SINGAPORE — Citing efforts within Henderson-Dawson district as an example of how social service delivery is best done on the ground level, Social and Family Development Minister Desmond Lee reiterated that help for the needy should involve a “concerted effort”, and that no issue should be dealt in silos.

He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a ministerial visit to the district on Sunday (March 25), where he was given a half-day showcase — hosted by Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency Member of Parliament Joan Pereira — of various grassroots-led initiatives in the Henderson-Dawson district, each catering to different segments of the community.

Mr Lee stressed the importance of “creating partnerships” in delivering social service to those who need it.

To this end, networking sessions will be held for various service groups to get to know one another and work together more effectively to help those in need. Social Service Offices (SSOs) will be organising these sessions town by town during the course of the year, Mr Lee added.

These sessions, said Mr Lee, will also bring on board “non-traditional organisations” — like grassroots organisations and merchant associations and firms — into social service delivery.

With these networking sessions, ground representatives from the grassroots organisations, and other groups and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) can come together to network, and “ put a face and name behind a telephone number and email”, Mr Lee said.

“Organisational silos and divisions will fade away once people know each other because we all have one common purpose, whichever agency we are from … we all want to make a difference,” he added.

At his ministry’s Committee of Supply debates earlier this month, Mr Lee spoke about plans to make it easier for the needy to receive help from any front-line officer at a community or government agency, who will be armed with not just knowledge of what their agency provides, but also a range of other aid schemes.

The networking sessions, said Ms Pereira, who oversees the Henderson-Dawson district, have “worked very well for us, because one partner knows what another partner is doing”.

“You prevent duplication …(and) you have a complete picture, and that allows us to help the family holistically,” she added.

The various initiatives Mr Lee visited on Sunday were part of the enhanced welfare services committee that Ms Pereira set up in 2015, bringing together various agencies, VWOs and organisations to serve her residents’ needs.

One initiative was the Hot, Happy and Healthy meal project, where senior volunteers meet every Sunday to cook a meal for isolated elderly living in the rental blocks at Bukit Merah View.

Meanwhile, at the We Love Learning Programme, volunteers provide language learning and creative learning opportunities for less-fortunate children in the district.

It was started some 15 years ago, as a weekly story-telling session, but gradually grew to incorporate services from various VWOs.