The Singapore Council of Social Services (SCSS) became a statutory body on 16 December 1968 (Government Gazette. Subsidiary Legislation Supplement, 13 December 1968, S 343/1968, p. 636). SCSS is an umbrella body for individuals involved in social service and voluntary welfare organisations in Singapore (National Council of Social Service [NCSS], 2001, p. 53). As the leading agency in the social service sector, SCSS aims to improve the quality of social services for the disadvantaged. Its mission is to provide leadership and direction in social services, enhance the capabilities of social service organisations and promote strategic partnerships for social services.
Before SCSS: Social Welfare Council
The predecessor of SCSS was the Social Welfare Council (SWC), which was an advisory body to the Singapore Social Welfare Department (The Singapore Free Press, 29 Jul 1958, p. 5). SWC was formed in December 1946 under the Societies Ordinance (Parliamentary Debates: Official Report, 22 May 1968, Second Reading, Vol. 27, cols. 398-404). The role of SWC was to mobilise community support for voluntary social services (The Straits Times, 23 Dec 1958, p. 25). It was made up of representatives from various organisations including religious bodies, voluntary welfare organisations, government heads and municipal departments responsible for welfare (NCSS, 2008, p. 6). Members were selected by the governor of Singapore.
With self-government in 1958, Singaporeans were compelled to take full ownership in planning their own social welfare (The Straits Times, 23 Dec 1958, p. 25). Woon Wah Siang, the director of Social Welfare, called a meeting involving approximately 40 organisation leaders to establish a new organisation to replace SWC. Such a body would then widen the scope and prevent duplication in voluntary welfare efforts. This in turn would allow the government to concentrate on providing other essential needs such as housing, health care and education (NCSS, 2008, p. 6). With the support of voluntary welfare organisation leaders, Chief Minister Lim Yew Hock launched the SCSS in 1958 (The Straits Times, 23 Dec 1958, p. 25).
Under the purview of the Department of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Labour and Welfare, SCSS was formed on 20 December 1958 (The Straits Times, 21 Dec 1958, p. 16). SCSS held its inaugural meeting on 22 December 1958 at the Asian Seamen’s Hostel (NCSS, 2008, p. 6). Representatives from various organisations would then elect an interim committee to run SCSS until its constitution was approved (The Straits Times, 23 Dec 1958, p. 25). Lee Kong Chian was the first chairman of this interim committee.
Incorporation as a statutory board
After a decade of operations, SCSS was incorporated as a statutory body by the Singapore Council of Social Service Act (NCSS, 1998a, p. 10). The decision to change SCSS status to a statutory body was to recognise its past contributions and projected growth of upcoming activities. The effectiveness of SCSS as a central agency in managing Singapore’s social welfare needs was obvious. Two months after its launch, SCSS successfully raised $700,000 for Tiong Bahru fire victims (NCSS, 1998a, p. 10). Another $430,000 was raised in 1961 for Bukit Ho Swee fire victims (NCSS, 2001, p. 54). By the end of 1959, SCSS had a total of 73 member organisations (Twenty five years of social service: Silver jubilee publication of the Singapore Council of Social Service, 1983, p. 23).
The conversion to a statutory body was necessary to strengthen the existing voluntary welfare bodies and maintain the good reputation of social services in Singapore (Parliamentary Debates: Official Report, 22 May 1968, Second Reading, Vol. 27, col. 398-404). Othman Wok, the Minister for Social Affairs, first introduced the Singapore Council of Social Services Bill to incorporate SCSS on 10 May 1968 (Parliamentary Debates: Official Report, 10 May 1968, First Reading, Vol. 27, col. 98). Parliament passed a resolution on the Bill and referred it to the Select Committee on 22 May 1968 (Parliamentary Debates: Official Report, 3 December 1968, Third Reading, Vol. 28, cols. 63-65). Parliament then passed the Bill on 3 December 1968 and the Bill received assent on 7 December 1968 (Government Gazette. Acts Supplement, 13 December 1968, Act 29 of 1968, p. 283).
Objectives of Act
The aims and objectives outlined in the Act did not differ much from its predecessor (Twenty five years..., 1983, p. 24). These included coordinating volunteer welfare activities in Singapore; maintaining and improving voluntary social work standards; encouraging welfare work in fields not covered by the government; assisting member organisations through contributions or promotion of welfare activities; receiving administering and distributing funds entrusted to it; encouraging public participation in voluntary welfare work; advising the government on social welfare legislation and so on (Government Gazette. Acts Supplement, 13 December 1968, Act 29 of 1968, p. 286).
SCSS retained its status as a self-governing body despite being a statutory board. The board members were elected by member organisations (Twenty five years..., 1983, p. 24). The representatives elected in 1968 included Ee Peng Liang, Goh Sin Tub, Harry L. Wee, S. R. Nathan, Cecil V. R. Wong and Ho Chak (NCSS, 2008, p. 26).
The formative years
In 1970, SCSS building was complete and it later became its headquarters. Its patron, who was also at that time President of Singapore, Benjamin Sheares officially declared it open. SCCS was a pioneer in many areas of social welfare. It set up the first community home for the elderly, the Henderson Community Home for Senior Citizens (1974) and the first multi-social service centre in a public housing estate, the Ang Mo Kio Social Service Centre (1978). The 5th Pan Pacific Conference of the International Society for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled was also hosted by SCSS in 1975. 600 delegates from 22 countries attended this conference (NCSS, 1998a, p. 11).
Furthermore, the SCSS set up a number of fund-raising schemes with the aim of letting voluntary work organisations focus on service delivery. SCSS formed the Community Chest in 1983. Community Chest raised a total of $268 million for funded charities, which had increased from 18 in 1984 to 50 in the financial accounting year of 1997 and 1998 (NCSS, 1998a, p. 12). The number of beneficiaries grew from 22,000 in 1984 to 300,000 in 2001 (NCSS, 2001, p. 74). In 1985, SCSS held its first television entertainment cum phone-in donations programme, the Heartstrings Show and raised $3.9 million. It then raised $4.6 million in 1988 (NCSS, 2001, p. 81). Students also contributed to the Community Chest charities for the first time in 1984 with student donations hitting the $1 million mark in 1995 (NCSS, 1998a, p. 13).
Over the years, the roles and functions of SCSS have evolved. In 1992, the SCSS was restructured into the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) with the Community Chest as its fund-raising arm (NCSS, 2001, p. 82). NCSS’ modus operandi shifted from direct service to becoming a facilitator and enabler. It provided directions in funding, consultancy, training, facilities and networking while encouraging individuals and organisations to take a more proactive role in social services (NCSS, 2001, p. 85).
