NCSS to expand role as sector developer

One of its main focus areas is improving user-centric service delivery.

The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) is set to expand its role beyond a membership body to deliver stronger outcomes for social service users as a sector developer.

As a sector developer, NCSS will focus on three key areas, including improving user-centric service delivery by coordinating with government ministries and stakeholders, strengthening capability building through organisational and professional development, and building a robust ecosystem by rallying community support and encouraging sustainable philanthropy and corporate volunteerism.

“NCSS has been the change-maker for the social service sector through the years and will continue to do so,” said Anita Fam, president of NCSS.

“However, as we face increasingly complex societal issues, it is timely and necessary to re-examine this scope of work, think beyond our membership, which already covers more than 80% of all SSAs, and adopt a broader ecosystem lens to serve the needs of our communities more effectively as a sector developer,” she noted.

To facilitate the transition, NCSS is actively engaging social service agencies (SSAs) and sector partners to gather feedback on proposed amendments to the NCSS Act.

“NCSS has started engaging our members to hear from them how we might better support their work and how we might better support them to meet service users’ needs,” said Tan Li San, chief executive of NCSS.

“In the spirit of ForwardSG, we are also consulting various stakeholders for feedback on our expanded sector developer role and the consequent changes we will need to make to the NCSS Act,” she said. 

Originally established as the Singapore Council of Social Service (SCSS) in the 1960s, the organisation was created to represent the interests of SSAs. SCSS pioneered service models for senior care, disability, and rehabilitation services and launched the Community Chest to raise funds for the sector.

In 1992, the government recognised SCSS's potential for a broader impact and established NCSS through the NCSS Act.