TOUCH REPORT 2014 STRENGTHENING FAMILIES TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES Highlights from TOUCH Community Services Limited | TOUCH Family Services Limited | TOUCH Community Services International Ltd TOUCH REPORT 2014 CORPORATE INFORMATION ....................................... 02 FOUNDING CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE .......................... 04 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE .............................. 05 LEADERSHIP TEAM/ORGANISATION STRUCTURE ........ 06 MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY ................ 08 2014 KEY HIGHLIGHTS ................................................ 10 2014 KEY STATISTICS ................................................... 12 CORPORATE HIGHLIGHTS ........................................... 14 SERVING THE • CHILDREN ............................................................... 18 • YOUTHS .................................................................. 22 • FAMILY ................................................................... 26 • ELDERLY .................................................................. 32 • PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS ................................. 36 • PEOPLE WITH HEALTHCARE NEEDS ......................... 40 • INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ................................ 44 FACTS & FIGURES ....................................................... 46 FINANCIALS & POLICY STATEMENTS ........................... 48 DIRECTORY OF SERVICES & LOCATIONS ..................... 54 Information is correct for Year 2014 The TOUCH Report 2014 is published by TOUCH Community Services. For enquiries, please email [email protected]. The production of this Report is partially sponsored by Words Worth Media Management. www.wordsworth.com.sg TOUCH REPORT 2014 | 1 Corporate INFORMATION TOUCH Community Services is a not-for-profit charitable served by TOUCH, i.e. at least once a month or attended at organisation officially registered in 1992. TOUCH was granted least 80% of activities or programmes organised or received charity status and became a full member of the National Council face-to-face services including counselling. Service users include of Social Service on 12 December 1994. individuals who have benefited from camps, health screening, and educational outreaches such as talks, workshops and TOUCH comprises TOUCH Community Services Limited (TCSL), roadshows organised by TOUCH. TOUCH Family Services Limited (TFSL) and TOUCH Community Services International Limited (TCSIL). TOUCH has an integrated TOUCH’s services have received numerous accolades in network of 17 services with 13 centres and 19 children’s clubs recognition of their outstanding contributions to the community. In located at different parts of Singapore, including Bukit Merah, 2014, TOUCH staff were recipients of two national awards - the Clementi, Geylang Bahru, Hougang, Serangoon, Toa Payoh, Outstanding Social Worker Award and the Healthcare Humanity Ubi and Yishun. Its clients include children from low-income or Award - in recognition of their outstanding performance in single-parent families, youths at risk, needy families, people with their respective fields. TOUCH Caregivers Support also received special and healthcare needs and the frail elderly. the Good Practice Award in recognition of its productivity and innovation. Other accolades awarded in previous years included Over the last 22 years, TOUCH has reached out to many TOUCH Cyber Wellness’ Singapore Youth Award in 2011, as individuals from all races and religions. In 2014, we reached out well as the appointment of TOUCH Seniors Activity Centre as a to some 29,000 clients and 156,000 service users. Clients refer Centre of Specialisation by the National Council of Social Service to those who are members of TOUCH services or individuals in 2011. 2 | TOUCH REPORT 2014 OUR MISSION We are committed to the well-being of all people, reaching out to various levels of needs in the community. TOUCH seeks to establish and provide for the needy and disadvantaged in our society an integrated network of community-based services that strengthens the family, believing that every individual is unique and capable of reaching his or her highest potential. VISION 2015 Our vision is to see families strengthened and communities transformed by planting and building institutions of values in and through a network of integrated community services. OUR STORY The work of TOUCH started in 1986 as a service to the community by a group of like-minded young people who banded together to organise activities for children in the neighbourhoods of Clementi and Jurong. Touched by the obvious needs of the low-income and single-parent families faced with difficulties making ends meet, much less raising their children in a positive environment, these 15 people in their 20s operated out of a HDB flat and organised activities to help them develop academically and socially. What started out as a small attempt to mentor 45 children and help them develop to their full potential has today become a multi-service organisation that serves a diverse range of clients, from children to the elderly and those with special needs. TOUCH REPORT 2014 | 3 Founding Chairman’s MESSAGE In 2014, we celebrated our 22nd year of serving the community. In line with our passion to see families thrive, the year was punctuated with a slew of new initiatives to reach out to needy children, youths-at-risk, needy families, people with special and healthcare needs and the frail elderly. Even as we face fast moving changes in the social service landscape, our priority today, just as it was back in 1986 when our work first started, remains unchanged: We will continue to deliver affordable and excellent services that will meet the evolving needs of society. All in, it was a good year for TOUCH as we forged stronger partnerships and dialogues with government bodies in helping to identify needs to plug social gaps and bring social services closer to needy Singaporeans. It was also an opportune time for us to review our operations and relevance of our services, and initiate changes to further raise our efficiency and service standards. Our clients are empowered because of SUPPORTERS LIKE YOU. Because you care, our work can continue TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE to the communities we serve. We are also heartened by the good response for our regular fund-raising events which included TOUCH Charity Futsal, Swing for Charity, TOUCH Charity Movie and Ultimate Hawker Fest. One thing is clear: our clients are empowered because of supporters like you. Because you care, our work can continue to make a difference to the communities we serve. Let us continue to press on in our efforts in transforming lives and turning challenges into opportunities. On behalf of all clients and staff from TOUCH, thank you once again for your faithful support and for journeying with us. Lawrence Khong, PBM 4 | TOUCH REPORT 2014 Executive Director’s MESSAGE 2014 was an exciting year for the social service sector, as the Other highlights at TOUCH include a new fitness programme government stepped up efforts to build an inclusive society, initiated by TOUCH Diabetes Support to aid psycho-social by providing opportunities for Singaporeans to fulfill their development of people with diabetes. There was also a new aspirations and ensuring that no one is left behind. community programme by TOUCH Seniors Activity Centre for elderly clients to bring cheer to residents in nursing homes. To meet the increasing needs of the elderly, the Ministry of TOUCH’s Special Needs Services also introduced a new Social and Family Development introduced a new Senior Cluster caregivers’ support group to strengthen support for caregivers of Network to run a suite of services for seniors within a HDB clients with intellectual disabilities. estate. Each service operator will run one Senior Activity Centre (Cluster Support), up to three Senior Group Homes and up to five In the year under review, TOUCH served some 29,000 clients Seniors Activity Centres within its appointed region. TOUCH was and 156,000 service users. It was also an encouraging year appointed as a service operator for the Senior Cluster Network for TOUCH with two of its staff receiving national awards – the for the Kallang/Novena/Whampoa and Yishun/Sembawang Outstanding Social Worker Award and the Healthcare Humanity regions in October 2014, underlining its efforts over the years in Award – in recognition of the staffs’ outstanding performance in supporting seniors to age-in-place. their respective fields. TOUCH Caregivers Support also received the Agency for Integrated Care’s Good Practice Award in Efforts by TOUCH to champion cyber wellness education over recognition of its productivity and innovation. the years also came to fruition as the Ministry of Education (MOE) initiated greater ownership over school-based cyber TOUCH continued to engage its volunteers as an important wellness curriculum by insourcing lessons. While MOE’s latest support in meeting the needs of the community. In 2014, there development has caused a dip in demand for school-based cyber were some 7,960 volunteers – 8.8% more than the corresponding wellness workshops, it has allowed TOUCH Cyber Wellness period in 2013. There were some 1,590 regular volunteers and (TCW) to realign its focus to meet the needs of underserved 6,360 ad-hoc volunteers during the year. segments such as the pre-school and special needs school markets, to provide early intervention and educational support The work of TOUCH would not have been possible without for children, youths and educators. the unwavering