinated Case Management (CCM) Framework

The CCM Framework was originally developed in 2016 by an inter-agency workgroup

convened by MSF following their Serious Case Reviews into cases of child deaths.
The Reviews revealed two salient observations:

(i) Cases were complex in nature and tended to have multiple issues and many
agencies involved; and

(ii) While many agencies were involved in the case, there was limited clarity of
roles and expectations of each agency, and little discussion and sharing of
information among them. There was weak inter-agency collaboration.

Framework for Coordinated Case Management

The Guidelines sought to plug these gaps (especially when two or more agencies were
involved), facilitate a coordinated and holistic approach in meeting the needs of cases
with multiple stressors, and provide clarity on the roles of agencies involved. The
Guidelines were disseminated to Family Service Centres (FSCs) and partners
thereafter (e.g. National Council of Social Service, CARE network agencies and
Institute of Mental Health).

These Guidelines were not meant to be prescriptive and should be read in conjunction
with agency protocols and other related guidelines (e.g. Social Work Code of Ethics,
Counselling Code of Ethics, Code of Social Work Practice for FSCs and FSC
Management of Child Protection Cases etc.).

26
 Annex C

Case Master Action Plan (Case MAP) Template

Name of key household member(s)

Client known to lead Household Member 3

agency

Household Member 1 Household Member 4

Household Member 2 Household Member 5

27

Actions / tasks to be taken by the family Target Name of officer-in- Contact

date/month charge/agency
 Annex D

Considerations for an Aligned Case Plan

Note: the case plan has to meet all three considerations to be considered an
aligned case plan.

PRIORITISATION

□ Have you prioritised case plan items addressing safety concerns/risk

factors above those addressing needs?

• lmminent risks should be prioritised above emerging risks19, dynamic

risks over static20 risks and internal risks over external21 risks.

• Safety concerns without or with weak protective factors should be

prioritised above that with strong protective factors.

LEVERS

□ Have you considered tapping on assistance and interventions provided

by other agencies (e.g. ComCare assistance, rental rate reduction, etc.)
as levers to nudge the client to work on his action plan items?
(note: agencies agreement should be obtained beforehand)

• lf the assistance/interventions identified as a lever can be provided in the

immediate term, it should be prioritised to pave the way for other action
plan items to follow.

▪ e.g. if a client is a potential ComCare client, referral to the SSO

could be prioritised as agencies can tap on the SSO to tag their
case plan items to client’s case plans required for Comcare
assistance. This could potentially increase client’s commitment to
act on the other case plan items.

• lf the assistance/interventions identified as the lever can only be

provided after some time, agencies should follow-up with the case plan
items as usual, until the opportunity arises.

19 An imminent risk would indicate that a person is very likely to be harmed within the near future and
this would warrant immediate attention and intervention. Emerging risks are new and unforeseen risk
and would require a period of monitoring as their potential for harm is not fully known.
20
Static risks tend to remain largely unchanged over time (e.g. disability, history of mental health), while
dynamic risks (e.g family violence risks, risks of self-harming) have the potential to escalate, de-
escalate, or even be eliminated with appropriate intervention.
21
lnternal risks refer to concerns that are internal within the individual. Physiological issues (e.g.
physical disabilities or limitations), intra-psychic issues (e.g. mental illness including personality
disorders), and cognitive issues (e.g. intellectual disability) are classified as internal risks, while
interpersonal and environmental issues (e.g. family conflicts, high crime neighbourhoods) are termed
as external risks.

28
 ▪ E.g. if client’s ComCare assistance is expiring in 3 months,
agencies should follow-up with client as usual. ComCare
assistance could be tapped on as a lever to motivate client to act
on outstanding case plan items when the client’s ComCare
assistance is being reviewed.

POLICY DEVIATIONS

□ Have you explored with other agencies if they are able to exercise
flexibility for client based on compassionate grounds (e.g. HDB delaying
eviction of client and family members from a rental unit or SSO renewing
client’s ComCare assistance) so as not to derail client/family from
working towards stability?
(note: agencies agreement should be obtained beforehand)

• lf agency is able to exercise flexibility subsequent to client undertaking

certain actions as a display of commitment, the action step by the client
should be prioritised above other case plan items.

• Once flexibility is exercised, the initial action to be undertaken by the

agency could be considered an ultimatum for client, which can be tapped
on as a “last resort” lever.

Updated as at 31 Jan 2019

29
 Annex E

Principles of case handovers developed by

MSF's Office of the Director of Social Welfare

Original info-graphic can be downloaded here: http://joom.ag/fYQp

30
 Annex F

Transfer of Lead Case Manager

Name :
NRlC No. :
Referring Case : Referred Case :
Manager / Agency Manager / Agency
Next Review Due :
Date of Transfer :

Involved Agencies
Agency Area of focus Primary client

Coordinated Case Management Plan

No Risk/ Need Goal Task Time Frame
1.
2.
3.

Other Matters to Note

* Delete appropriately

31